Third Grade
Worksheets
Jake and Jackie Learn about Poisonous Plants
Jake and Jackie sat on the shaded benches in front of the entrance to the nature trail. They were enjoying their week-long summer day camp and learning about nature. The leader of the camp, Mr. Birch, was teaching them several facts about staying safe and how to enjoy and take care of their natural surroundings. Today, they would learn how to identify poisonous plants so they could avoid getting rashes.
"Throughout the woods, there are plants that can cause skin irritations if they rub against your skin," Mr. Birch began.
"The most well-known of these plants are poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak. Not everyone is sensitive to these plants, but many people are. You know you may have gotten into one of them if your skin begins to break out in an itchy, red rash. For some people, it can be a very uncomfortable experience, even requiring prescribed medicines."
Jake and Jackie looked at each other. They each were thinking, "Why go into the woods at all?"
As if reading their minds, Mr. Birch continued. "You may wonder why we would bother to go hiking at all. If we learn to identify these plants and be careful, there's a good chance of avoiding the problems. There is much to enjoy in the woods, and we need not be scared just because of poisonous plants."
Jake asked Mr. Birch, "How can we tell what is poisonous?"
"Three of the most common poisonous plants are poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak. You may have heard the phrase, 'leaves of three, let them be.' That helps people remember to avoid poison ivy, but there is more to it than that."
Jackie looked around the entrance to the trail. "I see some plants that have three leaves over here," she said as she pointed to the right.
