Teacher’s Brain

Category: Fall & Halloween

Ideas for Teaching about Johnny Appleseed

Fall & Halloween, Teacher's Pay Teachers


What is Johnny Appleseed famous for? 

Johnny Appleseed has become a classic story in elementary classrooms across the country. If you don’t know the Johnny Appleseed story, it goes that he went around and planted apple seeds for people across the country. 

Johnny Appleseed

What is the lesson of the story of Johnny Appleseed? 

The general moral of the story is to give generously to others. We use this story to teach students the power of generosity and kindness, which is so important in those early years of learning. 

When should I teach Johnny Appleseed? 

Traditionally, people teach about this story during fall or Autumn. So right when you head back to the classroom and start incorporating fall lessons, apples are all around!  This makes it the perfect time to incorporate this important story. 

Add some more apple fun by serving some applesauce, or doing some apple crafts. 

Looking for some fun Johnny Appleseed Crafts? I have you covered! 

My Hat Craft is perfect for elementary students as they read and learn about Johnny. It also includes a journal for students to write down the data that they get as they work through their lesson. 

Johnny Appleseed Craft

This resource is a quick and easy way to celebrate apples and the hard work of Johnny Appleseed. 

​​What is in this download?

Pg. 1 Cover

Pg. 2 Resources

Pg. 3 Pot Printable

Pg. 4 Headband Printable

Pg. 5-8 Journal 1/2 pages (primary and intermediate lined)

Pg. 9 Credits

For even more Johnny Appleseed fun, check out my digital escape! 

Johnny Appleseed Digital Escape Room

Digital Escapes™ are a fun way to get students to learn without even realizing it. NO printing and no prep needed for this digital escape! Super EASY for distance learning.

Students will click a video for a short story and directions to help with their first clue. 

During the escape, students will be tasked with solving 4 lock clues in order to save Johnny from a hole. There is a pdf included in this download with directions, the link to the site, an answer key, and an optional note-taking worksheet for students. This activity takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

Students will:

  • Listen to short audio directions and a YouTube video
  • Solve 5 Comprehension Questions 
  • Solve a Jigsaw Puzzle
  • Sort apples by color
  • Work on problem-solving as a group or individually

What are your favorite activities for teaching about this story? Let me know in the comments! 
For more fall activities, check out these free printables!

What Should My Teacher Be For Halloween

Fall & Halloween, Halloween

This is such a fun activity to do with your students! Not only are your students going to be engaged with opinion writing, but you will also enjoy reading their papers about what their teacher should be for Halloween.

Halloween Writing

These prompts are easy to share virtually or in person.  First, they are made using Google Slides.  The background is not editable, but there are text boxes provided for those virtual students to write about what their teacher should be for Halloween.  Students can move parts to design costumes for their teacher, edit the color, fonts, and add images. Included in this resource are printable pages with primary lines or intermediate lined worksheets to have students color or add materials to make a costume in class or for homework.

What Should My Teacher Be For Halloween

Brainstorming Ideas

Students will have a blast brainstorming ideas for their teacher’s Halloween costume! After, they complete the writing assignment, there is also an option for students to write ideas for their own costumes.  They can design them using the virtual moveable parts in the slides or print for in-person learning.

If you do these digitally, spooky music is provided for you to use the student’s creations in a new slide show with the music to share with others. Just insert their slides in a new presentation, copy and paste the music and play in presentation mode.

What Should My Teacher Be For Halloween

What Should I Be For Halloween

Video Tutorial

Check out the video tutorial on YouTube to see how easy it is to work with these Google Slides. You do not need to have Google Classroom to use this resource.  You can print the slides out or send them through email.  No matter what you do, have fun this Halloween season!

What Should My Teacher Be For Halloween

Want to learn about other Halloween Resources? Check Out The MUST DO Halloween Lessons

 

Pumpkin Patch Virtual Field Trip for Kids

Fall & Halloween

You can be every student’s favorite teacher by taking them to a pumpkin patch! Virtual Field trips are a great way engage students in learning.  These interactive, editable Google Slides make it easy to have students use movable pieces, tour a pumpkin patch, learn about pumpkin parts and the pumpkin life cycle!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

This makes for a great book companion with any pumpkin-themed book. Pumpkin lessons can be used in October or November since it’s pumpkin-themed. This is GREAT for virtual or in-person teaching.

What is in this download?

There are 32 Google Slides with editable text boxes, directions, movable parts, videos, and so much more!

  • KWL Chart
  • Packing A Suitcase for the Trip
  • 1 Minute Take OFF Flight Video
  • 14-minute Pumpkin Patch Field Trip Video (Review pumpkin parts, the pumpkin life cycle, and take a Hayride Adventure)
  • Sequencing Events, 4 Writing Prompts (digits, print primary lined, print intermediate lined options), Counting Objects (Up to 10), Labeling Parts, Calendar Song, and Comprehension Questions, Home Connection Project
  • One extra slide for you to add anything you would like to the lesson. (videos or an assignment)
  • Home Connection Optional Assignment for students to design a pumpkin face.
  • Black and white ink-saving Writing Pages and Home Connection Page for in-person teaching.

Slide backgrounds CAN NOT be edited, just the text boxes and movable parts can be edited.

You can delete slides you don’t want to send to students, add your own directions or images to the sides of the slides to personalize.

Here are some ideas of what you can do with this virtual field trip:

  • Have a local store or parents donate small pumpkins for you to give the students after the virtual trip to decorate.
  • Write about how to sell pumpkins.
  • Cut a real pumpkin and have students label the parts on a chart.
  • After learning about the life cycle, have students explain it to someone in a letter.
  • Make some items like pumpkin pie or seeds for students to try.

GRADES Kindergarten (non-readers need help reading or you will have to do it whole group) – 2nd GRADE

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

YOU DO NOT need Google Classroom to use Google Slides. It will force a copy of it on your Google Drive. Students do not need to have Google Classroom to participate. They will need a Google account, which does not have to be a Gmail account, but just an account with Google that gives them access to Google Drive.

Easily share through Google Classroom to collect information or share from your computer to Zoom or Meets. Students move images, add text, and moving parts to get plenty of writing and computer practice!

Your kids will love the field trip and beg for another!

 

Must Do HALLOWEEN Lessons

Fall & Halloween

October is here and that means it is time to bring out the Halloween lessons and activities! This time of year is fun for both teachers and students. 

Pumpkins, candy, and all things spooky. 

What’s not to love?!

In honor of Halloween season beginning, I am sharing some of my absolute favorite lessons for this time of year. These lessons are especially perfect this year because they can easily be used for online or distance learning or in the classroom. 

Here are my three favorite Halloween activities for elementary

Whether you are in person or virtual learning, letting students design a Haunted House for sale is a huge HIT! You can print these out or let students use the virtual Google Slides shapes to design their very own haunted house! 

halloween lessons

After their design is perfectly spooky, now it is time to sell it! Let their imaginations run wild as they write a story and explain why their house is for sale. 

This resource is versatile enough to be used for any grade in elementary. It is so much fun to see what they design and the creative stories they come up with when they write about it! 

halloween lessons

Here’s a review of this Halloween activity

“This is a wonderful resource for many reasons. My kids were able to pick their backgrounds and design their own haunted house. Then they got to review and work on a variety of writing prompts. My students loved designing their houses on Google Slides. This activity makes students believe they are not working.” 

Check it out here! 

The next activity I want to share is another one that is always a hit with students, no matter what.

 It’s my Halloween Mystery Escape Room! 

halloween lessons

 

This activity is ideal for K-2 students and is a great way to get them engaged and thinking critically as they solve the mystery. With a little prep, your students will work as a team to break into a box, which breaks them out of the classroom as they beat the clock!

The best part? It’s simple to set up! Just add a pumpkin for students to find. 

Here’s a review for this Halloween escape room: 

“I used this during our Halloween party and the kids had such a blast figuring out the clues to escape the classroom! Will definitely be doing this activity again next year.” 

Check it out here! 

Are you looking for something that is perfect for this time of year but is not actually “Halloween” themed? This virtual Bats Escape Room is perfect! 

halloween lessons

During the escape, students will be tasked with solving 4 lock clues in order to escape the bizarre bats buzzing around their building.

It is super simple and never fails to get kiddos excited. 

halloween lessons

Here’s a review for this bat themed escape room

“During our virtual meeting the next day, student could not wait to share with me what they learned about bats.  I love that they used critical thinking skills to solve problems while learning.  Excellent resource!”

Check it out here! 

Bonus! Looking for free activities? Check out this Halloween Sticker Story resource!

Let each student pick a Halloween Sticker out, add a spooky background and write a story using these fun printables. Sticker stories are a great way to get kids motivated to write creatively!

These activities are perfect for Halloween parties, individual work, or group activities. They are guaranteed to get student engagement!

halloween lessons