Johnny Appleseed Apple Unit for Big Kids

Johnny Appleseed’s birthday is this month! We celebrate by doing reading, writing, and social studies activities all about Johnny Appleseed and apples. We’re actually celebrating a little early in our classroom because his birthday falls right in the middle of my Amazing Animal unit. I’ve promised the students he won’t mind an early celebration though. =)

My centers this week have tons of reading and writing activities about apples. We’re writing how-to papers, journal entries, poems, and descriptive menus to go along with a few simple recipes we’re making right in the classroom. I’m tying in a few review concepts like facts and opinions too. For social studies we’re mapping places Johnny visited as we come across facts while reading and practicing cardinal directions too. Of course we’re keeping learning charts and doing a few art activities too!


I uploaded my complete unit to TpT, but I wanted to share this birthday card freebie with you too. I have students make Johnny a birthday card and then write a note inside about how they think he should spend his birthday. It’s a fun way to celebrate the end of our unit and tie in what they learned during the week too. Love that!

I know this is getting long, but I can’t talk about apples without mentioning two books. The first is a brand new book Apples A to Z. It’s a “big kids” alphabet book packed with apple facts. For example, “G is for grafting” and then it describes what grafting is. It would be a great start to your apple unit because of all the great vocabulary.