Bring history and education to life! The Nebraska State Capitol isn’t just a government building—it’s a living textbook filled with lessons on democracy, justice, and civic duty. Hartley Burr Alexander, the philosopher behind its historical inscriptions, believed in the power of education to shape the future.

Using Think. Define. Choose. in the classroom will help students engage and grasp the bigger stories behind law, human rights, democracy, art and how philosophy & architecture are ways and means to talk about civic issues.

I started teaching about the Nebraska State Capitol because I was surprised by the 21 stories on the outside. It was a new way for me teach Plato, Aristotle and the Mayflower using architecture and philosophy in one class.

Every time I fly into LNK and I see the Capitol I am amazed by how stunning the building is. Plus, the stories, all so ‘old’ yet still so relevant.

Why teach about the 21 panels on the Nebraska State Capitol?
-Discover the symbolism behind the Capitol’s architecture.
-Learn how words shape democracy and governance.
-The beauty of a building combined with philosophy and 21 good stories on human rights and civic rights.