Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
An American Who Made a Difference
Guided Reading Level --I
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Written by Alyse Sweeney
Illustrated by Stephen Snider
Designed by Maria Lilja
Consultant: Joe Besecker, Director, Johnny Appleseed Society, Urbana University, Urbana, Ohio
ISBN-13: 978-0-439-77414-7
ISBN-10: 0-439-77414-4
Copyright © 2007 by Scholastic Inc.
Published by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in China.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
John Chapman lived
from 1774 to 1845,
when America
was young.
Meet Johnny Appleseed. His dream was
to plant apple trees all over the western
United States. American settlers were just
starting to move there. Read on to learn
how he made his dream come true.
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
John loved to play
in the woods and
be near animals.
Johnny Appleseed was born in
Massachusetts on September 26, 1774.
His real name was John Chapman.
Young John liked to play in an apple
orchard near his house.
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
apple pie
applesauce
apple butter
apple cider
Apples were an important
fruit for the settlers. These
are some foods they made
from apples.
When John was about 23 years old,
he had an idea. He knew that settlers
were moving west. There they would
need apples to make different foods.
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Some people say that John
wore a cooking pot on his
head as he traveled west.
John dreamed of planting apple
orchards for the settlers. So he filled
a bag with apple seeds. Then he
set out for the state of Pennsylvania
to grow trees.
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
John felt at home outdoors,
even in the winter.
The winter was cold and snowy. But that
didn’t stop John. He wrapped his feet in
warm cloth. Then he made snowshoes
out of tree branches!
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
John never hunted
animals for food.
Spring came and John trudged on.
His feet became tough, like an animal’s
paws. For meals, he used his pot
to cook ground corn. He also ate
nuts and berries.
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
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2
3
4
This shows how an apple tree grows.
Finally John reached Pennsylvania.
Once there, he got to work. He found
land near streams and rivers. He pulled
up the weeds. Then he planted apple
seeds in neat rows.
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
John liked to
sleep outside
with the animals.
John planted the trees all by himself.
But he wasn’t lonely. Animals kept him
company. They watched him work.
At night, John slept under the stars.
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
The Native Americans
were not afraid of
John, because he was
kind and gentle.
John made friends with Native
Americans, too. They showed him
where to find the best nuts and berries.
John showed them new medicines
made from herbs.
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
If people didn’t have
money, John gave
them trees for free.
After a few years, the settlers arrived.
How happy they were to see John’s
apple trees for sale! John sold the trees
for a few pennies each.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
John liked telling
stories to children.
John became friends with the settlers.
They would invite him for dinner. John
would tell them exciting stories about
his time in the wilderness.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
This map shows where
John planted apple trees.
Michigan
Pennsy
Indiana
Ohio
Before long, there were many settlers
in Pennsylvania. So, around 1801,
John traveled west to Ohio. Again
he planted apple trees. And again
the settlers came and bought his trees.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
CANADA
Maine
Vermont
New York
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
lvania
N
W
E
S
New Jersey
When many settlers arrived in Ohio,
John moved west again. By 1828,
he had planted his way to Indiana.
The settlers called him Johnny Appleseed.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
John traveled for nearly fifty years.
Everywhere he went, he made friends.
And everywhere he went, he planted
apple seeds.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Some people say the apple trees in the
Midwest today came from John’s trees.
The next time you crunch into an apple,
remember how Johnny Appleseed
made his dream come true!
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Glossary
herb (noun) a plant used in medicine
or for seasoning foods
medicine (noun) something one
takes to treat an illness
orchard (noun) an area where fruit
trees are grown
settler (noun) a person who moves
to a new land or country
snowshoe (noun) a flat, woven
frame worn on the foot to keep from
sinking into the snow
trudged (verb) walked slowly and
with effort
wilderness (noun) an area of wild
land where few people live
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Johnny Appleseed
An American Who Made a Difference
Guided Reading Level: I
Word Count: 638
Average Words Per Page: 40
Spotlight Nonfiction Feature:
Flowchart, Map
J
ohn Chapman (1774–1845) is known as “Johnny Appleseed” for his famous
cross-country mission: populating the Midwest with apple trees for the
pioneers to enjoy. A lover of nature and a friend to the environment, Johnny
Appleseed traveled the country for nearly 50 years, planting apple seeds
along the way. Some say we are still enjoying the fruits of his labor today!
Introducing the Book
an apple tree? Where do you think the trees come from?
Invite children to share prior knowledge about
apples. Ask: What are some ways to eat apples? Have
you ever had apple juice, apple pie, or applesauce?
Point out that apples are one of the most popular
fruits in our country. Then ask: Have you ever seen
Slice up an apple and share it with the group.
Point out the apple seeds. Tell children they will
be reading about a man who got his nickname
from apple seeds.
Spotlight Nonfiction Features: Chart and Map
Have children turn to page 7, directing them to
the numbered pictures at the top of the page.
Explain that a flowchart is a series of pictures
that shows the steps in a process. It helps readers
visualize the order in which something happens.
Read the heading aloud. Then point out the
numbers and arrows and explain that they show
the order of steps. Invite children to study each
picture in order, describing in their own words
what happens first, second, third, and fourth.
the map shows. Next, point out the symbols.
Ask: What do you think the apples and trees stand
for? (They stand for the route along which Johnny
Appleseed planted apple seeds.) What do the
arrows show? (They show the direction in which
he traveled.) Have children read the name of each
state along Johnny’s route.
Next, turn to the map on pages 12–13.
Explain that a map is like a flat picture of Earth.
It is a view from above of the land. Maps can
show all kinds of information, from where things
are to what plants grow in different areas. First,
read the caption and explain that this tells what
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A
Using the Reproducible
Book Links
Discuss how Johnny Appleseed was a friend
to Earth by helping plants, animals, and
people. Give children copies of page 27 and
have them write in each apple one way Johnny
helped Earth. (He planted trees; he grew food
for settlers; he was kind to animals.) In the
trunk, have children write one thing they
could do to help Earth.
For more information on Johnny Appleseed,
try these titles:
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
◆
Johnny Appleseed by Patricia Brennan Demuth
(Penguin, 1996)
◆
Johnny Appleseed: My Story by David Lee Harrison
(Random House, 2001)
◆
The Story of Johnny Appleseed by Aliki
(Simon & Schuster, 1963)
Name ________________________________
Date _______________________
Johnny Appleseed’s Tree
Johnny was a friend to Earth. He made a difference to plants,
animals, and people. In each apple, write one thing Johnny did for
our planet. On the trunk, write one thing you can do for Earth.
Ways Johnny Appleseed
Made a
Difference
Scholastic Teaching Resources, page 27
How I Can Make
a Difference
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____________________
____________________
____________________
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Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date _______________________________
Important Events in ___________________________________’s Life
Write the person’s name on the line. Then write important events in the order in which
they happened.
Sequencing Timeline
Name ____________________________________________
Name ________________________________
Date _______________________
Vocabulary Chart
Record new words on the chart. First, write the vocabulary word.
Next, write what it means. Then, use the word in your own sentence.
Word
What It Means
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Sentence Using Word
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date _______________________________
What the Person Was Like:
Important Events in the
Person’s Life:
Name:
How I Feel About the Person:
His or Her Accomplishments:
Write the person’s name in the center box. Then fill in the other boxes.
Character Map
Name ____________________________________________
Easy Reader Biographies: Johnny Appleseed
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date _______________________________
Name _____________________
Both
Name _____________________
Write one person’s name over each circle. Write facts about this person in that circle.
In the center, write what the two people had in common.
Venn Diagram
Name ____________________________________________