Question
Source : Sensational sunlight by Dawson Novo
Part 2: essay
You will now review your notes and sources, and plan, draft, revise, and edit your writing. You may use your notes and refer to the sources. Now, read assignment and the information about how your writing will be scored. Then, begin your work.
Your assignment:
Use more than one source to craft an essay that explains the various effects of sunlight. Once you have a thesis, select the most relevant information from more than one source to support your thesis. Then, write a multi-paragraph explanatory essay explaining your thesis. Clearly organize your essay and elaborate on your ideas. Develop your ideas clearly and use your own words, except when quoting directly from the sources. Be sure to reference the source title when quoting or paraphrasing details or facts from the sources.
How your essay will be scored:
Organization/purpose: how well did you state your thesis/controlling idea and maintain your thesis/ controlling idea with a logical progression of ideas from beginning to end? How well did you narrow your thesis/ controlling idea so you can develop and elaborate the conclusion? How well did you consistently use a variety of transitions? How effective was your introduction and your conclusion?
Evidence/elaboration: how well did you integrate relevant and specific information from the sources? How well did you elaborate on your ideas? How well did you clearly state ideas using precise language that is appropriate for your audience and purpose?
Part 2: essay
You will now review your notes and sources, and plan, draft, revise, and edit your writing. You may use your notes and refer to the sources. Now, read assignment and the information about how your writing will be scored. Then, begin your work.
Your assignment:
Use more than one source to craft an essay that explains the various effects of sunlight. Once you have a thesis, select the most relevant information from more than one source to support your thesis. Then, write a multi-paragraph explanatory essay explaining your thesis. Clearly organize your essay and elaborate on your ideas. Develop your ideas clearly and use your own words, except when quoting directly from the sources. Be sure to reference the source title when quoting or paraphrasing details or facts from the sources.
How your essay will be scored:
Organization/purpose: how well did you state your thesis/controlling idea and maintain your thesis/ controlling idea with a logical progression of ideas from beginning to end? How well did you narrow your thesis/ controlling idea so you can develop and elaborate the conclusion? How well did you consistently use a variety of transitions? How effective was your introduction and your conclusion?
Evidence/elaboration: how well did you integrate relevant and specific information from the sources? How well did you elaborate on your ideas? How well did you clearly state ideas using precise language that is appropriate for your audience and purpose?
Answers
GPT-5 mini
Thesis: Sunlight is essential to life—driving vitamin D production, mood and sleep regulation, and photosynthesis—yet its ultraviolet component can also harm health and ecosystems, so understanding both its benefits and risks helps people get the advantages of sunlight while minimizing damage.
Introduction
Sunlight shapes nearly every part of living systems: it warms the planet, fuels plant growth, and affects human biology and behavior. At the same time, the sun emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can injure skin, eyes, and ecosystems when exposure is excessive. By examining how sunlight supports health and the environment as well as how UV causes harm, we can describe sensible ways to enjoy sunlight safely. The following essay draws on information from Sensational Sunlight by Dawson Novo and public-health guidance such as the World Health Organization’s materials on ultraviolet radiation to explain sunlight’s varied effects.
Sunlight’s benefits for human health
One of sunlight’s most direct benefits for people is its role in producing vitamin D. When UVB rays strike bare skin, they trigger chemical reactions that lead to vitamin D synthesis, a nutrient essential for bone health and immune function (see Sensational Sunlight by Dawson Novo). Adequate sunlight exposure can therefore help prevent vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with rickets in children and bone weakness in adults. In areas or seasons with limited sunlight, dietary sources and supplements become more important, but natural sun remains a primary source for many.
Beyond vitamin D, sunlight influences mood and sleep. Light exposure helps regulate circadian rhythms—the body’s internal clock—by signaling wakefulness during the day and allowing melatonin production at night. As a result, regular daytime light helps improve sleep quality and reduce symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) for some people (paraphrased from Sensational Sunlight). For those who struggle with low mood in winter months, intentional daylight exposure or light therapy can be therapeutic.
Sunlight’s essential role in ecosystems
Sunlight is the energy source for photosynthesis, the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light into chemical energy. Photosynthesis produces the oxygen we breathe and forms the base of food chains by enabling plant growth. In ecosystems, sunlight patterns determine plant distribution, growing seasons, and the timing of biological events such as flowering and migration. In this way, sunlight sustains both individual organisms and whole ecosystems (points summarized from Sensational Sunlight).
Risks from ultraviolet radiation
While sunlight is vital, its ultraviolet component poses clear health risks when exposure is too high. The World Health Organization warns that excessive UV exposure is a major risk factor for skin cancers, including melanoma and non-melanoma types, and contributes to premature skin aging and eye damage such as cataracts. Because UV intensity varies with factors like time of day, season, latitude, and ozone layer thickness, people in some regions and during midday hours face especially high risk (paraphrased from World Health Organization: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and health).
Children and fair-skinned individuals are particularly vulnerable to UV damage, and repeated sunburns increase lifetime skin-cancer risk. In addition to human health effects, intense UV exposure and related changes (for example, from ozone depletion) can stress sensitive ecosystems—damaging phytoplankton populations that form the base of aquatic food webs and affecting plant physiology.
Balancing benefits and harms: practical approaches
Because sunlight has both powerful benefits and clear risks, a balanced approach is best. Sensational Sunlight emphasizes getting moderate sun exposure to support vitamin D production and circadian health—while using protection during peak UV times. Practical measures include seeking direct sunlight in the morning or late afternoon when UV intensity is lower, wearing protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats, applying broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin during high-UV hours, and protecting the eyes with sunglasses that block UV rays.
Public-health guidance also recommends tailoring sun exposure to individual risk factors (for example, skin type and family history) and relying on dietary vitamin D or supplements where safe sunlight exposure is limited (paraphrased from World Health Organization). For ecosystems, minimizing behaviors that exacerbate ozone depletion and following conservation practices can help reduce harmful increases in UV at the surface.
Conclusion
Sunlight is both a life-sustaining force and a source of risk. It enables vitamin D synthesis, supports mood and sleep regulation, and powers photosynthesis, but its ultraviolet component can cause skin cancer, eye damage, and ecological stress when exposure is excessive. By understanding these dual roles—as described in Sensational Sunlight by Dawson Novo and in public-health materials such as the World Health Organization’s guidance on UV radiation—people can adopt simple habits that capture sunlight’s benefits while reducing harm. Moderate, well-timed exposure combined with appropriate protection lets us enjoy sunlight safely.
Introduction
Sunlight shapes nearly every part of living systems: it warms the planet, fuels plant growth, and affects human biology and behavior. At the same time, the sun emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can injure skin, eyes, and ecosystems when exposure is excessive. By examining how sunlight supports health and the environment as well as how UV causes harm, we can describe sensible ways to enjoy sunlight safely. The following essay draws on information from Sensational Sunlight by Dawson Novo and public-health guidance such as the World Health Organization’s materials on ultraviolet radiation to explain sunlight’s varied effects.
Sunlight’s benefits for human health
One of sunlight’s most direct benefits for people is its role in producing vitamin D. When UVB rays strike bare skin, they trigger chemical reactions that lead to vitamin D synthesis, a nutrient essential for bone health and immune function (see Sensational Sunlight by Dawson Novo). Adequate sunlight exposure can therefore help prevent vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with rickets in children and bone weakness in adults. In areas or seasons with limited sunlight, dietary sources and supplements become more important, but natural sun remains a primary source for many.
Beyond vitamin D, sunlight influences mood and sleep. Light exposure helps regulate circadian rhythms—the body’s internal clock—by signaling wakefulness during the day and allowing melatonin production at night. As a result, regular daytime light helps improve sleep quality and reduce symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) for some people (paraphrased from Sensational Sunlight). For those who struggle with low mood in winter months, intentional daylight exposure or light therapy can be therapeutic.
Sunlight’s essential role in ecosystems
Sunlight is the energy source for photosynthesis, the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light into chemical energy. Photosynthesis produces the oxygen we breathe and forms the base of food chains by enabling plant growth. In ecosystems, sunlight patterns determine plant distribution, growing seasons, and the timing of biological events such as flowering and migration. In this way, sunlight sustains both individual organisms and whole ecosystems (points summarized from Sensational Sunlight).
Risks from ultraviolet radiation
While sunlight is vital, its ultraviolet component poses clear health risks when exposure is too high. The World Health Organization warns that excessive UV exposure is a major risk factor for skin cancers, including melanoma and non-melanoma types, and contributes to premature skin aging and eye damage such as cataracts. Because UV intensity varies with factors like time of day, season, latitude, and ozone layer thickness, people in some regions and during midday hours face especially high risk (paraphrased from World Health Organization: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and health).
Children and fair-skinned individuals are particularly vulnerable to UV damage, and repeated sunburns increase lifetime skin-cancer risk. In addition to human health effects, intense UV exposure and related changes (for example, from ozone depletion) can stress sensitive ecosystems—damaging phytoplankton populations that form the base of aquatic food webs and affecting plant physiology.
Balancing benefits and harms: practical approaches
Because sunlight has both powerful benefits and clear risks, a balanced approach is best. Sensational Sunlight emphasizes getting moderate sun exposure to support vitamin D production and circadian health—while using protection during peak UV times. Practical measures include seeking direct sunlight in the morning or late afternoon when UV intensity is lower, wearing protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats, applying broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed skin during high-UV hours, and protecting the eyes with sunglasses that block UV rays.
Public-health guidance also recommends tailoring sun exposure to individual risk factors (for example, skin type and family history) and relying on dietary vitamin D or supplements where safe sunlight exposure is limited (paraphrased from World Health Organization). For ecosystems, minimizing behaviors that exacerbate ozone depletion and following conservation practices can help reduce harmful increases in UV at the surface.
Conclusion
Sunlight is both a life-sustaining force and a source of risk. It enables vitamin D synthesis, supports mood and sleep regulation, and powers photosynthesis, but its ultraviolet component can cause skin cancer, eye damage, and ecological stress when exposure is excessive. By understanding these dual roles—as described in Sensational Sunlight by Dawson Novo and in public-health materials such as the World Health Organization’s guidance on UV radiation—people can adopt simple habits that capture sunlight’s benefits while reducing harm. Moderate, well-timed exposure combined with appropriate protection lets us enjoy sunlight safely.