Project Name: Native American Totem Pole Lesson …
Project Name: Native American Totem Pole Lesson Plan
Team: Joe Riley & Martha Harris
Grade Level: 4th Grade - 8th Grade
Overview:
To discover traditions of the Pacific Northwest Native American culture through the arts
Learning Objectives:
• Demonstrate knowledge of the Totem Poles in Native American cultures
• Identify own personal story or family crest using a Totem Pole
• Produce a Native American totem and refer to visuals to inspire their own versions of totem animals
• Present story and Totem Pole to the class
Equity Objectives:
• Work cooperatively to complete the activity
• Collaborate and negotiate the creation of a class community symbol
MI/Art Modalities in Lesson:
• Linguistic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Natural, Spatial, Logical, Musical
• Storytelling, Visual Arts, Music
State Standards:
Fourth & Eighth Grade:
4. HISTORY The student understands and applies knowledge of historical thinking, chronology, eras, turning points, major ideas, individuals, and themes in local, Washington State, tribal, United States, and world history in order to evaluate how history shapes the present and future.
1. ART The student understands and applies arts knowledge and skills.
2. ART The student demonstrates thinking skills using artistic processes.
3. ART The student communicates through the arts.
4. ART The student makes connections within and across the arts to other disciplines, life, cultures, and work.
Procedures:
Anticipatory Set:
1. Prior Knowledge: Pacific Northwest Native Americans Tribes
2. Content related to lives: Totem Poles are like family trees to us, by using animal figures. They are also a way of recording legends. They had no formal language so they are like our books. Show pictures of totem poles. Northwest Indians constructed and carved totem poles depicting the animals that represented their family. Several animal allies were stacked up, carved, and painted onto a long log, which was erected in the village to remind their tribe of the important connection that the animal spirits had to the generations of their family members. They told stories about these animals who lived amongst them.
You have at least three animals that lend their power and wisdom to help you on your journey through life. They bring you closer to your heart and help you through the toughest lessons of your life. Although you might have other animals that come to you from time to time these three are at your side to remind you of the fun journey you have taken with them.
3. Children are then told what today's lesson will be: Today's lesson will be to construct your own story and/or family crest in a Totem Pole. When you are finished, you will share your story and Totem Pole with the class.
B. Continuation of Lesson:
4. Show the Totem Pole Animal Animoto
5. Pass out and present copies of animal descriptions:
Bear = symbol of strength;
Beaver = symbol of wealth and gives "medicine power";
Frogs = bring good fortune;
Raven = guardian spirit;
Salmon = symbol of wealth, fertility, immortality;
Snake = brings power of magic;
Thunderbird = chief of all guardian spirits, causes thunder and lightning;
Whale = bad spirit who brings destruction;
Wolf = helpful spirit who also brings skill in weaving and woodcraft.
6. Tell students they will make their own Totem Pole based on their family traits. Give students 5-10 minutes in a quiet place outside to think about animals and to choose 3 that represent their family or life and why. (writing this down might help with presentation)
7. Students then cut the totem shapes from construction paper and draw their 3 animals that represent their family totem pole. They can use the copy of animal description as a reference. Students then glue animals to cardboard tubes to create a Totem Pole that tells their story.
C. Closure:
Let students share their Totem Poles and tell their stories. Display Totem Poles on a flat surface where they can be freestanding as an ongoing exhibit.
Assessment Strategies:
Authentic Tasks - making of a Totem Pole and story
Writing project - writing a story
Observation of cooperative group work, i.e., fair sharing of work, enjoying helping other classmates
Anecdotal records
Observe brainstorming techniques for storyline
Ask questions, i.e. why pick a certain animal for a certain character in the story
Portfolios - save some samples of work, i.e. Totem Poles and stories
Adaptations:
This lesson could be adapted to 8th grade U.S. History during the time period of early explorers in the West (Lewis and Clark) and the Louisiana Purchase. Some modifications and adaptations would be that instead of performing this task alone students would create a story and totem pole in a group of four to five students. They will be responsible for brainstorming and writing out the story together, as well as creating props needed during their performance, and their totem pole to go along with their story. They will be turning in their written story, and acting out the story as a group. The performances should be no more than 15 minutes long. Afterwards, the rest of the class will discuss their story and try to come up with the meanings and symbols represented in the story and match them to the symbols/meanings on the totem pole that the group had created. The group will be graded on group cooperation, presentation, effort, and their totem pole.
Resources: (APA Format)
Tantlinger, E. (1999, September 14). Totem Pole. Retrieved June 25, 2009, Web site:
Greene, A. (2005). Animal Tribe: Build your own totem pole. Retrieved June 17, 2009, Web site:
Lesson's Multiple Intelligence Chart
|Linguistic |Verbal presentation to the class on totem pole animals |
|Logical-Mathematical |Deciding the animals purposes and laying out the totem |
|Bodily-Kinesthetic |Changing location to outside |
|Musical |Native music during work time and Animoto |
|Intrapersonal |Selecting process of personal symbols and meaning |
|Interpersonal |Presenting to class and discussing totem poles |
|Naturalist |Going outside to work, deciding which animals correlate to their lives |
|Spatial |Pictures on totem poles |
Teacher's Reflection on critical pedagogy and multicultural arts approach to the curriculum.
Martha’s Reflection: This lesson plan has a gradual release format, which I find to be very helpful in my classroom of lower level learners. With a classroom of 5-8 Native American students, this lesson would not only be influential to them culturally, but it allows the students to integrate the arts into the classroom. Learning about totem poles can be carried out in many formats. Rather than just reading about the totems, this lesson allows the multiple intelligences to be experienced in many ways. By integrating many different forms of art into this lesson, I believe the process learning will be more successful for every student.
Joe’s Reflection: This lesson seems to be very adaptable for more than just the grade levels that we represent. I feel that it is a great way to explain the cultures of the Pacific Northwest Native American tribes. Since I am fortunate enough to teach in this area of the country many of the students in my classroom have seen totem poles, but never really knew what they were, or why they are there. It would be very easy for a teacher to just hand out the information on totem poles and read through it with their students. This lesson allows the students to experience the idea of the totem pole through different aspects. It includes different art forms and uses different intelligences so that there will be a little something for everyone. Students will be able to create their own totem pole for their own life, which allows them to take something that they are learning and tie it to their lives. It gives the students more of a sense of ownership in their work. By integrating the arts in this lesson, students will greater expand their knowledge and understanding of other cultures.
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