The Apple Man
Grade levels - 4-5
Subject areas - Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies
Learner outcomes
1. The student will identify and classify
seeds as living things and explain their function.
2.. The student will be able to chart and
graph growth of a seedling to a plant after having planted apple seeds in
the classroom setting.
3.. The student will read orally and silently
the tales of Johnny Appleseed while recognizing the literary form of folk
tales and biographies after the exploration of the book by Steven Kellogg.
5. The student will use, interpret, and construct
maps to locate the path of Johnny Appleseed's journeys through the study of
his paths in the maps and atlases used in the instructional setting.
Duration of Lesson - Three 50 minute class periods
Materials
1. A copy of Steven Kellog's "Johnny Appleseed"
for each cooperative group of students
2. Plastic and/or paper cups
3. Potting soil
4. Apple seeds
5. Metric rulers
6. Water
7. Pencils/paper
8. Window space for sunlight
9. Wooden craft sticks
10. Tape
11. Outline map of United
States
12. Vocabulary sheet (Word Doc.) (RTF)
13. Social Studies text
14. atlas
15. maps
12. Vocabulary sheet (Word Doc.) (RTF)
13. Social Studies text
14. atlas
15. maps
Technology tools
1. Computers with internet access and Microsoft Excel
2. Computer printer
3. Photocopy machine
Teacher Notes:
- Students will need a parent signed AUP.
- Day 2 activity will require a long range plan due to the nature of the plant growing.
- Determine if any student has allergies that could be affected by the materials used in the plant growing. If so an alternate activity can be planned or they can assist the teacher as he/she works with the materials.
Day One
1. The teacher will begin the lesson with
an overview of Steven Kellogg's book Johnny Appleseed.
2. The teacher will discuss the vocabulary of the story with a list of words that may be unfamiliar to the student.
2. The teacher will discuss the vocabulary of the story with a list of words that may be unfamiliar to the student.
3. The students will divide into groups to
begin the reading of "Johnny Appleseed".
4. The students will return to entire class
setting to read the story orally and to discuss comprehension questions about
the story.
5. The teacher will guide the comprehension
with a list of facts and folk tales about John
Chapman/ Johnny Appleseed that the students can copy with pencil/paper and
retain for lessons on the following days.
Day Two
1. Begin
class with discussion of Johnny Appleseed's apple planting in
the story and tell the students that they will also be planting
apple seeds
2. The teacher will discuss the growth of
seeds. The students will access website www.mcwdn.org/plants/seeds.html
to read about seed growth and then complete the online quiz.
3. The teacher will divide the groups of learners
so that students with special needs will be grouped with students who will
act as peer tutors to facilitate learning and task completion.
4. Each group will receive cups, soil, craft
sticks, tape, and water to begin the science activity.
5. Students will fill the cups at least
3/4 full with potting soil, insert the seeds (usually 3-5 seeds), and place
a craft stick into the soil beside the planted seeds. Place a piece
of masking tape on the craft stick to help with the marking of the growth
of the plant.
6. The students will then place the cups in
a windowsill or other place where the cups will receive sunlight. Water
the seeds.
7. The teacher will complete the lesson by
having the students predict the outcomes of this science activity and recording
their predictions.
Long range plan for Day Two activity1. As the plants begin their growth, each
group of students should select a member to measure the plant height in centimeters
every other day. Another member of the group should act as recorder
to chart the date and plant height with paper/pencil. (Students should take
turns to assure participation by all in the group)
2. When charting is complete, students can
utilize the Microsoft Excel program to plot their data from their
pencil/paper charts.
This information can then be transformed into
bar and/or line graphs. The students will need to be taught the steps
to to plot the data to the Excel program
and then use that spreadsheet to create a graph for the printer. This
would best be done whole group (i.e. computer lab or bank of computers) and
the students can create their graphs as a class project.
3. Students will print a copy of their graphs.
4. The teacher will complete the lesson
by studying other charts and graphs and by comparing different graphs and
charts and their purpose and function.
Day Three1 Briefly review Johnny Appleseed to discover the state in which John Chapman was born and the states in which he was said to have planted his apple seeds and orchards.
2. Using Social Studies texts, maps, an atlas, and completing a Yahooligans search, students will locate and label the states on an outline map of the United States. The students could then do a line drawing to follow John Chapman's path.
3. The teacher can complete the lesson by discussing frontier life during this time period and what travel would have been like for John Chapman from the late 1700's until the mid 1800's.
Modifications
Follow the modifications on the student's
IEP.
Students without an AUP will use other reference
materials to complete the plant growing research and will write a short paragraph
about seed growth.
Pair lower level reading students with another
student for assistance.
Enrichment Activities:
Students will compare different types of
seeds for growth rates.
Students will take seedlings (when appropriate)
to be planted outside.
Students will further research frontier life
and create a diorama.
Evaluation
Rubrics for- Language Arts
for paragraph writing activity and Science
participation during seed growing
Completed Excel graph
Completed map
West Virginia Standards for grade 4 and grade 5
Reading Language Arts
RLA. 4.1.3 RLA.4.1.4 RLA.4.1.6
RLA.4.3.1 RLA.4.3.2
RLA.5.1.1 RLA.5.1.2 RLA.5.1.6 RLA.5.2.6 RLA.5.2.8 RLA.5.2.9
Science
RLA.5.1.1 RLA.5.1.2 RLA.5.1.6 RLA.5.2.6 RLA.5.2.8 RLA.5.2.9
Science
SC. 4.2.4 SC.4.2.8 SC.
4.2.9 SC. 4.2.10 SC. 4.3.3 SC. 4.4.4 SC. 4.4.5
SC.5.1.1 SC.5.2.2 SC.5.2.4 SC.5.2.7 SC.5.3.1 SC.5.4.3 SC.5.4.5
Math
SC.5.1.1 SC.5.2.2 SC.5.2.4 SC.5.2.7 SC.5.3.1 SC.5.4.3 SC.5.4.5
Math
MA. 4.3.7 MA. 4.4.1 -MA.4.5.3
MA.5.4.1 MA.5.4.8 MA.5.5.1
Social Studies
MA.5.4.1 MA.5.4.8 MA.5.5.1
Social Studies
SS. 4.4.3 SS.4.4.4 SS.4.4.10
SS.4.5.2 SS.4.5.5 SS. 4.5.6
SS.5.4.1 SS.5.4.9 SS.5.4.10 SS.5.5.7
Technology
SS.5.4.1 SS.5.4.9 SS.5.4.10 SS.5.5.7
Technology
TEC.4.3.2 TEC.4.5.1 TEC.4.6.1
TEC.5.3.2 TEC.5.3.3
TEC.5.3.2 TEC.5.3.3
National Standards
Language
Arts
1. Uses the general skills and strategies
of the writing process.
4. Gathers and uses information for research
purposes.
5. Uses the general skills of the reading
process.
9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand
and interpret visual media.
Geography
1. Understands the characteristics and uses
of maps, globes and other geographic tools and technologies.
Mathematics
4. Understands and applies basic and advanced
properties of of the concept of measurement.
6. Understands and applies basic and advanced
concepts of statistics and data analysis.
Science
6. Understands relationships among organisms
and their physical environment.
12. Understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Technology
1. Knows the characteristics and uses of computer
hardware and operating systems
2. Knows the characteristics and uses
of computer software
References:
www.amazon.com
www.abcteach.com
www.teachnology.com
www.mcwdn.org/plants/seeds.html
www.Yahooligans.com
Harcourt Brace & Company 4/5th grade Social Studies textbook (maps located in textbook)
Harcourt Brace & Company 4/5th grade Atlas
Author - William P. Beathe Jr.
Buckhannon Upshur Intermediate School
