Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave Unit Study
It is Black History Month and we are giving away a lesson about David Blake, also known as Dave the Potter. Dave was enslaved in the 1800s and became a skilled craftsman and artisan creating large, beautiful pottery. His pottery is notable both because of the size and craftsmanship but also because he wrote small poems on the pots. His story is important both because Dave was special, but also because his story was not unique. He was enslaved from birth, he was separated from family and sold several times, and he was treated horrendously by his enslavers.
Through the lens of Dave’s life, we can get learn so many things. This unit study covers topics on poetry, history, art, and geography. It is a jumping off point for big discussions and wonderful hands-on projects.
This unit is designed to be used with your elementary aged student.
Grab your free copy here!
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Learning Through Literature
Your free lesson plan is a literature-based unit study all about David Blake, an enslaved African American who lived in the 1800s.
It all starts with a beautiful picture book about Dave, Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Bryan Collier. This Coretta Scott King Award winning book tells us about Dave and his amazing pots.
The lesson plans will have your child learning not just history, but art, geography, and poetry. We also provide a quote for your child to use as copywork this month, so they can improve their handwriting, spelling, and grammar.
Why?
Why give away a lesson? It just feels like the right thing to do. Black History month is something we feel is important to celebrate and acknowledge. It is also important to tell stories of people who didn’t really make history. History stories are full of “great men” who changed the world. But history is full of ordinary people who lived real lives that are just as important to talk about and share.
We choose to honor David Drake and acknowledge his struggle and the beautiful gifts he left for us by sharing this free lesson plan with you.
As always, our lesson plans are appropriate for a range of ages, and learning styles. This program is designed to be used with students ages 5-10, with or without learning disabilities and neurodiversity.
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