This is a very open-ended activity. It's ostensible purpose it to show the students where UV radiation is found in the real world. But the deeper purpose of this inquiry-based exercise is to hone their scientific investigative skills. In carrying out this activity students will design and execute their own experiments and draw conclusions from their own observations. Encourage the students to be creative in thinking of possible sources of UV light and possible UV blockers to test.

The materials needed for this activity are simply UV-sensitive beads, available from many scientific supply catalogs, and regular pipe cleaners.

This activity is remarkably simple to carry out and gives students a good opportunity to stretch their creative, critical, and investigative abilities. In addition, it demonstrates how scientists can infer things which cannot be seen by interpretting that which can be seen. UV light is invisible, but by observing its effects, the presence of UV light can be inferred. This is immportant to the story of ozone, which deals with many invisibles, from ozone, to UV light, to gaseous reaction intermediates.

Relevant National Science Education Standards

Unifying Concepts and Processes — The activity requires that students create an experiment. This will involve evidence, models, and explanations on multiple levels.

Physical Science — The students will investigate the interaction of various forms of matter with the energy of UV radiation.