Teachers should know what they want to accomplish beforehand and they should select the program most appropriate for their class, whether presented in the form of a site visit, virtual exhibit on the Internet, or a curriculum product. See and do less and leave students asking for more. Encourage family trips if students want to see more. To really learn, students MUST be actively engaged in some kind of directed learning experience. Students should have the opportunity to use a variety of social studies skills, from critical thinking and observation to sketching and distinguishing between primary and secondary resources.
Students can draw maps and compute the miles traveled to the museum.
They can consider the economic characteristics of the museum, its sources of funding and support, and the role of government in the future of the museum. Students can consider issues of citizenship and the role museums play in preserving the customs, symbols, and celebrations of the past. Students can gain a greater understanding of their role in the perpetuation of museums in Texas. They can serve as responsible citizens and effective leaders by encouraging support for museum funding, or volunteering their time to the institutions. Teachers should encourage students to ask the museum staff about the different points of view of the artists, farmers, children, or soldiers who either created the artifacts in the museum or lived on the historic site.