Poison Hemlock
Lesson 3: What can be done about Poison Hemlock?
Objective: Students will understand what they can do to help stop the spread of Poison Hemlock.
Students will need: Matching activity and Secret Coded Message activity.
Vocabulary
defoliator – something that eats the leaves of plants or causes leaves to drop off the plant
herbicide – a substance know to kill plants
Ask, “What are some ways you can think of to get rid of Poison Hemlock?” (Let students respond)
Tell students, “There are a number of things that can be done to help get rid of poison hemlock.”
Tell the students, “One way to get rid of poison hemlock is to introduce the poison hemlock moth into an area where the plant
grows. The poison hemlock moth eats the leaves from the plant causing the plant to die. This moth is known as a defoliator.”
Tell the students, “Another way to get rid of poison hemlock is to grow other types of plants into the area that would lessen the
chance of poison hemlock to grow.”
Ask, “How many of you have ever gone out in the garden and helped dig up weeds from your parents’ garden?”
Tell the students, “Digging up the plant will also be a good way to get rid of the poison hemlock plant. A person must be very
careful when handling the plant after digging it up. A person must NOT burn the plants after digging them up as the smoke
and fumes can make a person sick.”
Tell the students, “Finally, the most common and effective way to get rid of poison hemlock is to spray herbicide on the plants
to kill the plant keeping it from spreading.”
Activity 1
Have the students do the matching activity.
Activity 2
Have the students solve the Secret Coded Message. Use the code at the top of the page to solve the puzzle.
Activity 3
Have the students put all of their Poison Hemlock information in their folder. Students may take this material home and share with their
parents.
Name ____________________________
Match the different ways to get rid of poison hemlock.
poison hemlock moth
herbicide
grow other types of plants
digging up poison hemlock
Name________________________________
Secret Coded Message
A B C D E F G H
4 10 8 13 11 24 3 25
I
9
J
7
K L M
12 19 21
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 6 2 14 18 12 15 5 16 17 20 23 22
Use the code above to solve the puzzle below.
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
2
6
9
12 6
1
____ ____
9
12
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
25
11
21
19
6
8
12
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
25 4
18 21 24
5 19
____ ____ ____ ____
10
6
15
25
____ ____ ____ ____
21
4
1
23
____ ____
15 6
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
25
5
21
4
1
12
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
4
1
9
21
4
19 12
____ ____ ____
4
1
13
Name ____________________________
Match the different ways to get rid of poison hemlock.
poison hemlock moth
herbicide
grow other types of plants
digging up poison hemlock
Name________________________________
Secret Coded Message
A B C D E F G H
4 10 8 13 11 24 3 25
I
9
J
7
K L M
12 19 21
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 6 2 14 18 12 15 5 16 17 20 23 22
Use the code above to solve the puzzle below.
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
2
6
9
12 6
1
____ ____
9
12
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
25
11
21
19
6
8
12
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
25 4
18 21 24
5 19
____ ____ ____ ____
10
6
15
25
____ ____ ____ ____
21
4
1
23
____ ____
15 6
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
25
5
21
4
1
12
____ ____ ____
4
1
13
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
4
1
9
21
4
19 12
ANSWER: POISON HEMLOCK IS HARMFUL TO BOTH HUMANS AND MANY ANIMALS