Curiosity Club: American Folktales – Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

There are many folktales about the early American frontier. Stories that have been orally passed down throughout history. These tall tales have immortalized legends like Paul Bunyan and Annie Oakley. American folktales enable us to understand our history and our American culture. Let’s jump into the exciting world of American folktales.

Plant Your Own Apple Tree

Supplies

• A small cup or pot
• A dirt disc or loose dirt
• Apple seeds
• Water
• toothpick or pencil

Directions

1. Put the dirt disc in the dixie cup with the indented side up. You can use your own dirt from your backyard as well.
2. Water the dirt, almost covering it. Let the dirt soak up the water. If you’re using the dirt disc, keep watering until disc has puffed up and the inside dirt is soft and loose.
3. Open up the disc a little and plant your apple seeds in the dirt, pushing the seeds down with a pencil or toothpick. If you do not get a craft packet with seeds, you can cut an apple in half and dig out the seeds.
4. Water and cover the planted seeds with the ziplock bag and place in the sun. Continue to water every few days. As your little apple trees sprout and grow taller, you can transplant to a larger pot.
5. Apple seeds can take long to mature into even a small tree. So for fun try this same process with sunflower or jalapeño seeds, or even a dried bean. You’ll see the results much sooner .😊

More Fun

You can still see one of Johnny Appleseed’s trees!

Nova, Ohio, is home to a 176-year-old tree, the last known to be planted by Johnny Appleseed himself. It grows tart green apples, which are now used for applesauce and baking in addition to cider making. This gnarled apple tree is the last survivor of the thousands planted by Johnny Appleseed. For years, chains and props where used to hold the trunk of the old tree together, but several years ago a mighty wind proved more than it could handle. The central trunk of the tree split and fell to the earth. A fragile piece of the trunk remains and two new branches from its base are now 20 feet high and produce apples

11 Facts About Annie Oakley

11 Landmarks made by Paul Bunyan

View complete list

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Audrey Sarver

Audrey works on the bookmobile. She uses her love of history to create activities for elementary school students. Audrey’s favorite genres include historical fiction, true crime, biographies and classics like Jane Austen. At home she likes to bake and work in her flower garden.