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    • Sun Safety

    Sun Safety

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    Schools out! Summer sunshine is here. But don’t leave the house without your sunglasses, brimmed hat, and sunscreen. Why bother? Because despite the sun’s beneficial effects on our mood, even a small amount of daily exposure can lead to skin damage and cancer. In honor of June’s status as Cancer from the Sun Month, here are my website picks for sun safety.

    		Sun Safety Resource Handout for Classroom or Homeschool: Just $2.00

    American Cancer Society: Be Safe in the Sun4 stars

    The American Cancer Society offers up a small collection of sun-safety articles and a quiz to help us learn how to be safe while enjoying the sun. "Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. In fact, more skin cancers are diagnosed in the US each year than all other cancers combined. The number of skin cancer cases has been going up over the past few decades. Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays."



    CDC: Sun Safety5 stars

    This page is part of the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) kid section "BAM! Body and Mind". It includes vital safety tips ("You can also protect yourself by seeking shade.") along with an introduction to the UV Index. "The UV index is an online tool that determines how strong the sun’s UV rays are each day, on a scale from 0 to 11+. A lower UV index means fewer UV rays are reaching the earth’s surface and you are less likely to get sun damage while outside."

    EEK! Hole in the Ozone Layer?5 stars

    "In the late 1920s, chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (or CFCs) were invented. These chemicals were not poisonous and didn't harm fabrics, plants or people. Companies thought they were great and used them in refrigerators, air conditioners, Styrofoam packaging, and spray cans." But in the 1970s, scientists discovered that fifty years of CFC usage had harmed the earth's ozone layer, exposing us to harmful UV rays. This illustrated one-page article is a good introduction to the long term environmental and human damage caused by CFCs.

    EPA: SunWise Kids4 stars

    "This web site will help you learn more about the harmful effects of the sun and teach you ways to protect yourself. With fun activities like the Who Wants to Be SunWise trivia game and action steps, such as wearing a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, you will learn simple steps to protect yourself." Best clicks are the games in Survivor Challenges, and the explanation of the UV Index. Teachers can sign up for free classroom materials by clicking on SunWise Home, and following the Schools link.

    Teen's Health: Tanning Taboo4 stars

    When I was a teen growing up on the California beach, we greased ourselves with baby oil to attract the sun's rays. My mother told me not to, but that didn't stop me. Maybe reading this article (since it wasn't written by your mother) will help get the point across that tanning is not healthy. In fact, our culture's tanning infatuation is rather new. Years ago being pale was a sign of wealth, because only those who labored outside were bronzed by the sun.

    		Sun Safety Resource Handout for Classroom or Homeschool: Just $2.00



    Honorable Mentions

    The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!

    Skin Cancer Awareness

    Prevention Guidelines

    10 Ways to Teach Kids about Sun Safety

    Sunscreen Resource Center


    Cite This Page

    Feldman, Barbara. "Sun Safety." Surfnetkids. Feldman Publishing. 28 May. 2019. Web. 26 Dec. 2024. <https://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/sun-safety/ >.


    About This Page

    By . Originally published May 28, 2019. Last modified August 15, 2021.

    Filed Under: Earth Sciences, Science, Weather, Your Body

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