Classroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 10

Hello Parents!

I cannot believe that it is already the end of our second quarter. We are have way done with the year! I am so thankful to be a part of your young scholars' lives. I am so proud of how hard all of the students have worked in the classroom this quarter. I would also like to thank all of the parents who made Rome Day a wonderful success! It was wonderful to see the students having so much fun! Please do not forget to have your scholars bring in their marionettes tomorrow!!

Our tests and quizzes this week:

Monday, December 15:

Literature Quiz (Pinocchio)

 

Tuesday, December 16:

Science Test (The Human Body)

 

Wednesday, December 17:

Math Test (Multiplication and Division)

 

Thursday, December 18:

History Test (Ancient Rome)

 

Friday, December 19:

Spelling Test

 

 

Here is what your scholars will be focusing on in class for the final week of the quarter:

 

In Language Arts, we will be finishing up with Pinocchio with our last quiz on Monday. For the rest of the week, we will be focusing on reading shorter stories from Aesop's fables with a focus on the morals of these stories and working on summarizing them. Please have your scholars begin bringing in our nest book, The Little Prince. I would like all books to be in their desks before Winter Break. We will be beginning it the first week come back from break. In Spalding, we will have 30 words and a test on Friday as usual. In grammar, we will be focusing on complete and simple subjects and predicates, as well as the correct abbreviations of words. In writing, we will be working on summarizing. We will not have a poem or idiom this week.

 

In Math, we will be finishing up our unit on multiplication and division with the cumulative unit assessment on Wednesday. After that, we will begin a new unit focusing on interpreting data and creating our own bar graphs and tables.

 

In History, we will be finishing up our unit on Ancient Rome by discussing the decline of the Roman Empire. We will have our final test on Thursday. Next quarter, we will be focusing on the Vikings.

 

In Science, we will be reviewing the systems of the human body in preparation for our final test on Tuesday.

 

 

Have a wonderful week!

 

 

Best,

Ms. Sexton

Classroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 9

Hello Parents!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and enjoyable weekend!

Our tests and quizzes this week:

Monday, December 8:

None!

 

Tuesday, December 9:

Science Quiz (Muscular System)

 

Wednesday, December 10:

Math Quiz (Multiplying and Dividing by 9's)

 

Thursday, December 11:

None!

 

Friday, December 12 [ROME DAY]:

Spelling Test

 

 

Below, you will see what your scholars will be doing this coming week:

 

In Language Arts this week, we will be finishing up with Pinocchio. Our final quiz on Pinocchio will be Monday, December 15th. Monday, December 15th is also the same day that the Final Marionette Project is due. Please be sure that this is turned in on time. In Spalding, we will have thirty words again this week with a test on Friday. We will also be continuing our study of summarizing  in our writing program and sentence diagramming in our grammar program. Our idiom is "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". For our poem this week, the entire third grade will be learning sections of the "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" speech from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

 

In Math, we will be finishing up our focus of multiplying and dividing by 9's. We will be testing this on Wednesday and then be having a complete and in-depth review of multiplication and division.

 

In History, we will be continuing our study of Ancient Rome. This week our focus will be on the architecture and the famous gladiators. Also, a reminder that Rome Day is on Friday, December 12th. If you have signed up to bring in items or volunteer, please know that your assistance and presence in the classroom is greatly appreciated. I know that the students are very excited about this celebration of Roman culture. I cannot wait to see them in their togas!

 

In Science, we will be finishing up or study of the bones and muscles on Monday with a fun in-class activity. For the rest of the week, our focus will be on the nervous system of the human body.

 

 

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

 

As always, if you have any questions and/or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

 

Best,

Ms. Sexton

Classroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 8

Hello Parents,

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful holiday. I am incredibly grateful to be able to spend my days with your children. They are truly a joy to be around. Also, I would like to thank you for your great efforts and kindness.

I will be sending some information about our grade-level "Rome Day" celebration on December 12th soon. We will need many parent volunteers for this to be a fun day for all involved. Also, I would like to remind everyone that the Pinocchio Final Project is due on Monday, December 15th. As previously stated, you may use whichever method of marionette making that best suits your family.  Please reach out to me with any questions.


Our tests and quizzes this week:

Monday, December 1:

None!

 

Tuesday, December 2:

None!

 

Wednesday, December 3:

Math Quiz (Multiplying and Dividing by 8's)

 

Thursday, December 4:

History Quiz (Ancient Rome)

 

Friday, December 5:

Spelling Test

 

 

Below you will find our lessons for the week:

 

In Language Arts, we will be continuing our hard work in Pinocchio with our last reading group on Thursday. We will be finishing the novel next week. The children cannot wait to see how this story ends! For Spalding this week, we will only be doing twenty words. We will be learning the rules for using the /ie/ phonogram and the /ei/ phonogram for the first part of the week and then will move onto our new words. In our grammar studies, we will be continuing our study of direct objects, as well as prepositions and prepositional phrases. In our writing lessons, we will be working on semicolons and summarizing passages. Our idiom this week is "keep your fingers crossed". Our poem this week is "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost.

 

In Math, we will be finishing up our studies of how to multiply and divide by 8 with a quiz on Wednesday. We will then move onto multiply and dividing by nine. If you see that your student is beginning to struggle, I strongly suggest reviewing math facts with your child for ten to fifteen minutes a day. These math facts should include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

 

In History, we will be discussing the death of Julius Caesar, as well as take a quick look at Augustus Caesar. After this we will focus on the language of the Romans, Latin, and the importance of this language.

 

In Science, now, we have finished our in-depth study of the skeletal system and we will be shifting our focus to the muscular system. The children will be learning about the different types of muscles and how they function.

 

 

As always, if there are any questions or concern, please do not hesitate to contact me!

 

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Best,

Ms. Sexton

Classroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 7

Hello Parents!

I hope that everyone is having a lovely weekend and looking forward to Thanksgiving Break!

Our tests and quizzes this week:

Monday, November 24:

Math Quiz (Multiplying and Dividing by 6 and 7)

 

Tuesday, November 25:

Science Quiz

 

Wednesday, November 26 (Half-Day):

Spelling Test

 

Thursday, November 27 (No School):

None!

 

Friday, November 28 (No School):

None!

 

 

Here is what our shortened week will look like:

 

In Language Arts, we will be having reading groups for Pinocchio on Monday. If you are interested in being a volunteer, we have two more reading groups that we will need parents help with! The dates for those are: Monday, November 24th (10:40am-11:30am) and Thursday, December 4th (7:55am-8:35am). If you can make these dates and times and have a fingerprint clearance card, please send me an email as soon as possible! We would love to have you in the classroom!  We will cover chapters 28-31 in class this week in Pinocchio. In grammar and writing, we will be working on memorizing our prepositional phrases. We will also have a shortened Spalding list this week. We will be covering 20 words. There will be no idiom or poem this week because of the shortened week.

 

In Math, we will be embarking on a new chapter, Multiplying and Dividing by 8's.

 

In History, we are continuing our study of Ancient Rome. We will be learning about Julius Caesar and Cleopatra this week.

 

In Science, we will be having a review day on Monday in preparation of our Science quiz on Tuesday. 

 

Please reach out to me with questions or concerns. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving! I'm so very grateful to be blessed with such a sweet, scholarly, and attentive group of students this year.

Warm Regards,
 Ms. Sexton

Winter Concert, December 4th

Hello All!

The Winter Concert is coming up quickly. Please view his important information about the concert from Ms. Kaye. To view, click here

Best,
Ms. Sexton

Tax Credit Season

Tax credit season has arrived. Please visit the Archway Arete page to find out more information.

2014 Archway Holiday Hpe and Relief Efforts

Our goal this year, collectively as an Archway Arete community, is to provide relief to the town of Hyder, Arizona. The town of Hyder, located in Yuma County, was once a World War II desert training ground for General Patton's troops, but is now known as a ghost town. It is populated today by hardworking shrimp, tilapia, and date farmers. Income is very low and with only one general store the people of the town face many challenges to meet daily nutrition, housing, and hygiene needs.

The drive is being run by the Veselovsky family, one of our own Archway families, and we are asking the rest of the of the Archway Arete community if they can generously donate the following items to the people of the town of Hyder, Arizona during the holiday season:

Kindergarten: Dental hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste floss, and mouthwash

 

First Grade: Toilet paper and paper towels

 

Second Grade: Canned Food

 

Third Grade: Dry rice, dry beans, and dry pasta

 

Fourth Grade: Flour, sugar, and oats

 

Fifth Grade: Hygiene items such as deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash

 

 

You may begin dropping off collections to classrooms starting on Monday, November 17th, 2014. The collection will end on Friday, December 5, 2014. Thank you in advance for your generous support and greathearted effort.

Classroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 6

Good evening, Parents!

Our tests and quizzes this week:

Monday, November 17:

Math Quiz (Multiplying and Dividing by 6)

Pinocchio Quiz (Chapters 1-22)

 

Tuesday, November 18:

None!

 

Wednesday, November 19:

None!

 

Thursday, November 20:

None!

 

Friday, November 21:

Spalding Spelling Test

History Quiz (Ancient Rome)

 

In Language Arts, we will be continuing with our reading in Pinocchio. On Tuesday, we will be having our second day of Reading Groups with parent volunteers coming in to help. If you are interested in being a volunteer, we have three more reading groups that we will need parents help with! The dates for those are: Tuesday, November 18th (7:55am-8:35am),  Monday, November 24th (10:40am-11:30am), and Thursday, December 4th (7:55a,-8:35am). If you can make these dates and times and have a fingerprint clearance card, please send me an email! We would love to have you in the classroom! We will continue with another 30 Spalding spelling words. In our grammar and writing lessons, we will be focusing on the four different types of sentences (statements, commands, questions, and exclamations) and work on writing our own summaries of stories. Our idiom this week is "in hot water". Our poem is "Merry Sunshine" by Anonymous.

 

 

In Math, we will be reviewing how to multiply and divide by 7's. Please make sure that you are practicing math facts at home with your scholar!

 

In History, we are continuing our study of Rome. This week we will be talking about the Punic Wars. On Thursday, we will be making our own Roman shields!

 

 

In Science, we are reviewing our unit on the Skeletal System, focusing particularly on the spine.

 

 

As always, if there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me!

 

Have a wonderful week,

Ms. Sexton

Classroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 5

Hello Parents!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend! Below you will see what tests and quizzes your scholar will have this week, in addition, to what we will be doing in each subject!


Our tests and quizzes this week:

Monday, November 10:

None!

 

Tuesday, November 11:

NO SCHOOL

 

Wednesday, November 12:

Science Quiz (Skeletal System)

 

Thursday, November 13:

None!

 

Friday, November 14:

Spalding Spelling Test

 

 

In Language Arts, we will continue making our way through Pinocchio. We have a special activity planned for tomorrow where we will be making our own puppet heads and discussing the virtues. Thank you in advance to the parents who volunteered to help out in the classroom tomorrow! If you are interested in being a volunteer, we have three more reading groups that we will need parents help with! The dates for those are: Tuesday, November 18th (7:55am-8:35am),  Monday, November 24th (10:40am-11:30am), and Thursday, December 4th (7:55a,-8:35am). If you can make these dates and times and have a fingerprint clearance card, please send me an email! We would love to have you in the classroom! In grammar and writing, we will be identifying four different kinds of sentences while working specifically with commands and statements and how to diagram them. In addition to that, we will also be continuing our work with identifying the central narrative thread and the central details of short readings. In Spalding, we will be doing another thirty words this week, as well as our daily written and oral phonogram reviews. Our poem this week is "At the Seaside" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Our idiom this week is "get up on the wrong side of the bed".

 

In Math, we are moving into a new unit on multiplying facts by 6, 7, 8, and 9. The best way to help your child is to review 10-15 math facts with them each night. I suggest flash cards, but fun websites (such as www.mathplayground.com) can work well too. Ultimately, you can decide which method works best for your scholar and your family.

 

In History, we will be continuing our study of Rome. This week our focus will be on the Roman class system and the Roman government. Please make sure that your scholar is working on their Roman God/Goddess Take Home Quiz and Report each night this week if they have not yet finished.I wanted to let you know that I am sending home a take-home quiz this weekend for Roman gods and goddesses. This quiz is not due until Friday, November 14th.  The idea behind the quiz is to teach students how to complete basic research, either in a library or on a home computer. If you are doing research on a home computer, I have found a student-friendly site that you may use if you wish: http://greece.mrdonn.org/greekgods/greekandromangods.html. My hope is that this will be fun for the students. Also, with parental guidance, it is a great way to receive full points for a quiz grade.

 

In Science, we will continue our exploration of the human skeletal system. Our focus this week is the skull and how it fits together!

 

 

 

As always, please let me know if there are any other questions or concerns!

 

 

Best,

Ms. Sexton

Photos from the Read-A-Thon!

I hope that everyone s having a wonderful weekend! Here are some photos from the Read-A-Thon on October 31. Enjoy!

 

 

 Our entire class!

 

Our two White Witches for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Laura from The Little House on the Prairie.

Sherlock from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

 

 Our Alice's from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

 King Arthur and Sir Lancelot from The Story of King Arthur and His Knights.

 Our three Dorothy's from The Wizard of Oz.

 

All of our The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe costumes with Aslan.

 All of our The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe costumes with the White Stag.

 

 Miss Austin reading The Giving Tree in French to the class.

 An Arete Prep senior reading to the class.

 

 

 

 

 

Below are some pictures from activity time!

 

Take Home Quiz (Due: Friday, November 14th)

Good afternoon, Parents!

I wanted to let you know that I am sending home a take-home quiz this weekend for Roman gods and goddesses. This quiz is not due until Friday, November 14th. This is certainly not required for weekend homework. My intention in sending it home today is to give the students a little extra time to complete this, if necessary. The idea behind the quiz is to teach students how to complete basic research, either in a library or on a home computer.

If you are doing research on a home computer, I have found a student-friendly site that you may use if you wish: http://greece.mrdonn.org/greekgods/greekandromangods.html.

My hope is that this will be fun for the students. Also, with parental guidance, it is a great way to receive full points for a quiz grade. Please do contact me with any questions or concerns.

Homework Survey

Greetings parents,

The headmasters have asked us to do a homework survey to evaluate our homework procedures. Please take some time to fill out the short survey as we try to better serve your family by November 20th.

For the survey, click here

Best,
Ms. Sexton

Clasroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 4

Hello Parents!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Read-A-Thon on Friday and restful and enjoyable weekend. There will be pictures from the Read-A-Thon up by the end of the week!

Our tests and quizzes this week:

Monday, November 3:

None!

 

Tuesday, November 4:

None!

 

Wednesday, November 5:

None!

 

Thursday, November 6:

Math Test (Unit 1-3 Assessment)

History Quiz (Roman Gods and Goddesses)

 

Friday, November 7:

Spalding Spelling Test

 

 

 

Below is what we will be focusing on in class this week!

 

In Language Arts, we will be continuing to work our way through Pinocchio. We will be making our way through the next four chapters over the course of the week. Our readings will be discussed and related back to our nine virtues. We will also be having reading groups next Monday, November 10th, that we still need two more parent volunteers for! If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible! This week will also bring about 30 new words for our spelling test on Friday. Please make sure that these words as well as our phonograms are being studied each night. In the grammar portion of our Language Arts curriculum, we will be continuing our experience with sentence diagramming, as well as focusing on predicate adjectives and linking verbs.

 

In Math this week, we will be finishing up our multiplication and division unit. We will be a having a thorough review the concepts of multiplication and division, as well as a in-depth review of one-step and two-step word problems before the test, which is on Thursday, November 6. Please be sure that math facts are be reviewed every night. I, personally, recommend using flash cards, but ultimately find a way to review these facts in a way that works for your child and family. Before moving onto to fourth grade, students need to have memorized and mastered multiplications fats from 1 to 9. A mastery of the multiplication facts 1-5 is necessary by the end of this quarter.

 

In History, we will be focusing on the religion of the ancient Romans. This means an in-depth study of the gods and goddesses! It will be very exciting for all of us! The students will have a quiz on these Roman Gods and Goddesses on Thursday. A study sheet will be sent home on Tuesday and a study guide will be sent home on Wednesday.

 

In Science, we will be continuing our study of the human body. We will be taking a much closer look at each of the different systems this week!

 

 

 

Please make sure that the students are completing their test corrections, which are due on Monday< November 3rd. I will also need the test signature sheet back.

 

As always, if there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me!

 

Have a wonderful week!

 

Best,

Ms. Sexton

 

 

 

 

Classroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 3

Hello Parents!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Our tests and quizzes this week:

Monday, October 27:

Math Test (Multiplication and Division)

 

Tuesday, October 28:

None!

 

Wednesday, October 29:

None!

 

Thursday, October 30:

None!

 

Friday, October 31:

Spalding Spelling Test

 

 

 

Below is what we will be focusing on in class this week!

In Language Arts, we will be continuing our study of Pinocchio, sentence diagramming, poetry, idioms, and our Spalding spelling words. In Literature, we will be continuing to read chapters out of Pinocchio and filling out chapter worksheets in class. We will also begin work to connect our class Virtues to what we are reading about in Collodi's novel. Our poem of the week is "Rain" by Robert Louis Stevenson. We will be reciting this poem  to another class on Friday morning after discussing its form, rhyme scheme, and meaning. The process for memorizing and then reciting this poem will be the same that it was last week. A print-out of the poem will come home with directions on Monday, as well as a place for parent signatures. Please remember to sign your child's poetry sheet! We will also be returning to our Spalding spelling words this week. They will learn about 10 or so words each day and then be tested on all of the words on Friday morning. Please be sure to follow the directions on the Spalding homework sheets. In the grammar portion of Languages Arts, we will be learning about simple and complex subjects and predicates, state of being verbs, predicate nominatives, and sentence diagramming with each of these new parts. It will be a very exciting week! In the writing portion of our Language Arts curriculum, we will continue to focus on identifying the central details in the short readings that we do in class together.

In Math, we will be learning about quotients and remainders. We will also be dividing 2-digit numbers using vertical algorithms. Please make sure that your child is reviewing 10-15 math facts each night. Mastery of these operations includes the memorization of basic math facts.

In History and Geography, we have finished our unit on Rivers and will now begin our study of Rome! Our focus this week for this unit will be to understand and use timelines, as well as taking an in-depth look at the myth of Romulus and Remus, which tells the tale of how Rome was created.

In Science, we will be learning all about the human body through our skeletal and muscular systems.


Please do not forget that this Friday is our Read-A-Thon! There will also be a fundraiser and readings by teachers on Wednesday and Thursday night at the Barnes and Noble in Dana Park in Gilbert. I will be reading aloud here on Wednesday night, if you want to come out to say hi and support our school!


Also, for our exploration of Pinocchio, we will be having multiple small group discussion that will be lead by myself, Miss Austin, and some parent volunteers. If you have a Fingerprint Clearance Card and you are interested in leading and being a part of one of these groups, please let me know!


If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me!


Have a wonderful week!

Best,
Ms. Sexton

Classroom Update: Quarter 2, Week 2

Hello Parents!

It was so wonderful to see all of you again and discuss your child's progress so far!

Our tests and quizzes for the week:

Monday, October 20:

Math Test (Multiplication and Division Word Problems)

 

Tuesday, October 21:

None!

 

Wednesday, October 22:

None!

 

Thursday, October 23:

None!

 

Friday, October 24:

Spalding Spelling Test

History Test (Rivers)

Here is what we will be focusing on in class this week!

In Language Arts, we are beginning many new things! This week will be memorizing our first poem, "I'm Glad" by Anonymous. It will come home on Monday night and it is expected that each child will read and memorize the poem each night in preparation for our recitation to another class on Friday morning. We will also be beginning Pinocchio on Monday! Please make sure to ask your child if they have already brought their book in. I believe that most have already, but please double check with your child. For Spalding, we will be learning how we add the ending -ing to words. Due to this, there will only be spelling words coming home on Thursday night and they will be tested on those words the following day.  In the grammar and writing portion of Language Arts, we will be beginning our study of direct objects and helping verbs and the way we diagram them. We will also be reviewing the definitions and use of the following: adverbs, adjectives, verbs, and nouns (both proper and common). The idiom that we will be discussing this week is "easier said than done".

In Math, we are continuing the study of multiplication and division. Please make sure that your child is reviewing 10-15 math facts each night. Mastery of these operations includes the memorization of basic math facts. We will be exploring multiplying numbers by 10s and 100s and the multiplication of 2-digit numbers. I have posted a link under "Important Links" called "Singapore Math Bar Model Strategies" in order to help you prepare your child for the test on Monday and for future success in Math.

In History, we will be continuing our study of rivers around the world and why they are important. We will be focusing on the most important rivers for each continent. The unit test will be this Friday, October 24.

In Science, we are beginning our unit on the human body. This begins with a close look at the basic structure of organism. We will be covering cells, tissue, organs, and then putting it altogether by understanding the different human body systems.


As always, if there are any questions or concerns at all, please send me an email and I will respond within 24 hours.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week!


Best,
Ms. Sexton

Quarter 1 Parent/Teacher Conferences

Hello Parents!

Here is the sign-up genius to sign-up for our Quarter 1 Conferences!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4ca5ac2ba2fa7-quarter

Classroom Update: Week 8

Greetings Parents!

Our quizzes and test for the week:

Monday, September 29:

Unit 1-2 Math Assessment

 

Tuesday, September 30:

Classification Test

 

Wednesday, October 1:

Canada Test

 

Thursday, October 2:

None!

 

Friday, October 3:

Spalding Spelling Test

Quarter 1 Grammar Test

 

 

Here is an update on what will be taking place in our classroom this week:

In Language Arts, we will be finishing The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe  on Friday. Our cumulative test on the Friday after break (October 17th). As we finish our current literature selection, please have your child bring Pinocchio to class to keep in their desk. It is also important that your child be keeping their reading logs up to date. This is a major grade in language arts. Students should be reading for 20 minutes each night. In Spalding, we will get 30 new words for our spelling test this Friday. They should be working on 10 words on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, then on Thursday they should be working on all 30 words. We will have our grammar test for the quarter on Friday. Please help your scholars review their grammar packets nightly. Our idiom this week is "don't judge a book by its cover". The poem that we will begin looking at on Friday is "When Earth Becomes An It". Students should begin preparing to memorize poetry. We will start our class recitations in Quarter 2.

 

In Math, we are done with Units 1 and 2! Now, we will begin our study of multiplication and division. Please be reviewing basic multiplication facts up through 12 x 12 each night. I would suggest focusing on ten facts a night until they do not have to think about the answer when they see the algorithm. 

In History, we are finishing up our unit on Canada with our exciting totem pole project (due on Friday). This project should be worked on each night throughout the week. If your child will be missing the last days of the week, the project is due before break. We will also be having our Canada test on Wednesday! Your student should be bringing home their red history notebook to study each night. They should be able to recite the provinces and territories. On Thursday, we begin our new unit on important rivers of the world.

In Science, this week we are concluding our classification unit with a test. We will be starting our Ecology unit.We will first discuss what makes an ecosystem. We will then discuss the food chains and food webs of an ecosystem. We will end the week discussing things that can impact the balance of an ecosystem.

Fall break is just around the corner, the entire week is for R&R. This meaning that there will be no homework assigned during that time.

Please let me know if there is anything else that I can help with!

 

Have a wonderful week!

Totem Pole Project: Due this Friday, October 3rd

Hello Parents,

Here is the information that I sent home with your students on Friday. I'm also posting here for quick reference. Please let me know if you have any questions.

This project is due Friday, October 3rd. Students must also return The Story of My Totem Pole on the same day. There must be at least one complete sentence describing what each symbol represents (for example if there are 5 symbols, there must be 5 sentences). This short essay will reflect the majority of the grade for the project. This project will be graded as a test, so its completion is extremely important. In this activity, you will interview your family members about your family's history, find symbols that represent different parts of your family history, and build a totem pole. This totem pole will represent you as an individual as well as your family, be as creative as possible and have fun!

Step 1 
Research your family history, and select symbols to represent that history
Read this student handout and make sure you understand what you will be doing from beginning to end.
Talk with your parents, and find out as much as you can about your family history. Ask lots of questions. Take notes on interesting elements of your family history. (For example; the cultures you are a part of and have descended from, the jobs your parents and grandparents have, the things your family enjoys doing as a group, etc.) You should also include notes about things you would like to represent about yourself as an individual. (For example: sports you like to play, books you love to read, etc.)
Decide which symbols you are going to use to represent the different elements of your family history. Think about including totems other than people and animals (for example, a type of food or a national flag). Select four to five symbols. How does each of your symbols represent you and your family?


Step 2  
Build a totem pole of your family's history, and share it with the class
Create your own totem pole. You are welcome to use the process below, but you are also welcome to use a different process, be as creative as possible!
Creating your own Totem Pole:
• One cylindrical container for each symbol on your totem pole. You can use      
  recycled oatmeal canisters, coffee cans, or any other type of container.
• Brown craft paper.
• Scissors.
• A ruler
• A pencil.
• Tempura or acrylic paints.
• Hot glue or craft glue.

 Measure and cut your craft paper. Each canister will be covered with a sheet of craft paper. Measure the height and circumference of one of your canisters, then use your ruler to trace the measurements onto a sheet of craft paper. Cut out the measured piece of paper and wrap it around the canister to make sure it fits. Then cut more sheets of the same size, one for each canister you have.
Draw your symbols. Draw one of your symbols on each sheet of craft paper. Use the pencil to create an outline of the animals, people, or other symbols you have chosen to use to represent your story. Keep in mind you'll be painting over the drawings.
Take a look at pictures of authentic totem poles online to get a sense for the style you might want to use. The symbols are usually simple but bold.
Many animals are traditionally pictured in profile. Sometimes only the head of an animal or person is shown, and sometimes the whole body is shown.
Paint the symbols. Now take out your paints and determine what colors you want to use to accent your drawings. Rich, bright hues are traditionally used, although sometimes totem poles don't have paint at all. The colors that are most commonly used are black, white, red, yellow, and bright blue. Let the paint dry completely before going further.
Consider adding some unique touches to your symbols. Adding some gold glitter to a drawing of a frog, for example, could help illustrate the wealth and good fortune the creature symbolizes. You could also choose to add touches that have personal meaning to you.
You could glue on pictures, beads, shells, small stones, feathers, leaves, and other materials that might help you tell your story.
Attach the paintings to the canisters. One at a time, wrap the paintings around individual canisters, and seal the seam where the edges overlap with a line of hot glue or craft glue. Use your fingers to hold the edges in place for a few moments until the glue sets.
Consider covering the lid of the canister that will go at the top of the totem pole with a circle of craft paper, or decorating it in another way. That way it won't look bare against the rest of the totem pole.

Let the totem pole dry. Leave it in a safe place for several hours or overnight before you handle it again.