Definition:

To be hopeful means to believe that something good can happen, even when it doesn’t look like it, or when it turns out differently than expected.

In short:

Believe that something good can happen.

Summary:
John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed, was an eccentric conservationist who lived during the time of westward expansion in the USA. Born in 1774, he lived a nomadic life until 1845 when he died. He pursued his dream to plant apple trees everywhere he traveled, often pausing in his journeys to assist pioneers who were settling in the western part of the country. He was a pacifist and tried to help the settlers and the Indians live in peace. Johnny Appleseed was a person who dreamed big, and became a role model for modern day conservationists who advocate for the enrichment and preservation of the environment.  

Lesson Objectives: 

1. This story can be a lead-in to academic subjects, especially  history, with a focus on westward expansion in the USA, and botany, with an emphasis on plant development from seeds. 
2. The teacher can guide students to grasp the analogy that planting seeds is like dreaming big. We believe that something will grow out of a little seed. We take care of it properly, and that little seed can become a big tree that produces fruit. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. Johnny Appleseed had a big dream. What was it?  
2. A conservationist is someone who tries to take care of the earth and all living things. Explain why we call Johnny Appleseed a conservationist. 
3. A pacifist is someone who is against war. Explain why we call Johnny Appleseed a pacifist. 
4. Have you ever planted anything from a seed? Share about your experience. If you haven’t, ask someone to help you plant some seeds. 
5. Do some research on how long it takes an apple seed to grow into a tree that produces apples.  
6. If you could talk to Johnny Appleseed, what would you ask him? 
7. Share about what you think the most interesting part of Johnny Appleseed’s life was. 
8. Would you like to live like Johnny Appleseed lived? Why or why not? 
9. Share your thoughts on what you think you could do to help take care of the earth. 
10. Cut open an apple and look at the seeds. Is it hard to imagine a big tree growing from those little seeds?