Name: Tolliver, Fran
E-mail: fatolliver@ualr.edu
Topic: Arkansas Black Pioneers: A History of African-American Colonies in
Arkansas. LESSON PLAN #3: THE LOLLIE PLANTATION IN FAULKNER COUNTY.
(25 minute audio visual VIDEO PRESENTATION ACCOMPANIES THIS LESSON PLAN: BROTHER
“T”)
Grade: Grades 7-12
Time: 2-HOUR PRESENTATION
Ark. Hist. Framework:
.1.12./1.1.13./1.1.14./3.1.8./3.1.9./3.1.11./6.1.8./6.1.10./6.1.15.
Objective: The student will be able to identify various regions of
early Arkansas as these regions relate to African American colonies that settled
in Arkansas after the Civil War. Lollie Plantation in Faulkner County,
located on the Arkansas River, is over 3,000 acres in size, and was settled
about 1880 by nearly 100 African Americans. They farmed, raised cotton,
and sharecropped the area after the Civil War. Their school (grades 1
eight) was the Julius Rosenwald school for African Americans. Interviewed
Brother “T”, owner of local restaurant (Brother T’s), who agreed to thll their
story. A UCA Honors College student offered a documentary that was submitted
to UCA in 2001 in partial fulfillment of his Master’s Thesis, which he so graciously
allowed this Institute to view for lesson presentation #3. Also, the Faulkner
County Musuem provided a CD Rom which gives rich history of Faulkner County’s
people and events—THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1927—also documented by Brother T, a descendant
of former slaves who settled the Lollie Plantation. Video on Lollie Plantation
will be viewed, as will CD Rom on instructor’s web site will be explored, to
give rich historical background through exploration of historical documentation.
Set: Begin with the 5/6 regions of Arkansas and their characteristics.
What characteristics were important to the early African American settlers as
they made their way to these regions? Why did they choose to settle in the
regions that were near water, roads and railways. Brainstorm.
Materials: Website, selected maps, atlas, overlay maps of railroads,
tributaries, and Arkansas outline map. See Teacher’s website and Power
Point presentation (a copy may be made or you may link to this website).
Handouts available and transparencies will be furnished on request. Text
(Donald Davis), drawing paper, crayons, pencils, pocket folders, glue, magic
markers.
Key Terms: Overland, settlers, primitive trails, food, goods, hunters, traders,
slaves, folklore, master, oxen, census, rocky slope, black pioneers, Cadron
Creek, pastoral, Colony, Civil War, oral history, Georgetown, Mt. Vernon, Lollie
Plantation, White River, Julius Rosenwald, archives, document, oxen, midwife,
sharecropper, discrimination, sawmill, sugar cane, cotton, landlord, burial
crypt, lynching, harvest, bottoms, anecdote, legend, interview.
Key Facts:
®Lollie Plantation is documented as having been settled on the Arkansas
River in 1880. Many of its buildings were washed down the Arkansas River
in the flood of 1927. Research was done at the Faulkner County Musuem,and
a historical documentary was obtained from UCA that documents the events of a
descendant of former slaves who occupied the Lollie Plantation. The
children of the plantation attended school at the Julius Rosenwad School.
Historical documentation of Julius Rosenwald will also be
presented.
Activities: Students will first review all regions of Arkansas, using map outline
of the state and locate the areas described in presentation, discuss key terms
and facts. Students will then write reflective journals (short paragraphs) describing
the Colonies and its settlers.Students will complete pre and post assessments.
Video documentary will be viewed with the segment on Lollie
Plantation-Faulkner County.
Students will complete their “neighborhood mapping” activity in segment #3
and assemble portfolios about their “family story” interview. Students may
wish to interview a family member and collect oral history. Students will
be asked to share their writing—3 point enumeration essay in narrative form—to
be presented in a portfolio which includes photographs, drawings of the
neighborhood, coat of arms, and essay.
Closure: Students will interview extended family members or senior citizens within
their communities who have stories to relate. A discussion concerning writing
the narrative is necessary, using Donald Davis’ text, “Telling Your Arkansas Stories.”
Students will share stories and use photographs, artifacts, or drawings to create
individual portfolios, using methods introduced by the National Writing Project,
based on material developed by the university of California at Berkeley and described
by the Carnegie Corporation as the “best large scale effort to improve composition
writing in the country.
Assessment: Pre and post assessment will be administered. Handouts will be developed
by presenter.
Resources: Cox, Betsy. Ed. A Look Back: A history of the town of Mount
Vernon.
Arkansas Tax Records. White County, AR. White County Public
Library.
Davis, Donald (2002). Telling Your Arkansas Stories. Arkansas
Heritage Edition: August House. Little Rock, AR.
Lankford, George. E. (1995). Cultural Encounters in the Early South: Indians
and Europeans in Arkansas. “Almost Illinark.” Ed. Jeannie Whayne.
University of Arkansas Press.
Muncy, Raymond. L. (1976). A Frontier Town Grows Up with
America. Searcy: Harding Press.
Presley, Cloie. (1964). “Arkansas Census Made 1749.” White County Heritage,
Vol. II, Ch. 2. Searcy, AR: White County Historical Society.
Tolliver, Frances A. (2001). “The Lost Black History of White
County,” Ed. Unpublished manuscript. University of Arkansas at
Little Rock: Little Rock, AR.
United States Original Land Records. White County, AR. Microfilm,
1851-1871, #1025694, [A-92].
Websites:
For more information, contact Fran Tolliver at the Writing Department,
University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Rm. SU-B 100, 2801 University Avenue, Little
Rock, AR 72004 (501) 569-3160.
Frances A. Tolliver, 2002
-----------------