The exhibit visually engaged the students. Artifacts allow them to touch the past and interactive components let them step into the historical figures’ shoes, choose what they would do if faced with the same situations and see the consequences of their choices. The entire experience is designed to improve student learning and critical thinking skills.
“Torn Within and Threatened Without: Kentuckians in the Civil War Era” was the theme of the display and students were "introduced" to eight Kentuckians and the issues they faced. The Kentuckians included:
- Henry Clay and John J. Crittenden, Kentucky politicians who try to compromise and avoid war over slavery.
- Ben Buckner, a slave-owning Union officer who fights for the Union but feels betrayed by President Abraham Lincoln, and his own slave, Jim.
- Henry Lane Stone, a young Kentuckian who is trying to decide which army to join.
- Elijah Marrs, a slave who is choosing whether to join the Union Army.
- Ellen Wallace, a slave-owning woman trying to adjust to a changing world.
- John Marshall Harlan, a Supreme Court Justice ruling on civil rights in the post-war period.
In addition to the the visit, teachers were provided with curriculum they incorporated into their classroom to further their student's learning on the subject before and after the visit.