LESSON PLAN

Objectives:

• Students will understand what countries are impacted by melanoma the most and why.

• Students will understand how ethnicity, age, and gender play a role in developing melanoma.

• Students will understand how vital it is to protect themselves from the sun.

Lesson:

1. Impact of UV rays on skin (Hook); Source (“Melanoma Prevention”)

   1. Most individuals obtain over 80% of sun exposure before reaching the age of 18

   2. Skin damage is cumulative 

2. Defining melanoma (Introduction)

Q: What is melanoma?

1. 1. Teach students about melanoma’s characteristics and developmental course

   2. Explain the severity of each stage of melanoma (insert picture)

2. Ethnicity, Gender, and Age Factors (Lecture); Source (Matthews)

   1. Fair skinned Caucaian populations are in greater danger because of a lack of photoprotection from reduced melanin

   2. People of color more often encounter melanoma of the palms, soles, and nail beds because of the lighter tones

   3. “When age is taken into account, adolescent and young adult women are more susceptible to melanoma than men. This may be in part due to the widespread use of indoor tanning among females, which is associated with increased melanoma risk” (Matthews). (insert stat graph)

   4. Because of indoor tanning, the rates of females developing melanoma are higher than males

   5. “Worldwide melanoma incidence ASRs climb steadily and peak at the seventh and eighth decades of life. This trend is seen among most high-risk populations, including individuals in Australia and New Zealand, and Northern Europe” (Matthews).

   6. Since skin damage from UV rays are cumulative, melanoma cases are found to be more common in older individuals 

3. World’s Highest Risk Countries (Lecture); Source: (“Melanoma Stats, Facts, and Figures”)

   1. The countries with the highest rates of melanoma are Australia and New Zealand

   2. “About 132,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization.In some parts of the world, especially among western countries, melanoma is becoming more common every year” (“Melanoma Stats, Facts, and Figures”).

   3. Countries that experience a higher UV index are in a greater risk of skin cancer, specifically melanoma (insert picture)

4. Epilogue; Source: (“Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics”)

   1. “The International Agency for Research on Cancer, includes ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices in its Group 1, a list of agents that are cancer-causing to humans. Group 1 also includes agents such as plutonium, cigarettes and solar UV radiation” (“Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics”).

   2. Artificial UV rays are the greatest cause of melanoma worldwide

   3. Kahoot that will quiz students on information that was retained from the presentation

Materials: 

• Photos of developing melanoma

• Visual charts that include statistics regarding ethnicity, gender, and age

• Kahoot & Donuts