Place the rocks so that it covers only the leaf. System 3 - With larger leaves, rocks can be used to hold the leaves down to create the solar print. Place the empty 8x10 photo frame over the sheet protector to hold the system in place. System 2 - Place a sheet protector over the leaves. This should be heavy enough to leave in place for the day. System 1 - Place the glass from an 8x10 photo frame over the leaves and paper. To get the solar prints, place one of the following systems on top of the leaves and paper: In our case, I placed the papers directly on the concrete driveway in front of our home.įor each system, you will place the leaf or leaves on the piece of paper prior to placing anything over it. Select an area to place your solar print system where there is going to be at least four, preferably six hours of sunlight on them.
#Sun artpaper a4 skin
*Note: There is a 2-minute video on this site that describes how the UV rays affect your skin and what sunscreen does for it. Notes about the sun in general: Solar and Heliospheric Observatory siteĪn excellent description of the parts of the sun: How the Sun Works by How Stuff WorksĪ description of the different type of UV rays: Ultraviolet Radiation by Health Physics SocietyĪ description of what type of UV rays are harmful to our skin: Stay Safe in the Summer Sun by the FDA* The discussion could be done in greater detail depending on the age of the children and what the purpose is for.
I found articles and great photos by NASA on various websites that can be used to talk about the sun and the effects of UV rays. My 8-year old had his mind blown when he heard that the sun is 93 million miles away from earth, but compared to the other stars in the sky, it's only eight (8) light minutes away. Of course with the skin, it turns darker (or red) whereas the paper got lighter under the sun, but it still changed. The skin under clothes doesn't normally get changed and stays the same color, just like the color of the paper under the leaf. I described how the color on the paper was changing just like skin changes when you've been in the sun for a while. While talking about it with my children, I compared this to getting a suntan. The portion of the construction paper that is covered by the leaf (or leaves) is blocking the sun from breaking down the color in the construction paper. The black dye in the construction paper is breaking down in the sunlight, due to the ultraviolet radiation. This is not a requirement for meeting the Elective, but it's good to get in a teachable moment with my 8-year old where I can.įor the purposes of this experiment/craft, what is occurring is that the UV rays of the sunlight are discoloring the black construction paper by a chemical reaction. As part of that requirement, the Cub Scout is to make solar prints of three kinds of leaves (part a.) The Cub Scouts in the Bear Group are usually eight to nine (8 - 9) years old.ĭepending on your use of this project, you could include a small discussion of what ultraviolet (UV) radiation is to enlighten the children. Although those prints come out really cool with the color changing paper, we used the materials we had on hand (hence the less expensive route) and I was happy that all three of my children (ages 3, 4 and 8) were interested in the project and were able to do it.Īs stated in the intro, my children and I did this project to meet a Cub Scout Requirement, specifically, Bear Elective 12, Nature Crafts. I titled this Instructable "DIY Construction Paper Solar Prints" because I looked for online tutorials about performing solar prints, only to be disappointed in finding people purchased a special kind of solar paper to do their prints. We were given additional sheets of black construction paper to perform the experiment/craft at home, and one weekend of sunlight, we did just that.
My son's leaf solar print did not show up, (as shown in the last photo) and this was not acceptable to me - the crazy-Engineering-craft-loving mom who likes to see things through and to see them work. The Cub Scouts all picked out their respective leaves, placed them on the black construction paper provided and placed one or two rocks on the leaf, before leaving it in a sunny spot to make the print. On a camping trip with our new Cub Scout troop and their families, one of the projects that was done while we were there was to meet Elective 12a, making solar prints as part of the Nature Crafts Elective that we were trying to fulfill while on this camping trip.
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