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The overall goal of this exhibit is to help students to recognize scientists as people, engaged in understandable human activities. The individuals whose voices are heard in this exhibit all achieved high recognition in the history of science. Nevertheless they are similar to us and to our students, for their lives, like ours, were influenced by politics, careers, and the circumstances of the times. Listening to these scientists will help make the study of science and history a more personal experience.

This exhibit aids the inclusion of science in history courses and of history in science courses. Varied attempts have been made over the past half-century to provide curricula which pay attention to the people involved in science. Many science teachers presently include some historical background in their courses, and many history teachers include some mention of modern scientific development. Many do not. This exhibit has been designed so that it will be appropriate for all these teachers. It can serve as a new resource for those teachers who currently treat history of physics while also serving as a "one shot deal" for teachers willing to give history of science a first try.

This exhibit can be a tutorial for both teachers and students. Outside the classroom this unit can serve as a tutorial for teachers whose background does not include knowledge of the history of nuclear physics.

This exhibit can also be an opportunity for professional development. Physics teachers can strengthen their background in the history of nuclear fission and the physics of nuclear model building through self-study of the module. The history in this exhibit recalls the discovery of the electron and the mass-energy equivalence (E = mc²) and then progresses through the work on atomic models with its main emphasis on attempts to understand what happens when a neutron strikes uranium. Teachers can better understand the struggle of scientists to understand the nature of this interaction as they listen to the scientists themselves describe their involvement.

This exhibit can be a vehicle for interdisciplinary team teaching. Science and social studies teachers can collaborate in a meaningful way to create a unit that leans on the expertise of the respective teachers. As science teachers share their knowledge of the discoveries surrounding nuclear fission, social studies teachers can share their knowledge of events in the world during this time period. Together, they and their students will benefit from a more comprehensive view of the human dimension of science.

There are as many ways to utilize this material as there are teachers, but three sample formats are presented below. The first describes independent work for students (requiring no preparations by the teacher). The second shows how the materials can be used for a single class presentation (again requiring no preparation by the teacher). The third provides for a two-day class presentation.