Math Concepts: Multiplication, Division
Johnny Appleseed
From the time he was a young man in
Pennsylvania, John Chapman’s brothers and
sisters knew he wasn’t like everyone else.
So they weren’t surprised the day he
announced, “I know just what I need to do.”
“What now, John?” they asked. Their brother
spent most of his time in the woods and apple
orchards behind their house, thinking up ideas no
one else could think up.
“I’m going to spread apple seeds as far west as folks
need them,” he said.
That very day, he set off for the cider mill nearby.
There, he got a huge pile of seeds and dried them in the
sun. Then he packed them into a sack, threw the sack
over his shoulder, and set out.
At first he paddled a canoe west on the Ohio River.
When he came across settlers, he’d call out, “Hey, there,
friend, I’ve got some apple seeds for you. No need to pay.
I’m here to spread apples all across the land.”
Then he’d tell them how to plant the seeds and how
to care for the trees. He’d tell them how to store their
apples, and how to can them, and press them into cider,
and bake them into pies. The pioneers, who needed all
the help they could get, welcomed the seeds and John’s
advice. And, when it was time for him to leave, they waved
and smiled as he paddled away.
It wasn’t long before John put down his paddle and
took off on his bare feet. He walked everywhere, and his
feet became hard as nails. As he went along, he passed
out his seeds for others to plant. He also stopped in sunny
open land to plant nurseries of his own trees. “Someday,
this spot will be a glistening apple orchard,” he thought.
(Continued)
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Tall Tale Math © 2013 by Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Johnny Appleseed
Math Concepts: Multiplication, Division
As he tramped through Ohio, the forest became
his home—he never slept within four walls. He made
quick friends with the animals. Folks swore he could
communicate with the wild creatures, in their own
language. They swore that he was almost always in the
company of a raccoon, a rabbit, or even a bear.
Wherever he went along the trails, John also made
friends with the Indians. He learned many of their
languages. They understood his mission.
Before long, John became known in Indiana, and
then Illinois. Children and grown-ups started calling him
Johnny Appleseed. It was a perfect name for this strange,
kind man.
For forty years, as the seasons changed over and over
again, Johnny Appleseed camped under the stars, slept in
caves, and curled up in tree hollows. He never felt alone
among the trees and the animals.
As word about Johnny Appleseed traveled, stories
built up around him. “He found a wounded wolf and
nursed it back to health. It goes with him wherever he
goes,” some said. “He always had a way with the wild
animals,” others said.
Even after he grew old, and no one saw him walking
barefoot anymore, people swore they could still hear him
calling to the birds and spreading his
seeds. They said his spirit lived on,
just like his apple trees. And every
time they smelled a fresh apple
blossom or dug into an
apple pie, they thought
of Johnny Appleseed.
Tall Tale Math © 2013 by Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Name ________________________________________ Date _____________________________
Johnny Appleseed
Solve each problem. Show your work.
1. Johnny Appleseed traveled 20 miles a day in his canoe.
How many miles did he travel in each trip below?
3-day trip
5-day trip
9-day trip
______ miles
______ miles
______ miles
2. Before Johnny left, he loaded seeds by the bushel into his canoe.
If a bushel weighs 42 pounds, how much would each load below weigh?
2 bushels
4 bushels
8 bushels
______ pounds
______ pounds
______ pounds
3. Johnny used 36 apples to make 1 gallon of cider. How many apples did
he use to make each amount of cider below?
4 gallons
7 gallons
10 gallons
______ apples
______ apples
______ apples
4. Johnny ate an apple a day for 2 years. How many apples did he eat in
that time? (One year has 365 days.)
________________ apples
5. One year, Johnny gave away 16 bushels of seeds. If a bushel weighs
42 pounds, how many pounds did he give away?
________________ pounds
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Tall Tale Math © 2013 by Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Name ________________________________________ Date _____________________________
Johnny Appleseed
(Continued)
Solve each problem. Show your work.
6. Johnny wanted to plant 72 trees in his nursery. How many rows
would he plant if each row had the following number of trees?
9 trees
6 trees
8 trees
______ rows
______ rows
______ rows
7. An apple has 5 seed pockets. If one seed is in each pocket, how
many apples would Johnny need to get each amount of seeds below?
30 seeds
45 seeds
95 seeds
______ apples
______ apples
______ apples
8. Illinois is about 216 miles wide. How many days would it take
Johnny to cross the state if he traveled each distance below?
8 miles a day
9 miles a day
12 miles a day
______ days
______ days
______ days
9. The distance across Ohio and Indiana together is about 378 miles.
If Johnny walked 9 miles a day, how long would it take him to
cross both states?
__________ days
10. It takes about 6 apples to make an apple pie. How many pies could a
pioneer family make with 228 apples?
__________ pies
Tall Tale Math © 2013 by Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Answers
Johnny Appleseed
page 18
1. 60 miles; 100 miles; 180 miles
2. 84 pounds; 168 pounds; 336 pounds
3. 144 apples; 252 apples; 360 apples
4. 730 apples
5. 672 pounds
page 19
6. 8 rows; 12 rows; 9 rows
7. 6 apples; 9 apples; 19 apples
8. 27 days; 24 days; 18 days
9. 42 days
10. 38 pies
Tall Tale Math © 2013 by Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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