Carving the Pole
From Totem Pole
By Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Photographs by Lawrence Migdale
Objectives:
• This week you will:
– practice recognizing homographs
– practice recognizing /k/ spelled c.
– practice recognizing base words with the suffixes –tion and –
sion.
– practice recognizing the schwa sound.
– use vocabulary strategies such as context clues, apposition and
word structure.
– use the comprehension strategies Monitoring and Clarifying,
Summarizing, Making Connections, and Visualizing.
– use the comprehension skill Classify and Categorize.
– develop and understanding of cultural vocabulary related to the
Native American culture.
– write a realistic story.
– understand and use capitals and underlining in
greetings/closings of letters, direct quotes, and titles of media
and written work.
Word Knowledge
watch stick light log live
• These words can have more than one
meaning.
– Can someone use the word watch in a
sentence?
– Because they can have more than one
meaning, these words are called
homographs—Words that are spelled the
same but have different meanings.
• Let’s continue to discuss the meanings of the
words in line 1.
Word Knowledge
invite invitation edit
edition complete
completion
• These words have either
the –tion or –sion
endings.
– Sometimes when we add
-tion or –sion, a letter or
letters of the original word
are dropped (the e in
complete) or changed
(invite/invitation)
• How does the meaning
and part of speech change
when we add the –tion
and –sion endings?
Word Knowledge
carve coast curves
• These words all have the /k/ sound spelled
c.
– Why does the c in these words have a hard /k/
sound?
• It is followed by the vowels a, o, or u.
Word Knowledge
reserve reservation explode explosion
• These words have either the –tion or –sion
endings.
– How does the meaning, part of speech, and
spelling of the original word change when the
suffixes are added?
Word Knowledge
totem important legend system listen
• These words all have the schwa sound in
the unstressed syllable.
– The schwa sound is an unidentifiable vowel
sound. Their spellings must be memorized.
• They are also from our selection.
Word Knowledge
I live in a small town called Kingston in Washington State.
Ever since I was little, I have watched him take a piece of
wood and carve a creature from it.
My father is carving a totem pole for the Klallam Indians
who live on the Port Gamble Reservation near our home.
– Can you find the homographs?
• live
– Can you identify any words that begin with /k/ spelled c?
• carve, creature
– Can you find any words with the suffix –sion or –tion?
• reservation
Word Knowledge
It is important to listen when someone
explains how a system works.
– Can you identify words with the schwa
sound?
– Which vowel is making the schwa sound?
• important (a)
• listen (e)
• someone (o)
• system (e)
Build Background
Activate Prior Knowledge
• Has anyone ever read “Carving the Pole”?
• What is an expository text? Is it the same
as a nonfiction text?
• Has anyone ever seen a real totem pole?
• How do totem poles relate to storytelling?
Build Background
Background Information
• Not all stories are passed down through books
or printed materials.
• Totem poles are objects that are especially
important in certain Native American cultures,
particularly in the northwestern United States
and parts of Canada.
• Since most Native American cultures did not
have written language, totem poles were a way
to record important historical events.
Preview and Prepare
• Let’s read aloud: the title, the author, and the
illustrator.
• Now, let’s browse the first page or two of the
story.
– Who are the main characters?
– Look at the illustrations. What do you notice?
• Now let’s look at the focus questions:
– If you were not able to write a story using words,
how would you go about telling your story?
– What methods could you use to make your stories
memorable?
• Look for clues, problems or wonderings in the
story.
Student Observation
Clues
pictures of the carving process
Problems
reservation
Wonderings
totem poles and storytelling?
Carving the Pole
symbol
totem
legends
generation
reservation
symbol
something that represents
something else
The eagle is the symbol and
the totem of the Eagle Clan,
which is our family group
within our tribe.
Kwakiutl symbol of
harmony with nature.
My parents planted a tree
when they moved into this
house as a symbol of their new
life together.
totem
an animal, plant, or object
that is a symbol of a family or tribe.
The eagle is the symbol and
the totem of the Eagle Clan,
which is our family group
within our tribe.
The totem for Wynona’s
family is the bear.
reservation
My father is carving a
totem pole for the
Klallam Indians who live
on the Port Gamble
Reservation near our
home.
land set aside by the government
for a specific purpose
David returns every
summer to the
reservation he grew up
on to tutor children who
live there now.
legends
stories passed down
that are not entirely true
I will have animals and
figures carved on it,
important characters from
Klallam myths and
legends.
In Niagara Falls,
several legends exist
about the story of the
Maid in the Mist.
generation
one step in the line of descent
from a common ancestor
He tells me that it is a system
for passing on legends and
stories from one generation
to another for people who
have no written language.
Parents hope that each new
generation learns from the
mistakes of past
generations.
Reading Recommendations
• Tomorrow we will begin reading “Carving the
Pole”.
• While we read we will:
– Monitor and clarify difficult words, ideas, or passages
to help me better understand what I am reading.
– Make connections between what we are reading and
what we already know. This will help us better
understand what we read.
– Summarize what we are reading to make sure we are
understanding.
– Visualize what we are reading to make a mental
picture in our heads.
Investigation
• Investigating Concepts Beyond the Text
– Work with your groups to complete Inquiry
Journal, page 119, on “How Stories are Passed
On”.
– When you finish, you may continue working
on your group projects.
Word Analysis
• Spelling—The schwa sound
totem important legend system listen
– Let’s take our spelling pretest.
• Vocabulary Skill Words
reservation totem myths tribe symbol
English Language Conventions
• Mechanics: Capitalization and Underlining
– Let’s look at Language Arts Handbook pages 272, 275, 276, and
277 for the rules of capitalization and setting off titles.
• Always capitalize the first word in a sentence, people’s names and
initials, and proper nouns.
• Titles are like names. Can someone give me the title of your
favorite book? Let’s write the titles correctly with capital letters and
underlining.
– Notice I underline the titles of the books when I am writing by hand.
You also use underlining when you are using a typewriter. However.
when you are typing on a computer, you use italics.
• Let’s work on Comprehension and Language Arts Skills Workbook
pages 144-145 for more practice with capital letters and underlining.
Writing Process Strategies
• Getting Ideas: Realistic Story
– Let’s look at our Language Arts Handbook
pages 126-129 to learn about realistic stories.
• I am going to use the idea of carving a totem pole
to write a realistic story. My main character will be
Martin. I will have Martin decide what he would
put on a totem pole for his family.
• Let’s make a list of ideas on the board…What
could you write a realistic story about?
Formal Assessment
• This is the rubric I will use to grade your
realistic story:
– Total Point Value: 10
• Sentence elaboration or expansion has been used.
(2 points)
• The beginning, middle, and end all tell about the
same story. (2 points)
• Dialogue is used. (3 points)
• Spelling is correct. (2 points)
Developing Oral Language
watch stick light log live
invite invitation edit edition complete completion
carve coast curves
reserve reservation explode explosion
totem important legend system listen
Can someone choose a line from line 2 and use it in a
sentence? Then call on someone to use the other form of
the word in a different sentence.
I need a volunteer to choose a word and use it in a
sentence. Erase the word, and pick someone else to
choose another word. We will continue until we have
used all of the words.
“Carving the Pole”
First Read
• Comprehension Strategies:
–
–
–
–
Monitoring and Clarifying
Summarizing
Making Connections
Visualizing
Discussing Strategy Use
• What connections did you make between
the reading and what you already know?
• How did you clarify confusing passages?
• Where did you pause to summarize?
• What did you visualize as you were
reading?
Discussing the Selection
• Let’s use Handing Off to answer the
following questions:
–
–
–
–
What are totem poles?
Why are totem poles important?
How are totem poles made?
How do David and his father feel about totem
poles?
Investigation
• Would anyone like to
add anything to our
concept board?
• Would anyone like to
add to our question
board?
Word Analysis
• Spelling—The schwa sound
eleven
• You must memorize the spellings of words with
the schwa sound
elevin elevan elevon elevun
• By writing the word, you can see that none of the
above spellings looks right, even though each
vowel can be used to spell the schwa sound.
Word Analysis
• Vocabulary—Cultural Words
– What does the word “totem” relate to?
• Native American culture, carved wood
– Let’s look at the context clues on page 146 to help us learn the
meaning of the word “totem”.
• symbol, eagle, tribe
– Without the Northwest Coast Indian culture, the word “totem”
would not be in our vocabulary.
– Can someone please find the word “totem” in the dictionary?
• an animal, plant, or thing carved as a symbol of a family.
– Now, we will complete Spelling and Vocabulary Skills
Workbook page 114-115 for more practice with words that relate
to the Native American culture.
English Language Conventions
• Mechanics: Capitalization and Underlining
– Let’s review our Language Arts Handbook on capitalizing and
underlining (272, 275-277).
– Which words in the following sentences should be capitalized
and which words should be underlined?
• the los angeles times is delivered each day.
– The Los Angeles Times is delivered each day.
• ishi is a famous book about the last member of a Native American
tribe.
– Ishi is a famous book about the last member of a Native American tribe.
• i still like to watch sesame street sometimes.
– I still like to watch Sesame Street sometimes.
• how do the characters in peter pan fly across the stage?
– How do the characters in Peter Pan fly across the stage?
• the dentist has national geographic and highlights to read in her
office.
– The dentist has National Geographic and Highlights to read in her
office.
Writing Process Strategies
• Let’s look at our list of ideas from yesterday.
• Now, we will look at Writer’s Workbook page 94
on prewriting for a realistic story.
• We will fill out the story map (transparency 8)
together using my idea from yesterday about
Martin.
• Fill out the audience and purpose on page 94 of
your Writer’s Workbook. Then complete your
own story map on Writer’s Workbook page 95 to
help your organize your thoughts.
Word Knowledge Review
watch stick light log live
– homographs
invite invitation edit edition complete completion
– suffix –tion and -sion
carve coast curves
– /k/ spelled c
reserve reservation explode explosion
– suffix –tion and -sion
totem important legend system listen
– schwa sound
• I live in a small town called Kingston in Washington State.
• Ever since I was little, I have watched him take a piece of wood and carve a
creature from it.
• My father is carving a totem pole for the Klallam Indians who live on the
Port Gamble Reservation near our home.
• It is important to listen when someone explains how a system works.
Carving the Pole
symbol
totem
legends
generation
reservation
symbol
something that represents
something else
The eagle is the symbol and
the totem of the Eagle Clan,
which is our family group
within our tribe.
Kwakiutl symbol of
harmony with nature.
My parents planted a tree
when they moved into this
house as a symbol of their new
life together.
totem
an animal, plant, or object
that is a symbol of a family or tribe.
The eagle is the symbol and
the totem of the Eagle Clan,
which is our family group
within our tribe.
The totem for Wynona’s
family is the bear.
reservation
My father is carving a
totem pole for the
Klallam Indians who live
on the Port Gamble
Reservation near our
home.
land set aside by the government
for a specific purpose
David returns every
summer to the
reservation he grew up
on to tutor children who
live there now.
legends
stories passed down
that are not entirely true
I will have animals and
figures carved on it,
important characters from
Klallam myths and
legends.
In Niagara Falls,
several legends exist
about the story of the
Maid in the Mist.
generation
one step in the line of descent
from a common ancestor
He tells me that it is a system
for passing on legends and
stories from one generation
to another for people who
have no written language.
Parents hope that each new
generation learns from the
mistakes of past
generations.
“Carving the Pole”
Second Read
• Comprehension Skill:
– Classify and Categorize
• As we read the story a second time, let’s fill in the chart.
Animals on a totem
pole
Steps in making a
totem pole
Native American
Traditions
Tools for making a
totem pole
Purpose of a
totem pole.
Checking Comprehension
• Why is this selection called “Carving the Pole”?
– This story explains what a totem pole is and also explains the
steps involved in carving one.
• How do you think David, who tells about carving the
totem pole feels about the work that he and his father
created?
– He has great pride in his work and realizes the importance of
passing on Native American legends in this way.
• Why do you think artists are still creating totem poles
today, even though there are now ways of preserving
Native American stories and legends in books.
– There is also a need to preserve Native American stories and
legends in the way they were originally passed on.
Investigation
• Continue working with your groups on
your investigation projects.
Word Analysis
• Spelling—The schwa sound
– Let’s complete Spelling and Vocabulary Skills Workbook page
117 to learn strategies for spelling words with the schwa sound.
• Vocabulary—Cultural Words
symbol
– Can someone find the word “symbol” in “Carving the Pole”?
– What does “symbol” mean?
• something that represents something or someone else.
– How does “symbol” relate to “totem”?
• A totem is a type of symbol
– What is the symbol for the “family group” in the story?
• The eagle
– How do symbol, totem, and eagle relate to one another?
• The eagle is the symbol within the family’s totem.
English Language Conventions
• Mechanics: Capitalization and Underlining
– Let’s review capitalization and underlining using
Comprehension and Language Arts Skills Workbook
pages 144-145.
– Now I will tell you a short story about my favorite
book that was recently turned into a movie. I would
like you to write down exactly what I say (like
dictation). Make sure you use capital letters and
underlining when needed.
Writing Process Strategies
• Writer’s Craft
– Sentence Elaboration
• The boy sat on the park bench.
– Let’s imagine that the boy is upset. He has a cast on his leg.
There are a lot of children laughing and playing in the park.
– How could we elaborate on the original sentence to show all of
these things?
» The young boy, who had broken his leg yesterday, sat on
the park bench, sadly watching his friends play.
– Sometimes we need to use elaboration to give our reader a
better mental picture of what is going on in our story.
– Let’s complete Comprehension and Language Arts
Skills Workbook pages 146-147 for more practice with
sentence elaboration.
Writing Process Strategies
• Let’s read Writer’s Workbook page 95 on
drafting a realistic story.
• Using your graphic organizer from
yesterday, begin writing a rough draft of
your realistic story.
Word Knowledge Review
watch stick light log live
– homographs
invite invitation edit edition complete completion
– suffix –tion and -sion
carve coast curves
– /k/ spelled c
reserve reservation explode explosion
– suffix –tion and -sion
totem important legend system listen
– schwa sound
• I live in a small town called Kingston in Washington State.
• Ever since I was little, I have watched him take a piece of wood and carve a
creature from it.
• My father is carving a totem pole for the Klallam Indians who live on the
Port Gamble Reservation near our home.
• It is important to listen when someone explains how a system works.
Carving the Pole
symbol
totem
legends
generation
reservation
symbol
something that represents
something else
The eagle is the symbol and
the totem of the Eagle Clan,
which is our family group
within our tribe.
Kwakiutl symbol of
harmony with nature.
My parents planted a tree
when they moved into this
house as a symbol of their new
life together.
totem
an animal, plant, or object
that is a symbol of a family or tribe.
The eagle is the symbol and
the totem of the Eagle Clan,
which is our family group
within our tribe.
The totem for Wynona’s
family is the bear.
reservation
My father is carving a
totem pole for the
Klallam Indians who live
on the Port Gamble
Reservation near our
home.
land set aside by the government
for a specific purpose
David returns every
summer to the
reservation he grew up
on to tutor children who
live there now.
legends
stories passed down
that are not entirely true
I will have animals and
figures carved on it,
important characters from
Klallam myths and
legends.
In Niagara Falls,
several legends exist
about the story of the
Maid in the Mist.
generation
one step in the line of descent
from a common ancestor
He tells me that it is a system
for passing on legends and
stories from one generation
to another for people who
have no written language.
Parents hope that each new
generation learns from the
mistakes of past
generations.
Meet the Author
• With your partner, please read the top half of page 154 to
learn more about the author of “Carving the Pole”,
Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith.
– Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith loves to travel to new places and make
new friendships when she is researching a book. How do you
think this helps her writing?
• By getting to know new people, Hoyt-Goldsmith can offer even
more details about each area she visits; she will have more
information to draw on in order to create exciting fictional
characters.
– Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith says “I love writing nonfiction because I
enjoy learning about the world we live in.” Why is this
important to readers?
• If someone loves to learn, they are going to want to share their
information with other people.
Meet the Illustrator
• With your partner, please read the bottom half of
page 154 to learn more about the illustrator of
“Carving the Pole”, Lawrence Migdale.
– Lawrence Migdale said he began taking pictures
because it was a great excuse to get to know the
different people he was encountering. How is this
similar to Dian Hoyt-Goldsmith’s attitude?
• They both enjoy getting to know new people, especially
people from different cultures. They form new friendships
and also get useful material to work with in their professions.
Selection Vocabulary
Place the letter that is by the definition next to the word it is defining.
1. _____ coastline
a. something made by hand
2. _____ common
3. _____ generation
b. a group of persons or clans with one common
language and living under a leader r chief
c. where the ocean and land meet
4. _____ handmade
d. securely
5. _____ reservation
e. a tall pole carved from a single log with a design
showing several totems stacked one upon the
other
f. average
6. _____ safely
7. _____ totem pole
8. _____ tribe
9. _____ trickster
g. a character or person who delights in playing
tricks on other and is skilled at doing so
h. period of time from the birth of a set of parents
to the birth of their children usually considered
to be about 30 years
i. land set aside by the government for a special
purpose
View Fine Art
•
•
•
•
Look at the images on page 156 of your
anthology.
Share your thoughts and reactions with
your group.
Anasazi means “basket maker” and
refers to the extinct Native American
clans that once inhabited the Four
Corners area of the Southwest, where
New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and
Arizona meet. They developed basketmaking techniques and lived in
elaborate cliff dwellings and
multistoried adobe buildings, such as
Mesa Verde in Colorado. It is believed
that Apache and Navajo raids and
intertribal warfare destroyed the
Anasazi.
The petroglyphs were carved onto the
rock’s surface using a technique of
chipping or pecking. Tools such as axes,
chisels, and hammers were used to
create the various figures and geometric
designs. Sometimes these designs were
polished and lines were etched for
details. Over time, a patina has been
created by the sun, leaving some areas of
the rock’s surface almost black.
Literary Elements
• Expository Texts
– What are some of the characteristics of expository
texts?
• nonfiction
• give facts about a person, place, thing, or event
• sometimes called informational texts
• use features such as subheadings and boldfaced type to
organize and emphasize important terms
– Let’s make a list of some different kinds of expository
texts and their features.
– Now, with your group, I want you to look through
“Carving the Pole, and identify which features the
author used to present information to the reader.
Supporting the Investigation
• Conducting an Internet Search
– When searching for information on the Internet, you must first
select a search engine. You need to pick a search engine that will
help you locate age-appropriate materials.
– Next, you should select key words that are most likely to lead
you to useful information. For example, to look up ancient
cultures that lived in California, you can select the keywords
ancient, cultures, and California. Sometimes, you will need to
try different words to get the information you want.
– You also need to decide how to combine the terms to get the
kind of information you are looking for. To do this you can use
logical operators, or special key words or characters that tell the
search engines how to use the key words. The most common
ones are and, or, and quotation marks.
• Let’s do Inquiry Journal pages 120-121 for more practice with
internet searches.
Word Analysis
• Spelling—The schwa sound
– The visualization strategy can help you learn
to look for correctly spelled words with the
schwa sound, and recognize misspellings.
– Please complete Spelling and Vocabulary
Skills Workbook page 117 for more practice
with words with the schwa sound.
Word Analysis
• Vocabulary
myths (page 146, “Carving the Pole”)
• legends, stories, fables, and tales are all similar to
the word myths.
• What context clues can help you learn the meaning
of myths?
• Look in the dictionary to find the definition of
myths.
– a story that tells about heroes
• What is the difference between myths, legends and
fables?
English Language Conventions
• Listening, Speaking, Viewing
– Viewing: Analyzing Ideas
• There are a variety of ideas that exist in the media.
Some come from newspapers, radio, television,
and movies.
• Some ideas provide information to explain, some
ideas are opinions meant to persuade, and some
ideas are for entertainment.
• It is important to recognize the differences among
these kinds of ideas, and the purpose behind them.
– news stories should contain straight facts to inform
– ads and editorials contain opinions or personal points of
view.
Writing Process Strategies
• Revising: A realistic story
– Let’s read Writer’s Workbook, page 96, on revising a
realistic story.
– Remember:
• The characters, events, or details need to seem real.
• Details need to be in sequence.
• Don’t use too much or too little sentence elaboration.
• Make sure your beginning, middle, and end go together.
• The dialogue in your story should sound like a natural
conversation your characters are having.
– Use the checklist on page 96 of your Writer’s
Workbook to revise your realistic story.
Day 5…
General Review
Word Knowledge Review
watch stick light log live
– homographs
invite invitation edit edition complete completion
– suffix –tion and -sion
carve coast curves
– /k/ spelled c
reserve reservation explode explosion
– suffix –tion and -sion
totem important legend system listen
– schwa sound
• I live in a small town called Kingston in Washington State.
• Ever since I was little, I have watched him take a piece of wood and carve a
creature from it.
• My father is carving a totem pole for the Klallam Indians who live on the
Port Gamble Reservation near our home.
• It is important to listen when someone explains how a system works.
Carving the Pole
symbol
totem
legends
generation
reservation
symbol
something that represents
something else
The eagle is the symbol and
the totem of the Eagle Clan,
which is our family group
within our tribe.
My parents planted a tree
when they moved into this
house as a symbol of their new
life together.
totem
an animal, plant, or object
that is a symbol of a family or tribe.
The eagle is the symbol and
the totem of the Eagle Clan,
which is our family group
within our tribe.
The totem for Wynona’s
family is the bear.
land set aside by the government
reservationfor a specific purpose
My father is carving a
totem pole for the
Klallam Indians who live
on the Port Gamble
Reservation near our
home.
David returns every
summer to the
reservation he grew up
on to tutor children who
live there now.
legends
stories passed down
that are not entirely true
I will have animals and
figures carved on it,
important characters from
Klallam myths and
legends.
In Niagara Falls,
several legends exist
about the story of the
Maid in the Mist.
generation
one step in the line of descent
from a common ancestor
He tells me that it is a system
for passing on legends and
stories from one generation
to another for people who
have no written language.
Parents hope that each new
generation learns from the
mistakes of past
generations.
Vocabulary Review
Can you match each word with a picture?
generation
reservation
legends
totem
symbol
English Language Conventions
Review
• Capital letters are used in titles of books, movies,
television shows, and magazines.
• These titles are also underlined or italicized (if
using a computer).
– Add capitals and underlining where needed.
• the los angeles times is delivered each day.
• ishi is a famous book about the last member of a Native
American tribe.
• i still like to watch sesame street sometimes.
• how do the characters in peter pan fly across the stage?
• the dentist has national geographic and highlights to read in
her office.
Listening
• Now, we will listen to “Carving the Pole”
on CD…
Assessment
• Selection Assessment
– “Carving the Pole”—Unit 5 Assessment,
p. 14-16
• Vocabulary Assessment
– Unit 5 Assessment, p. 17
• Spelling Assessment
– The schwa sound—Unit 5 Assessment, p. 37
English Language Conventions
• Cursive Letters G and S
–G G G G G G G G G G G G G G
–S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
– Greenland
– South America
– claws
– teeth
– charms
Writing Process Strategies
• Let’s read page 97 in our Writer’s Workbook, on
editing/proofreading and publishing.
• Now, let’s review Transparency 27 on grammar
• Use the checklist on page 97 of your Writer’s
Workbook to edit and proofread your realistic
story.
• Copy your story neatly on a clean piece of paper
and draw an illustration.
Formal Assessment
• This is the rubric I will use to grade your
realistic story:
– Total Point Value: 10
• Sentence elaboration or expansion has been used.
(2 points)
• The beginning, middle, and end all tell about the
same story. (2 points)
• Dialogue is used. (3 points)
• Spelling is correct. (2 points)