4th Grade Totem Poles

This post is overdue, but a few months back the 4th and 5th graders completed a Unit on the totem poles of the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. As students progressed through this Unit they focused on the concept of Stylization, Symmetry, and Limited Color.

After discussing totem pole examples in class students chose an animal, any animal that they felt a personal connection to, and sketched that animal in the style of a Pacific Northwest totem pole. While sketching students looked at reference packets filled with totem pole examples. After students completed full color sketches, each totem was limited to four colors, students created totem pole collages.

See below for some of their completed art work:

Idea inspired by a lesson found on: Thomas Elementary Art