Sun Safety Resources for Schools

The following resources and services are available from York Region Community & Health Services or directly from the source listed. A listing here does not necessarily constitute a full endorsement of the resources and/or their contents.

Navigate to resources on this page:

Manuals and Curriculum Resources

• Living with Sunshine (Canadian Cancer Society). A primary teaching resource on sun protection for grades 1, 2 and 3. By learning how to protect their skin from overexposure to the sun, students will not only be preventing sunburns, but also lowering their risk of developing skin cancer. The lessons include a variety of activities to allow flexibility needed to meet your classroom's grade level and the instructional time available. This teaching resource intentionally avoids discussion of skin cancer, focusing instead on healthy lifestyle choices. Call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 to order.

• Sky Watcher Guide to Weather – Chapter 6 Ultraviolet Radiation (Environment Canada) A free teaching guide for Grades 4-7. It provides unique resources that address the weather-related learning outcomes of the Pan Canadian curriculum. This user-friendly material explains in simple terms the basics of weather. It's filled with fast facts, activities, and experiments. Chapter 6 addresses the topic of Ultraviolet Radiation. Free download at http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/skywatchers/teachersGuide/tg_pdf/06_UV_e.pdf.  

• Sunburn – Prevention and Treatment Grade 6 Lesson Plans (Toronto Public Health) The health risks associated with increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure include sunburns, skin aging, eye damage and skin cancers. This teaching package provides information about the effects of the sun as well as how lifestyle choices can have an impact on these health risks. The overall goal of the package is to have children incorporate sun safe behaviour into their everyday life. Free download at http://www.toronto.ca/health/cancerprevention/pdf/cp_sun_safety_info_for_schools.pdf. 

Videos

• Sun Safe Play Everyday (Canadian Dermatology Association). A 7-minute cartoon video that shows a little boy and his dog demonstrating sun safe behaviours while having fun outside, through song. The video is interactive and asks the audience to sing along. Call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 to borrow.
   
• Cover Up: A Music Video on Sun Safety (Lockwood Films). A 12-minute live-action music-video that teaches children about the need to protect their skin from the harmful rays of the sun. The sun-safety message is presented in three original, high-energy songs composed by Glenn Bennett and Doug Varty. "Sunny Day Blues", "Cover-up" and "It's a Wild, Wet, Wacky, Wonderful World". Call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 to borrow.

Storybook

• Block the Sun Not the Fun (Canadian Pediatric Society). A rhyming book that discusses UVA and UVB and actions to take to be protected against them. Call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 to borrow.

Activity Book

Grades 2-4

• Rayguard's Be Sun Smart Activity Book (Canadian Cancer Society). This resource contains word searches, puzzles, mazes and colouring, all featuring the Rayguard dog, and sun safety messages. Call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 to obtain free copies or call the Canadian Cancer Society.

Guides

• Shade: A Planning Guide (York Region Sunsense Coalition). A booklet designed to promote the use of shade for sun protection among individuals and organizations. This planning guide outlines the importance of shade, where shade is essential, how to plan for shade, the different types of shade and how to best utilize and create shaded areas. Call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 to order.
   
• School Ground Greening: Designing for Shade and Energy Conservation (Ontario Eco School). Based on a guide developed by Evergreen and the Toronto District School Board, this resource will help schools design for increased shade to protect students and staff from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and to shade school buildings to save energy and make them more comfortable. Tips for involving the school community in the design process, surveying user needs, completing a site analysis, creating site plans and developing a fundraising strategy are included. Free download at http://ontarioecoschools.org/program_guides/sgg.html.
    
• The Learning Grounds Guide for Schools (Evergreen Canada). This guide will help you get started with your school ground greening project. You will learn what you need to do in order to plan and implement your project. Hard copy: $15. Free download at http://www.evergreen.ca/docs/res/LG-Guide-For-Schools.pdf. 

• Grade One Sun Smart Poster Contest (York Region SunSense Coalition). An annual contest open to all grade one students across York Region. The goal is to increase awareness of sun safety in children and their families. Grade one students draw a picture to depict sun smart behaviours. The contest winner is provided with a tree that is planted on their school ground to promote the use of shade. The winning entry is made into a Sun Smart poster and bookmark for distribution throughout York Region. All participating students will receive a Sun Smart bookmark and a Sun Smart wrist band package. Call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 for details.
   
• UV Index and Sun Awareness Program (Health Canada). An annual campaign designed to teach Canadian children about the harmful effects of overexposure to solar ultraviolet radiation and how to use the UV Index. Each year, a poster, letter, and registration card will be sent to all elementary and secondary schools across Canada in March. Teachers can register their class on-line or via the mail-back registration card to receive a UV Index Sun Awareness Program kit. Each kit contains a teacher's guidebook, UV index meter, test samples of UV detection beads and sun-sensitive paper, new instruction and activity sheets, and a mail-back teacher evaluation form. For more information, visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/sun-sol/uv-prog/index-eng.php 

General Resources for schools

For more information or to speak with a Public Health Nurse, please contact:

            York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, TTY 1-866-252-9933

Home | Skin Cancer | Playing Outdoors | Working Outdoors | Schools | FAQs | Resources