Totem Poles: An Ancient Alaskan Art

Which choice provides the main ideas of the text?

• A. The ancient totem poles of native Alaskan tribes were made from the wood of ancient red cedar trees. The totem poles showed animals such as eagles, ravens, foxes, and frogs.

• B. Native tribes of Alaska carved giant totem poles from enormous trees. The images in each totem pole presented the experiences, stories, and values that were important to the tribe.

• C. The first people to create totem poles were native tribes from Alaska. The totem poles were of great importance to the tribes and continue to be displayed and celebrated today.

• D. Ancient Alaskan totem poles were used like family photos to represent important people in native tribes. The totem pole images were carved from wood over a long period of time.

Which phrase from paragraph 2 helps the reader understand the meaning of the word portray?

• ...stood for...

• ...clan members.

• ...at the top...

• ...different style.

Which quotation supports the inference that one may be able to recognize which Alaskan tribe made a totem pole by looking at it?

• A. "The native people of southern Alaska did the same thing hundreds of years ago, but in a very different way." (paragraph 2)

• B. "Each tribe or clan spoke a different language and carved in a different style." (paragraph 2)

• C. "The Alaskan natives had totem poles to help keep the memory of their past alive and honor those who had died." (paragraph 3)

• D. "Totem poles were treated with great respect because they represented real people." (paragraph 4)

What does the author mean by the sentence?

• A. Totem poles were studied by children to learn about animals.

• B. Totem poles were placed on display near libraries.

• C. Totem poles were described by important people who knew their meanings.

• D. Totem poles were used to show information about people and events.

Why were totem poles meaningful to tribes?

• Totem poles provided tribes with a record of family members from the past.

• Totem poles reminded tribes what their family members looked like.

• Totem poles helped tribes communicate even when they spoke different languages.

• Totem poles brought tribes together and encouraged them to work as a team.

Which quotation from the text best supports the answer in Part A?

• A. “Instead of using paper and markers or snapping a digital photo, they carved images into the wood of ancient red cedar trees.” (paragraph 2)

• B. “Each tribe or clan spoke a different language and carved in a different style.” (paragraph 2)

• C. “One of the things that the Alaskan natives used this art form for was to portray their ancestry.” (paragraph 3)

• D. “It took all of those people pulling on ropes to raise the giant wood columns.” (paragraph 5)

What can the reader infer about totem poles based on paragraph 5?

• Totem poles were raised over a long period of time.

• Totem poles were expensive to make and raise.

• Totem poles were also used to make music at celebrations.

• Totem poles were large and incredibly heavy.

What does the phrase "big deal" mean as it is used in paragraph 5?

• daily chore

• important event

• interesting idea

• serious problem

How do some native Alaskan tribes care for older totem poles?

• They remake totem poles that are falling apart.

• They carve new totem poles from ones that are no longer used.

• They throw parties to repaint totem poles that need new paint.

• They find missing totem poles and place them on display.

What is a potlatch?

• a leader

• a party

• a pole

• a story