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This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Atkatz from Altadena, CA is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Atkatz is requesting

Storytelling Through Totem Poles

My students need art supplies such as balsa wood, wood plaques, and carving tools to create totem poles.

  • $552 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

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Help Mrs. Atkatz

The third grade team will be studying a reading unit on Storytelling and a Social Studies unit on California Indians Past and Present. We teach in a low-income, high-risk neighborhood in California. Our school is a full inclusion school. Special needs students are included in the regular education classroom. Many of our students are second language learners.

Every year students are fascinated by the idea of totem poles, but the closest they get to them is seeing photographs in books. This project would allow them to use all their senses to create one of their own. Sadly, our district is low on funds, and normally we would not be able to give this opportunity to our students.

However, with your generous donations, we could purchase needed materials, such as balsa wood, sculpting tools, and wooden plaques for display. We would like to integrate our reading, social studies, and art units by having our students create a totem pole that tells their story. This would be a chance for students to actually carve a totem pole just like the Native Americans they read about allowing them to better understand this form of storytelling.

With your help, our students will be able to better understand the concept of storytelling through totem poles and how that tradition passes on family history. Students will each have their own totem pole, so it will make the concepts personal which will allow for better understanding.

Mrs. Atkatz Altadena Arts Magnet Grades 3-5

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mrs. Atkatz

Altadena, CA View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

63 students impacted 5donors

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mrs. Atkatz is requesting.

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
2X2X6 INDIV BALSA BLOCK EA • Sax Arts & Crafts, Inc. $2.51 70 $175.70
Wood Plaque Assortment • Sax Arts & Crafts, Inc. $74.49 1 $74.49
Artist's Tool Kit, Set of 5 • Sax Arts & Crafts, Inc. $9.44 13 $122.72

Materials cost

$372.91

Vendor shipping charges

 $37.29

Sales tax

 $27.04

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.59

Fulfillment labor & materials

$9.00

Total project cost

$451.83

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$99.18

Total project goal

$551.01

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $551.01

3 Donors

-$275.51

Donations toward project cost

-$225.92

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$49.59

match offer

-$275.50

Match offer toward project cost

-$225.91

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$49.59

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Atkatz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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