Apple Day

Objective:
The students will listen to the story of Johnny Appleseed and locate the region he traveled through on a map.

Materials

• A book or web link containing information on Johnny Appleseed.  Suggested web links:
  Johnny Appleseed
  The Story of Johnny AppleSeed.
  

• United States Maps

Procedure

1. Read a selected story about Johnny Appleseed.  Have a discussion on what the word "legend" means.  Point out that this story is based in truth, but certain aspects may have changed with subsequent tellings.  For example, "Do we really know that he wore a pot on his head?" and "People referred to him as Johnny Appleseed rather than John Chapman."

2. Have the students look at a map of the United States and locate the states Johnny traveled through and planted apple seeds.  Where are those states in relation to the state of the students'?

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Have a lesson on how apples get from orchards to the supermarkets.

2. Create a timeline beginning with the birth of Johnny Appleseed (1774) in relation to more current events.

3. Have an apple farmer come to your classroom and discuss his/her job.  (Or make a trip to an orchard).

4. Locate the states which are the biggest apple producers - Washington, New York, and Michigan.