Sun+Safety

Our class has recently been learning about sun safety and why it is so important to stay out of the sun. Part of our homework is to design a pamphlet about sun safety. media type="youtube" key="gAu5wCTEBt0&rel=1" height="355" width="425"

Below is a plan of what my pamphlet would look like. Just imagine an opened pamphlet, with both the front and the back showing.

Here are some useful websites with some information to help me with my pamphlet. http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/summer_safety.html http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/Topics/Back+to+School/Sun+Safety+at+School.html?gclid=CI6Jk-Giz5ECFQc-gwod7yh7Rw http://www.sunsmart.org.nz/ - You may have to browse around on the site before you find what you are looking for. http://www.sunsmartschools.co.nz/default.asp - You may have to browse around on the site before you find what you are looking for. http://health.howstuffworks.com/question637.htm

Here is the Introduction to my Pamphlet: The sun keeps us warm, helps the plants grow, and even supplies us with Vitamin D! Although the sun does so many good things for us, it can also harm us by what we call a sunburn. OUCH!

You get a sunburn from overexposure to the sun’s rays, called ultraviolet rays (UV rays). The outer layer of your skin is called the epidermis. The very outer layer of the epidermis (the layer that you see and feel) is all made up of dead skin cells. Just below that layer is a layer of living skin cells. They keep on producing dead cells to replenish your skin. But, UV rays have the power to kill skin cells. By sitting in the sun, the UV rays hit the living cells and starts killing them. As your body notices the dead cells, it increases the blood flow in the area, and that is why the skin is warm and red. Since damaged cells release chemicals that activate pain, that is why the skin is so sensitive.

Melanoma – Melanoma is the least common but the most serious type of skin cancer. Did you know New Zealand has the highest Melanoma death rates in the world! The first sign is a change in a spot or freckle. If it is diagnosed and treated early, the treatment is usually successful. Basal Skin Cancer – This is the most common and the least dangerous type of skin cancer, but it can be serious if untreated. This is a pale, smooth lump usually on the face or neck. Sun Spots – These are flat, red or brown spots that are a warning you are likely to get skin cancer.

__SLIP__ into a shirt __SLOP__ on some sunscreen before going outdoors. Put sunscreen on any skin not covered by clothes. Use an SPF30+ broad-spectrum sunscreen. Wipe it on thickly at least 15 minutes before going outdoors. Reapply sunscreen after physical activity or swimming. __SLAP__ on a hat with a brim or a cap with flaps. __WRAP__ on a pair of sunglasses. Choose close fitting, wrap-around glasses. __SLIDE__ under some shade.

It is very important to be sunsmart during 10am to 4pm, as that is when the sun is at its strongest. Make sure you use sunscreen with an SPF over 15. If you are fair skinned, use a sunscreen with an SPF over 30, as fair skinned people are more likely to get sunburned because they have more melanin in their skin. Make sure you reapply sunscreen every two hours just to be safe. Remember to apply sunscreen to places you might not think of, like the tops of your ears, the back of your neck, and even the top of your feet! Don’t forget that your eyes also need protection! Sunglasses are important to protect your eyes from those rays! Now get out there and have fun while being sunsmart!