Although students are eagerly awaiting the completion of the Iditarod Dog Sled Race so they can see which class will win the popsicle party, I decided to move on to our next Alaskan landmark, the totem poles of Ketchikan. This city is home to the world's largest collection of totem poles. Many of these Native American poles, from various Alaskan tribes, were carved to commemorate different events like births, deaths, marriages, anniversaries, etc., while others were made to tell stories, myths, legends, or family lineage. Totem poles have nothing to do with religion and are difficult to interpret because of the personalized stories behind each pole. Nonetheless, they are beautifully carved and simplistic in their basic colors of black, white, red and turquoise. The true beauty is the wood itself, so totem poles are left in a fairly basic state.
In Physical Education, kindergarten students made totem poles from small stacking cups. There was a requirement, however. In order to earn a stacking cup, students had to answer a simple multiple choice question about some of our previously visited locations. They held up A or B paddles to designate their answer. If correct, each student added a cup to their totem pole. With preschool and prekindergarten students, questions were answered as a group and everyone added a cup. They stacked carefully so cups would not fall over. It was fun to see how high they could build their totem poles. It was also rewarding for me, as a teacher, to see how much information the students are retaining from our imaginary trip. It was a fun form of assessment.
