Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Title: Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Author: Laban C. Hill

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Copyright: 2010

Reading Level: Lexile 1100

Summary:

Dave the Potter is about the life of an amazing and skilled potter that lived and died a slave in the 19^th century in South Carolina. The powerful sentences and simple visuals used throughout the book outline the making of a pot. With much detail and word selection, the author uses rural imagery to describe Dave’s surroundings. When Dave is done with is pot, he inscribes an important message.

Suggested Delivery:

Read aloud followed by class dicussion.

Electronic Resources:

1. Liver Pool Museums- A great resource for students to utilize after the reading. The website takes students on an amazing tour where they learn and hear other slaves' stories.

2. Laban Hill- Author's webpage for students to use before the reading. The webpage contains information about the author that will help students comprehend his style of writing. Students can also utilize it to find out more about his books and poems.

Teaching Suggestions:

1. Vocabulary-Clothed, Clumps, Pug, Mounded, Mounted, Shrugged

2. Reading strategies-

Before Reading: Before you began reading, you have to introduce the new vocabulary. Give students an index card and have them do vocabulary cards. Each card has to have the new vocabulary word, the definition and a short description of what the word reminds them. Afterwards, skim through the book and pay close attention to the visuals. Have students create questions about the visuals.

During Reading: Students will answer the question they had by doing the split-page note taking activity. The left hand side should have five questions they had and the right hand side should have brief answers along with facts from the book.

After Reading: Using the questions and answers from the split-note taking activity, students will be involved in a popcorn review. Students will talk about the book and will ask each other questions to enhance their comprehension.

3. Writing Prompt- “I wonder where is all my relation friendship to all- and, every nation” was the last quote in the book. Have students write a journal entry where they explain what the quote means to them and how it relates to the book.