Johnny Appleseed or John Chapman: Which Character is Your Favorite?

Johnny Appleseed (Correlates with Reading Story in Harcourt Series)

Goal: Johnny Appleseed or John Chapman: Which Character is Your Favorite? Students will learn about Johnny Appleseed's fictional character and real life character and compare it.

1. The teacher will read books about Johnny Appleseed. Do the interactive
Read Write Think story map of the story with the students. (Link is listed)

2. Watch the “Johnny Appleseed” Video on Discovery Education (United Streaming) if you have an account.

3. The teacher can share PowerPoints of Johnny Appleseed with the students to learn more about his life.

4. Create a KWL Chart about Johnny Appleseed’s real life. (See graphic organizer site at the bottom.

5. Do an online interactive class Venn Diagram together showing the similarities and differences of Johnny Appleseed’s real life and fictional stories. Discuss “fiction and nonfiction” with the students. (See graphic organizer site at the bottom)

6. Have the students research facts on John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) and find dates to create a timeline using Timeliner, other timeline software or the interactive online timeline links listed under graphic organizers. Explain that they must find five dates and state what happened that year in his life. (See graphic organizer site at the bottom)

7. Students will create a timeline of his life. Print the timeline.

8. Using the timeline, students will write and type a “non-fiction” story of John Chapman’s life.

9. Have the students include clip art in the word processing program that is
appropriate with the story.

10. As an extension lesson, the teacher can film students sharing their stories by filming it with a flip camera.

11. Students will then vote if they rather John Chapman (the real man) or Johnny Appleseed the fictional character in the story.

Assessment: will include creating a rubric for the writing assignment.