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Totem poles are wooden towers full of carvings that tell about the history, ancestry, famous events, or special heroes that were important to the First Nation people of the Pacific Northwest. What do totem poles and fractions have in common? Totem poles contain sections stacked one upon the other. Each section represents a part (the numerator) or the whole (the denominator). Common figures found on totem poles include animals such as eagles, ravens, beavers, bears, wolves, and whales. This issue introduces students to the history of totem poles, meaning of the carved symbols, and importance of these towers to the First Nation tribes. While assembling and disassembling their own totem poles, students will identify fractional sections of their construction—an engaging way to combine history and math in one lesson!
In this issue students will:
- read informational text about totem poles
- identify fractional parts
- understand the difference between numerator and denominator
- understand the construction and meaning of symbols on a totem pole
- build poles using newspaper ads and stories
- identify correct vocabulary in a legend using context clues
- write about an experience helping someone with a problem
7 page PDF
