


Every year, when we study Native Americans, my second graders create a totem pole. They’re really easy to make, and here are the steps.
1. We create the totem poles after studying Native Americans of the Northwest Coast. Usually, we’ve seen actual totem poles at the Field Museum of Natural History here in Chicago. If you can’t visit actual totem poles, then pull up online examples for your students to see. Observe the images of nature carved into the totem poles. Have students name the animals and other elements of nature they see.

3. Give students a brown sheet of 12” by 18” construction paper. You can have each student create their own image, or you can have students work in pairs. It really depends on how many totem poles you plan on creating and the number of students in your class. Then, let your kids have their paint and brushes. Schedule enough time for students to be creative and enjoy themselves. If you want, you can keep sample images of symmetry or nature on display while students paint. Walk around and make sure that students’ images are symmetrical. If they’re not, then give them pointers to help them become more symmetric.








Michelle lives in Chicago, IL and is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher. She has been teaching for 15 years. She is also a teacher blogger and Teacher Pay Teachers author. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga and spending time with family and friends. You can connect with Michelle on her blog, Facebook page, or TpT store.
It's an interesting idea, I'm sure your students like it. I often read http://www.smartcustomwriting.com/blog with tips on writing for all, but such a pole I found the first time. I really like it. Thanks for sharing.