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. This interaction with the museum staff make the experience even more memorable. Upon arrival in the new environment at the museum or historic site, students should be assigned a task or responsibility. It is often difficult to carry a pencil and paper, and some museums may not allow this.