Ethan was having a great afternoon.
The Kids Central campers were on a nature hike in the woods.
And Ethan loved the woods.
Mr. Dunn was showing them moss and different kinds of wildflowers.
"What's this?" Ethan asked, pointing to a small yellow flower.
"That's a buttercup," Nina said. "It's so cute."
"We're not touching anything today," Mr. Dunn called out sternly.
"We're just observing—from the trail, Ethan!"
"Ha-ha, Ethan!" Bobby teased him.
"You got in trouble!"
The next day Mr. Dunn asked everyone to draw a flower from the nature hike.
"Hey, Ethan. What's on your leg?"
Izzie pointed to red welts on Ethan's legs.
Ethan was scratching like crazy.
"I don't know.
But it's so itchy," Ethan said.
"Uh-oh. It looks like you've got poison ivy," Mr. Dunn said.
"Are we going to get it too?"
Jason backed away from Ethan.
"Jason, you probably don't have to worry.
But Ethan was wandering off the trail yesterday," Mr. Dunn said.
"Sorry, Mr. Dunn," Ethan mumbled.
"I should have stayed with the rest of the group."
Mr. Dunn nodded. "The oil from the poison ivy plants must have gotten on your skin."
"Oil?" said Jason. "What oil?"
"Plants have oil?" Nina asked.
"It sounds like you campers need to learn about poison ivy," Mr. Dunn said.
"Let's visit the library.
We can look up facts about poison ivy.
You can finish your pictures later."
Mr. Dunn led the kids into the empty school library.
"We'll research on the computers!" the boys said.
"We'll look for books," Izzie and Nina said.
Mr. Dunn called Ethan's mom to tell her about the rash.
Then he gave Ethan an ice pack for his itchy leg.
It helped a little bit.
An hour later the kids gathered on the rug.
"Who wants to share what you found out?" Mr. Dunn asked.
Bobby raised his hand.
"I found out that poison ivy is a plant with an oil that causes a rash."
"You can get the rash from touching the plant or touching something that touched the plant.
Like your shoes," Bobby explained. "Or your pet."
"That's absolutely right," Mr. Dunn said.
"You might not see the rash until the next day," Jason added.
"Right again. The rash usually doesn't appear until 12 to 48 hours later," Mr. Dunn said.
"And not everyone gets it."
"We found some pictures of the rash."
Nina held up a book.
"We also found out how to treat it.
Put anti-itch cream and calamine lotion on it, and take cold, oatmeal baths," Izzie said.
Jason looked through the first aid kit.
"I found calamine lotion!"
"I have to put that pink stuff on me?" Ethan said unhappily.
"Here's what the poison ivy plant looks like.
So we can all avoid it when we see it."
Izzie showed them pictures.
"There's a special saying to help you remember:
Leaves of three, let them be," Mr. Dunn said.
"Too bad I didn't know all this before," Ethan said.
"I'm itchy. I have to take cold oatmeal baths.
And I have to put on pink lotion—ugh!
I'll stay on the trail from now on!"
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