Stage 1 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
WS1.11 Uses knowledge of sight words and letter-sound correspondences and a variety of strategies to spell
familiar words.
TES1.1 Communicates with peers and known adults in informal situations and structured activities dealing briefly
with familiar topics.
TES1.2 Demonstrates basic skills of classroom and group interaction, makes brief oral presentations and listens
with reasonable attentiveness.
DRAES1.1 Uses imagination and the elements of drama in imaginative play and dramatic situations.
Cover-ups game
Resources
• Cover-up’s game – Extension Activity Sheet 2
• Cards or post-it notes
• Sticky tape
• Hats
Instructions
1. Establish a list of sun protection methods using the ideas listed on Extension
Activity Sheet 2 or have students brainstorm a list.
2. Write these words on post-it notes, or cut them out from Extension activity sheet 2
and attach to cards.
3. Ask students to put their hats on and then attach post-its or cards with sticky tape
or blu-tack to each student’s hat. Students should not be allowed to see the words
they have on their hat.
4. In small groups, students take it in turns to ask each other questions requiring a
Yes/No answer as they try to determine the word on their hat.
5. Discuss with students which items provide a high or low level of sun protection
and why.
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 1 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
WS1.11 Uses knowledge of sight words and letter-sound correspondences and a variety of strategies to spell
familiar words.
TES1.1 Communicates with peers and known adults in informal situations and structured activities dealing briefly
with familiar topics.
TES1.2 Demonstrates basic skills of classroom and group interaction, makes brief oral presentations and listens
with reasonable attentiveness.
DRAES1.1 Uses imagination and the elements of drama in imaginative play and dramatic situations.
Marvi
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 1 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
TES1.1 Communicates with peers and known adults in informal situations and structured activities dealing briefly
with familiar topics.
TES1.2 Demonstrates basic skills of classroom and group interaction, makes brief oral presentations and listens
with reasonable attentiveness.
DRAES1.1 Uses imagination and the elements of drama in imaginative play and dramatic situations.
Marvin the mean
old monster
Instructions
1. Have students stand in a circle. As a group, practice the actions they will be using
in the story of ‘Marvin the mean old monster’.
2. Read the story and ask them to follow your actions as they listen.
3. Discuss the things the students in the story did to protect themselves from the
sun. What could the villagers do to make the hill more sheltered for the monster?
What can we do at school to protect ourselves from the sun?
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 1 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
TES1.1 Communicates with peers and known adults in informal situations and structured activities dealing briefly
with familiar topics.
TES1.2 Demonstrates basic skills of classroom and group interaction, makes brief oral presentations and listens
with reasonable attentiveness.
DRAES1.1 Uses imagination and the elements of drama in imaginative play and dramatic situations.
Marvin the mean
old monster
Once upon a time lived a mean ol’ monster called Marvin (snarl and claw hands)
who lived all alone on top of a big hill (spread hands). The hill was completely bare
as far as the eye could see (place hand over eye and look right and left) and Marvin
the monster had no shelter from the hot summer sun (wipe brow). His nose got very
sore and sunburnt (wriggle nose) and his big long tail (sweep arm out behind you)
turned bright red. This made the mean ol’ monster (snarl and claw hands) even
meaner (snarl and claw hands and stamp feet).
Now, there was a village nearby, and all the people in the village were scared of
Marvin the mean ol’ monster (shiver and shake). “Stay away from him,” (wag finger)
said the parents to their children. No one went near the big hill (spread hands).
One day, two children were flying their kite in the village (make kite shape). One
child, Cort, was very short (squat). The other child, Zaul, was very tall (stand on toes
and stretch). Both wore big red hats (hands on head). They had a lovely time flying
their kite (make kite shape) until, all of a sudden, the string snapped (click fingers).
The kite (make kite shape) blew off towards the big hill (spread hands) and the mean
ol’ monster (snarl and claw hands). Short Cort (squat) and tall Zaul (stand on toes
and stretch) held onto their red hats (hands on head) and ran (run on spot) after the
kite.
All of a sudden they saw Marvin the mean ol’ monster in front of them (snarl and
claw hands). Tall Zaul (stand on toes and stretch) was very scared (shiver and
shake), but short Cort (squat) said “We haven’t done anything to harm you. Why are
you such a mean monster?”
Marvin looked very sad (sad face) and said, “Because I’m always hot and sunburnt,
and that makes me feel grumpy. I have no hat or shade to protect me from the sun
like you do, and I was too shy to ask for help.”
The children thought and thought (thinker pose). Suddenly, tall Zaul (stand on toes
and stretch) grabbed the kite and put it on Marvin’s head to make a big shady hat
(hands on head). Short Cort (squat) wound the tail of the kite around Marvin’s tail
(sweep arm out behind you) to protect it from the sun. “We’re going down to the
village to play under a tree where it’s shady. Would you like to come with us?” the
children asked. Then a very strange thing happened. Mean ol’ Marvin (snarl and
claw hands) made a great big smile (big grin).
“Hip hip hooray!” cheered the children (repeat “hip, hip, hooray” and raise arms).
They made a circle and skipped all around, because Marvin wasn’t mean any more
(make a circle and skip)!
From that day on, Marvin lived happily under a big shady tree (spread arms over
head) wearing his new hat (hands on head) and never got sunburnt, or grumpy
again.
(Clap your hands and invite everyone to take a bow!)
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 1 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
WS1.9 Plans, reviews and produces a small range of simple literacy and factual texts for a variety of purposes on
familiar topics for known readers.
SLS1.13 Recognises that their safety depends on the environment and the behaviour of themselves and others.
Sun safe tourist
information
You have visitors from another country coming to stay with your family. They want to
spend a day at the beach. What advice will you give your visitors to make their day
fun and safe?
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 2 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
RS2.6 Uses efficiently an integrated range of skills and strategies when reading and interpreting written texts.
Guess who’s
coming to visit?
Read the following scenario to students:
Our school has been asked to host a group of students visiting from a school on the
planet Mahnik.
Mahnik is a beautiful planet with very friendly citizens. The conditions on Mahnik are
quite similar to
those on earth except Mahnik is in another galaxy and is a lot further away from the
sun.
The school in Mahnik is trying to prepare students for their visit to Australia. Many
Mahnik parents are concerned about the earth’s sun as they have heard it can be
very dangerous.
Ask students to prepare a letter for their Mahnik visitors explaining the earth’s sun.
They will also need to think of interesting locations or experiences they can share
with a visitor from another planet.
Explain that some of the letter has been written for them and they will need to fill in
the gaps and illustrate the messages. Children can draw the 5 SunSmart Steps on
the back of their letter.
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 2 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
RS2.6 Uses efficiently an integrated range of skills and strategies when reading and interpreting written texts.
Guess who’s
coming to visit?
Dear Mahnik students,
We are really looking forward to your visit. When you are here we are going to show
you
We have heard that you are worried about the sun on earth. The sun on earth gives
us ___________ , ___________ and UV radiation. The part of the sun we need to
be really careful of is ______________. A little bit is good and helps us make
____________ but too much can damage our ________ and __________.
Whenever UV Index levels are _____ and above we need to use sun protection. In
our city, the months we use sun protection each day are from ____________ to
_______________. We have to be extra careful from _____ am to ____ pm.
Don’t worry, even though we can’t see UV radiation, we know what the UV Index
levels are if we look at the SunSmart ____________________.
In Australia we use 5 SunSmart Steps and make sure we are well protected from the
sun! Here’s a list and picture of each one so you know what to pack.
Have a safe trip. Please tell your family not to worry.
We’ll look after you!
From ________________________
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 2 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
RS2.6 Uses efficiently an integrated range of skills and strategies when reading and interpreting written texts.
WS2.11 Uses knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, common letter patterns and a range of strategies to spell
familiar and unfamiliar words.
PSS2.5 Uses a range of problem-solving strategies
SunSmart
hidden message
Make the hidden message your motto!
1. Find the words hidden in this wordsearch.
Words can be written forwards , backwards , up , down 
and diagonally 
2. Use the first 26 unused letters to make the hidden message.
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 2 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
RS2.6 Uses efficiently an integrated range of skills and strategies when reading and interpreting written texts.
WS2.11 Uses knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, common letter patterns and a range of strategies to spell
familiar and unfamiliar words.
PSS2.5 Uses a range of problem-solving strategies
SunSmart
hidden message
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 2 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
WS2.11 Uses knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, common letter patterns and a range of strategies to spell
familiar and unfamiliar words.
PHS2.12 Discusses the factors influencing personal health choices
SunSmart Wordsearch
D
P
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O
T
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C
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I
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N
A
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A
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Find these 29
SunSmart words
N
S
E
P
E
W
S
Y
N
L
U
E
L
E
L
U
R
A
J
Y
I
H
J
T
V
C
L
F
O
P
O
U
P
I
E
D
A
Z
A
N
E
L
N
Z
O
R
O
P
X
S
E
D
L
A
R
E
G
N
E
L
A
H
L
F
S
B
E
C
B
C
S
W
F
G
S
P
O
Y
P
P
R
N
M
T
L
V
I
T
A
U
A
W
F
A
T
I
U
E
E
E
L
Z
I
M
N
R
T
L
W
K
M
D
E
L
I
R
P
A
A
S
W
S
F
S
S
M
V
M
I
D
D
A
Y
D
C
S
P
K
H
S
E
S
S
A
L
G
N
U
S
R
H
L
I
I
S
D
S
U
N
S
M
A
R
T
E
V
R
I
L
N
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R
A
L
L
O
C
K
W
E
T
Y
H
D
S
A
S
E
E
K
B
X
U
G
N
SEPTEMBER
APRIL
SUNSMART
UVALERT
PROTECTION
SKIN
EYES
DAMAGE
SKIN CANCER
MIDDAY
SLIP
SHIRT
COLLAR
LONG SLEEVES
SLOP
SUNSCREEN
TWENTY
SPF
REAPPLY
TWO HOURS
SLAP
WIDE BRIMMED
HAT
SEEK
SHADE
UMBRELLA
REFLECTED
SLIDE
WRAP AROUND
SUNGLASSES
C
K
X
K
E
T
R
E
B
M
E
T
P
E
S
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Stage 2 Literacy Activities
Outcomes:
WS2.11 Uses knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, common letter patterns and a range of strategies to spell
familiar and unfamiliar words.
PHS2.12 Discusses the factors influencing personal health choices
SunSmart Wordsearch
Look for these words
BONES
BRIM
BUCKET
CHECK
CLOUDY
COLLAR
EYES
HAT
LABEL
PREVENT
SAFE
SEEK
SHADE
SKIN
SLEEVES
SLIP
SUN
TREE
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia
Activity used with permission Kidskin, Cancer Council Australia