2nd Grade Johnny Apple Seed Lesson Plan (English)

Topic: Johnny Apple Seed

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will understand the role of Johnny Appleseed in the settlement of the American West.

Materials

• Pictures of Johnny Appleseed
• Handouts about the American West
• Apple seeds for each student
• Small containers (such as plastic cups) for each student
• Water

Warm-up

• Ask students what they know about Johnny Appleseed. Write their responses on the board.
• Ask students if they have ever seen an apple tree or eaten an apple.
• Read a short story about Johnny Appleseed to the class.

Direct Instruction

• Explain to the class that Johnny Appleseed was a real person who lived a long time ago in the United States.
• Tell the class that Johnny Appleseed was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Ohio.
• Tell the class that Johnny Appleseed believed that everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food. He also believed that people should be able to settle the West by growing apple trees.
• Read another short story about Johnny Appleseed to the class. Ask questions to encourage students to think about what is happening in the story.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups.
• Give each group a bunch of seeds or small potted apple trees.
• Have the groups work together to create a plan for planting and caring for their trees.
• Have each group present their plan to the class.

Independent Practice

• Have students work on a project-based independent practice activity.
• Students could create a drawing or poster about Johnny Appleseed and the impact that he had on settling the West.
• Students could create a small play or skit about a fictional meeting between Johnny Appleseed and Abraham Lincoln.

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson and ask students to share what they learned about Johnny Appleseed and the settling of the West.
• Ask students to share what they learned about the importance of apple trees in the lives of early settlers.

Assessment:

• Observation of students during the guided and independent practice activities
• Collect and review students' written work for understanding of key concepts and vocabulary about Johnny Appleseed and the settling of the West.