A guide for using our resources

Children will identify poison ivy and analyze how goats helped a park with a poison ivy problem.

Vocabulary: rash, rented

Science Focus: plants

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

• In this Fancy Nancy adventure, kids can learn more about poison ivy while expanding their vocabulary.

• The oily substance in poison ivy is called urushiol [yu-ROO-shee-ol]. It’s in poison oak and sumac too. It gives most people who touch it an itchy rash.
• You can’t catch a poison ivy rash from another person’s rash.
• The rash can break out gradually on your body. The parts of your body that are most sensitive to urushiol will probably break out first. Less sensitive areas can break out later.
• The poison ivy plant grows berries that get ripe and bright. Migrating birds can spot and eat them.

• Use pages 2-3 of the issue to do this scavenger hunt as a group.

1. Find the two headings. Underline them.

2. Find the picture where goats are eating the poison ivy. Put a ✔ on it.

3. In the green box, find the word that means “paid to use for a while.” Circle it.

4. Look at the bottom bar. Circle the pictures of poison ivy.

Skill: vocabulary, plant parts

Materials: Eat a Whole Plant skill sheet, variety of edible plant parts

• Kids learned from the issue that goats eat poison ivy. What kinds of plants and plant parts can kids eat?
• In advance, gather edible plant parts, for example: broccoli flowers, sunflower seeds, lettuce leaves, celery stems, and carrot roots.
• Pass out the skill sheets and point out the different plant parts on the diagram. Explain that kids can eat one. Then set out the foods on paper plates.
• Have kids sort their snack on the skill sheet. They can put each plant part in the correct place on the diagram. Then let them enjoy this healthy snack!