From blemishes to suntans, young people are naturally fascinated by skin. The Skin Deep Project takes advantage of this curiosity, introducing students in grades 6 through 12 to the science of skin, including its role in protecting the body from invading microbes, maintaining temperature, and sensing the environment. As they learn how their skin protects them, they also learn how they can protect their skin—from the sun’s ultraviolet rays and from germs that can cause acne and other blemishes.
AAAS and Neutrogena are proud partners of the Skin Deep Project. Join us as we take a closer look at our natural body armor and what we can do to keep it in top shape.
Check out the standards-based classroom resources below to introduce your students to the science of skin.
Resources for Your Classroom
Skin: The Behavior and Health Connection
Resource Type: Lesson
Grade Band: 6-8
Description: In this lesson, students explore how personal behavior can affect health, especially the health of their skin.
Variation in Human Skin Color
Resource Type: Lesson
Grade Band: 9-12
Description: In this lesson, students explore the factors that control variation in human skin color and the implications of this information for human society
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Skin and Sports
Resource Type: Lesson
Grade Band: 6-8
Description: In this lesson, students learn about the importance of proper protection from common skin conditions when they engage in sports-related activities. The two resources below provide a more in-depth description of the kinds of skin conditions that athletes face. Keep in mind that the photos and difficulty level of these two resources may be inappropriate for middle-school students.
Skin as an Organ
Resource Type: Lesson
Grade Band: 6-8
Description: In this lesson, students will examine the skin and how it functions as an organ and as part of a larger body system. In order to do this lesson, students should be aware of other organ systems and have knowledge about the anatomy of the human skin.
Skin Care: Acne
Resource Type: Lesson
Grade Band: 6-8
Description: In this lesson, students are asked to think about what they already know about how the body changes as people age. More specifically, they are asked to talk about acne and what they consider to be the most effective ways of treating it and preventing its spread. Using online resources, they will discover that there are many misconceptions about the exact causes and best treatments for acne. When they complete the lesson, they will have a good understanding of how to prevent and treat acne, and take care of their skin in general.
Sun & Skin
Resource Type: Lesson
Grade Band: 9-12
Description: In this lesson, students will discuss what they already know about the impact sun exposure has on their skin and what they typically do to protect themselves, if anything.
Using a number of online resources, they will then learn how to care for their skin, the damaging effects of sunburns and tanning, and how sunscreens provide protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
You and Your Skin
Resource Type: Interactive Tool
Grade Band: 6-8, 9-12
Description: This resource provides an introduction to the basic structure of the skin, information about how the skin protects us, and some information on how to care for the skin. This interactive would be a good tool to use in any lesson about the skin and the role it plays in the human body. It also would be a good resource to use in a lesson about systems of the human body.
Library Grants - Human Skin: The Science Inside
- Want to lower your community’s risk to an avoidable cancer?
- Want to do more health programs but lack the funds?
Skin Deep has the answer for you.
AAAS’ Skin Deep Project will award up to 14 grants to public libraries to do health outreach in conjunction with the upcoming publication, Human Skin: The Science Inside.
For more information and an application, visit the Healthy People Library Project.
