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 Health and physical education levels 7 and 8

Lesson overview - scoping out shade

This lesson is part of a Level 7 and 8 Health and Physical Education sun smart unit. It is focused on using shade to provide protection to health from sun damage.

Victorian Curriculum

Levels 7 and 8

Investigate and select strategies to promote health, safety and wellbeing (VCHPEP126).

Learning intention

We are learning about using shade to provide protection from the sun.

Success criteria

I can gather and analyse information to make decisions about the best place for shade in my school.

Extension ideas

Extend the success criteria (outcome): I can synthesise information to design a sun smart school.

Lesson sequence

  • Student work in small groups and are provided with a table that details the different levels of UV reflected by different surfaces
  • Students choose two areas of their school yard and draft a map of each area. They must choose one area with natural or built shade and one area without natural or built shade
  • Students mark the types of surfaces for each of the areas (for example, grass, concrete, asphalt)
  • Students observe these two areas at recess and lunch and create a table to record usage (how many people use the area)
  • Students develop a summary of usage that could be presented to decision makers in the school (for example the Principal)
  • Students prepare an action plan including five key strategies for reducing UV radiation in the school.

Extension ideas

High-ability students could:

  • be grouped together for this task.
  • be asked to design the perfect sun smart school using the information provided in the UV table and the data collected about student activity and usage.
  • research the effect of sun damage and provide an awareness campaign.

Downloadable tool

Acknowledgement

This lesson plan is adapted from the Sun Smart Level 7 and 8 teaching resource.