Skin-y Science
As I mentioned last week, our ocean unit study took a detour while we had fun studying our skin, sunburn, and germs.
It has been almost two weeks since we set up our test and control oranges, andwe're still waiting to find out if there are any differences between the test groups. (It's also a learning experiece when the experiment doesn't quite go according to plan!)
Although, the results aren't appearing as quickly as we had hoped, this has been a great exercise in setting up an experiment using a control and test groups, properly labeling all of the test groups, and recording observations.
The following 2 links are from GOJO, Inc., the manufacturer of Purell hand sanitizing products. The activities include science, music, and art.
To help your child understand the effects of UV rays on their skin, purchase some UV changing beads (available through Educational Innovations for less than $5.00). String some of the beads on a leather shoelace and wear as a bracelet.
Do the beads change when they are put:
Into direct sunlight?
Outside on a cloudy day? (If they do, harmful UV light is still reaching our skin!)
Inside of a car on a sunny day? On a cloudy day?
Under a light colored tshirt in the sunlight?
Under a dark colored tshirt in the sunlight?
Also, try rubbing sunscreen of various SPF's onto a small plastic bag (a craft store or craft department will have small 2" x 3" bags) with some beads inside. What happens? Don't forget to make a "control" bag that does not have any sun protection.
See you next week on the Front Porch!
