In order to become truly educated, at some point we have to stop seeing learning as something that is inflicted upon us and embrace knowledge as something we desire for ourselves.

We must learn to own our own journey. In a larger sense, we must learn to “live on purpose.”

That may be the actual reason we study history.

For this reason, Discover Texas includes exercises that encourage students to learn from the successes and failures of others and incorporate those lessons in their own lives.

Obviously, this is what the Learning More section is all about. Whether you use the questions as discussion starters or essay assignments, this is the point where we invite students to think critically about

• what happened,
• why it mattered,
• and how it affected the course of history then and now.

Children need heroes.

They need to know what they believe and why.

They need–we ALL need–to think in advance of a crisis about what matters to us and how we will stand for what we value.