My Favorite Activity (continued)
– Buffalo – abundance, thankfulness for gifts – Cougar – leadership, confidence – Deer – gentleness, love, caring – Dog – loyalty, a protector – Eagle – spirit, healing
– Hawk – power of observation, informing others – Horse – power, achievement – Owl – wisdom, truth – Squirrel – planning, gathering – Swan – change, grace – Turtle – nature, creativity – Whale – rhythm, history – Wolf – teaching, sharing knowledge
Making your totem
Have the children draw their totem animal on construc- tion paper and cut it out. They should choose a color that is appropriate for the animal, then draw with markers or crayons to add detail to their animal. They can put their name on it, and things about the animal that they like, or the way the animal makes them feel. They can also be decorated with any number of craft decorations to give them more character.
Wrapping it up
Go around the room and ask each child to tell about their totem. Some children may have more than one totem animal. Ask them how the animals could work together. As a class project, construct a totem pole made out of all the
children’s’ totem animals. Paste it on the wall for all to see. A variation for younger children is to make totem face masks out of construction paper, then glue a craft stick to the bottom for a handle. Instruct the children to have a “procession of animals,” acting out how the animal would behave.
Another project could be to lay out a long piece of butcher paper and have the children make simple drawings of their animals for a “petroglyph wall.” They would be so proud to have their artwork displayed in a school hallway!
Taking it one step further: Science and ecology
Create a wildlife food web, utilizing the totem animals that
the children have chosen. Hopefully, you will have animals that show predator – prey relationships. You may even have a scav- enger animal, better called a recycler! Of course you will have to add the elements: light, air, soil and water, as well as a few plants. The teacher could represent any or all of these last items. With a large ball of yarn, connect the elements and the plants to the animals that are herbivores or are prey to other animals.
These animals then need to be connected to the predatory ani- mals. Finally, if you have one present, connect the predators to a recycler. Now, “remove” one animal from the web by having the child sit down. The pull that everyone feels on the yarn shows how all things in nature are connected. What happens if many of the animals are removed?
Taking it one step further: language and fine arts
Ask each child to come up with a short story about their totem animal. Have them write it down, and then find a way to demonstrate it. This could be with a painting, or a theatrical presentation. Let them be creative.
Taking it one step further: civics
Have older students contrast and compare the animals that they have chosen as their totems. Are there similarities? Differ- ences? Why might this be?
How could all the totem animals make up a community? How would they work together, using their individual traits? Would it be beneficial to have these animals all together in a small community? What problems might be seen? Finally, ask the students to use their totem community as an example for the real community they live in. How are all people the same? How are they different? How can everyone work together to make a better place?
References
Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals (book + cards) by Jamie Sams, David Carson, Angela C. Werneke
Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children (book) by Michael J. Caduto, Joseph Bruchac
Celtic Totem Animals (book + cards) by John Matthews
Animal Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small (book) by Ted Andrews
Margie Klein is a retired interpretive naturalist living in southern Nevada. Now doing environmental ed. and nature interpretation part- time at Red Rocks Canyon, she is also a writer and author of many articles in national magazines. She is co-author of a nationwide curriculum, and recipient of an award from a national professional society.
Page 40
www.clearingmagazine.org CLEARING Fall 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
