Totem pole animals by grades 3 & 4

As third and fourth graders continue their study of the United States, we travel to the Pacific Northwest region to look at totem poles made by Native American groups.  We learned that totem poles can tell stories or have animals that represent the artist or the family who owns the totem poles.  We talked about how the animals on totem poles art stylized, with lots of details and creativity, rather than realistic. We put our cut paper totem pole animals together into four class totem poles.  

Abenaki inspired flags

Third and fourth graders are studying the Abenaki.  We looked at the flag of the Abenaki Nation and discussed what the different symbols stood for and why they were on the flag.  Students used construction paper to design their own flags that represent the things in nature that are important to them.  

Here is the Abenaki Flag:

And the students' flags:

Puppet Making!

Third and fourth graders made puppets using paper clay, acrylic paint, felt and embellishments.  Mrs. Hale's and Mr.s Belknap's classes made puppets to use to tell their original Abenaki Native American-inspired folktales.  Mr. McAllister's class made puppets from fairy tales.  

Working with paper clay

Puppet heads made from paper clay and cardboard

Acrylic paint adds personality! 

Artists show off their finished puppets.