Totem poles were carved by Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest to represent tribes, clans, families or individuals. They were carved from giant cedar trees, with carvers starting at the top and working their way down. Totem poles could be very large, taking years to carve, and were painted in colors like black, red, blue, green and white. In the document, students are learning about totem poles and planning to each create a stylized drawing of an animal to contribute to a class totem pole project.