This document outlines a week-long lesson plan for first grade students about distinguishing historical fact from fiction using the story of Johnny Appleseed. The plan includes reading books and having discussions about true and false statements regarding Johnny Appleseed. Students will plant apple seeds, act out the story of Johnny Appleseed, and create art projects labeling information as fiction or non-fiction. The goal is for students to understand the definitions of fiction and non-fiction and be able to identify factual information about Johnny Appleseed.

1. Johnny AppleseedFact or Fiction Tracie Ambrose Education 357 Fall 2009 First Grade Standard Inquiry

2. Standard 1.1.10 Chronological Thinking, Historical Analysis and Interpretation, Research: Distinguish between historical fact and fiction in American folktales and legends that are a part of American culture.

3. Purpose This is a week long lesson plan using the idea of Johnny Appleseed to introduce the words “fiction” and “non-fiction.” It uses a cross curricular format that will reinforce the idea of fact and fiction.

4. Objectives After instruction, students will be able to give true and false statements about the life of Johnny Appleseed as evidenced by students providing verbal answers for chart. After instruction, students will be able to tell who Johnny Appleseed was and what he did as evidenced by students acting out the life of Johnny Appleseed. After instruction, students will distiguish between the words “fiction” and “non-fiction” as evidenced by students writing the words on their apple tree project.

5. Definitions Orchard—a place where fruit is grown in large quantities Legend—a story about a person or place that may not be completely true. Sauce pan—a cooking pan used to make soup or sauce. Fiction—a story that is not true Non-fiction—a writing that is true.

6. Activities Day One Ask students if they know what a true statement and a false statement is. Have students tell a true statement about themselves and a false statement about themselves. Put their statements on a T chart that shows “true” and “false” at the top. (see next slide) Read the book: Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth by Jane Yolan. Ask students to name some true and false things about Johnny Appleseed. Have students draw a picture of apple trees and write a short sentence about an apple. Example: I like apples. During science time, have each student plant an apple seed. Put the seeds on a window sill. Have apple slices for a snack.

8. Day Two Ask students to review the things they learned yesterday about fact or fiction. Ask them to name some true and false things about Johnny Appleseed. Ask them if they have ever been to an apple orchard. Have them tell about it if they have. Read the book: Apple Picking Time by Michelle Slawson. Ask students if they think the story is true or false. Ask them to explain why they think so. If they have never been to an orchard, have them write a false story about going to an apple orchard and display their “stories” on the bulletin board. (It would be fun to use apple shaped papers for the students to write on.)

9. Day Three Ask the students who Johnny Appleseed was. Look for true statements about Johnny Appleseed. Read How Do Apples Grow by Betsy Maestro. Have students decide if the story is true or false. Introduce the word “fiction” for not true and “non-fiction” for true. Have students make a fuzzy pipe cleaner worm and glue it to a small apple shape. Have the write, “fiction” means not true. “Non-fiction” means true on the front of the apple. During science, have students check their apple seeds.

10. Day Four Review the words “fiction” and “non-fiction”. Ask students to remember back to the first day when you read, Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth. Re-read the story. Ask students to listen for the fiction and non-fiction in the story and see if they hear anything new that they may not have heard the first time. Add any new information to the chart that was made previously. Have students use props (sauce pan, bag, seed packets, etc.) to act out the story of Johnny Appleseed. Later that day, transition to math time with the book: Apple Countdown by Joan Halub. Give students a math worksheet and have students complete it by counting apple seeds and using them to add or subtract. (math standards 1.2.1, 1.2.2)

11. Day Five Review the words: Fiction and Non-fiction. Ask students about Johnny Appleseed and tell one true thing about him. Create a large “tree” in the classroom. Give students construction paper apples. Have them write true things on the apples about Johnny Apple seed and about apples. Hang the paper apples on the tree as a visual reminder of the week’s activities. Give spelling test on apple words such as: apple, seed, go, pot etc. Check on apple seeds and draw what they look like if they have grown. Continue allowing seedlings to grow.

12. Resources Holub, Joan. Apple Countdown. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman & Company, 2009. Lindbergh, Reeve. Johnny Appleseed. New York: Little, Brown Young Readers, 1993. Maestro, Betsy;, and Giulio Maestro. How Do Apples Grow? C. New York: Harpercollins, Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., 1992. Slawson, Michele B.. Apple Picking Time. New York: Knopf Books For Young Readers, 1994. Yolen, Jane. Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth. New York: HarperCollins, 2008.