UV bead items
In this activity, students design and make an item from UV beads that children could easily wear or carry to monitor their exposure to UV.
Sun beads
Example of items that can be made with UV beads. Watch how they change colour when exposed to ultraviolet light.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
explain why people need to be protected from excessive UV
design and make a UV protector for young children
Download the Word file for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do.
Related content
Too much UV exposure can have negative effects. There is a clear link between UV and skin cancer. Melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are three common types of cancer associated with UV exposure. Find out why New Zealand skin cancer rates are so high, risks from children’s exposure to UV and some of skin cancer's risk factors.
Related activities
We also have two other activities that use UV beads, try Investigating UV intensity and Investigating sunscreens. There is also a unit plan covering this aspect of UV.
Useful links
UV beads can be purchased from places such as:
