This article demonstrates a totem project for the author's eight-grade students. Research on totems not only deepened the author's understanding of their meaning and value within the Native American culture of the Pacific Northwest, but also made her curious about contemporary totem forms. While searching online, she came across the work of two artists, John Dahlsen and Marlene Ziegler, whose work reflects the sense of design and personal reflection she was seeking for this project. Before beginning the project, students viewed a variety of totems and other vertical sculptures (both traditional and contemporary), examined the use of space within and around the forms, and evaluated how balance was achieved within them. The major challenge for students was the balance issue, maintaining the stability of the overall form as it was built. (Contains 1 online resource.)