Working with my US history course, I had the students consider the route they took between home and a typical destination in their town or city. I instructed the students to list what they knew and thought about the things they saw along the way. Next, I asked the students how many of the thoughts and ideas in their heads were not put there by some other human being, either in speech or writing. Furthermore, how many of the objects they used every day could they have invented without the help of another human being. Hopefully this reminded the students of how much we depend on the thoughts and experiences of other human beings. It is pretty remarkable!
