Johnny Appleseed Social Studies Activities
Born on September 26, 1774, John Chapman was a pioneer who grew apple orchards on land he owned throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana. Because of his love of apples, he was nicknamed "Johnny Appleseed." Said to be a deeply religious man, he traveled in the states where he had orchards, trading, selling and providing apples to other pioneers who were moving westward.
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Meet Johnny Appleseed
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This lesson plan is aimed at kindergartners, who may not have an awareness of Johnny Appleseed. Show them a picture of him. Next, read a book to the students that covers who Johnny Appleseed was, and how he helped pioneers move across the country by planting apple trees. As a visual aid, you can use a map of the United States and detail where Johnny Appleseed was born -- Leominster, Massachusetts -- and also show the five states where he had orchards. You can also discuss the idea of bartering or trading for apples, which is how he helped pioneers obtain food as they traveled. You can also mention that there was no refrigeration at the time. Finally, have the kindergartners draw a picture of Johnny Appleseed. This will allow them to use their creative imagination and work on their fine motor skills by drawing.
Oral Report
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This activity is aimed at first-graders, and enables students to work on their language and reading skills as well as their social studies knowledge. Give the students worksheets with facts on them about the life of Johnny Appleseed. Instruct each student to choose one fact she would like to share with the class. Have the student copy the fact in her own handwriting on a piece of paper. The student then stands up and reads the fact aloud. As the teacher, ask the students to organize who should go first to last, based on the chronology of events. This helps students with sequencing as well. For instance, the person reading the fact about when Johnny Appleseed was born would go first, and the person reading about the date he died would go last.
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Journal Entry
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This activity mixes social studies with English and grammar. Instruct the students to think of a day in the life of Johnny Appleseed. It might be a day where he is planting apple trees, walking through the woods encountering pioneers, or even the day when he started to wear the stock pot on his head. The students must incorporate facts and information that is relevant to the time and the subject. For instance, if the journal entry details Johnny Appleseed's encountering pioneers, the students can write about where he was on the trail, where the pioneers were heading, how they were traveling, what items they needed and traded for before continuing on their journey. Students can use maps, and can research items travelers may have had with them at the time.
State Facts
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Johnny Appleseed had orchards in five states and was born in a sixth. Instruct the students to locate facts about the states where Johnny Appleseed traveled during the time he was alive. He lived from 1774 to 1845. This means he was alive during a fascinating period of the American experience, such as the American Revolution, the election of the first U.S. president and the tensions that began to arise between the North and South leading up to the Civil War. Students can detail facts such as population, major trade or industry in the state, and social and religious beliefs prevalent of that time.
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References
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