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Monday, October 8, 2012

4th Grade Totem Poles



I think this project is pretty popular. I see it pop up on Pinterest all the time. My students and I certainly like it. This is the second year I have had my students do their final project using cut paper. It really works 100% better than paint. 

The emphasis of this project is the concept of stylization. The artwork of the Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest is very unique. I have found several good resources about specific shapes used in making totem poles that have been very helpful to my students. I tell my students to fill up 95-100% of the paper. I tell them to pretend like their paper is a little glass box that they have to push the animal into. It is a struggle to some students at first, but the concept eventually clicks. 

If you are new to my blog, you're in for a treat. I post all of the lesson plans I write. For free! Feel free to use them in your classroom. Check out the lesson plan for this project here.

4 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Lovely, a great way to teach stylization. Also good for the kids to practice different ways of looking and perceiving!

Joe said...

These are excellent!

Yana said...

Absolutely loved this in your blog so I had to try it with my students! They did have a difficult time with the "box" theory but after they did a rough draft and moved to the large paper they were really getting the hang of it!
They turned out MUCH better than I had thought they would from the beginning!

Zach Stoller said...

Thanks everyone!