To invade or not to invade Grenada.

It's a decision being made in the Oval Office and questioned by the White House press corps. Throw in British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's vehement opposition and a flight to Grenada on Air Force One, and a slice of history from 1983 comes alive.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum will soon open the Air Force One Discovery Center, a permanent, interactive exhibit that puts students in decision- making positions.

Students immerse themselves in the event from the moment they walk through the sliding doors with the presidential seal to the end, when they are given the real outcome.

Students from fifth- to eighth-grades will have the opportunity to play roles ranging from the president and his Cabinet members to military generals and reporters. Students will be presented with critical issues and events in history and be asked to guide the nation.

The Reagan Library has focused its educational efforts on younger students, usually fifth-graders, said Mira Cohen, director of education.

"This is the first major educational initiative for middle school students," Cohen said.

The new exhibit will have four permanent sets: the Oval Office; the Command Decision Center, modeled after the USS Ronald Reagan; a White House pressroom; and a real Air Force One simulator, the same one used to train pilots.

The $1.75 million exhibit has been under construction for eight months. By next month, a group of students will come through to test it. While an opening date has not been set, middle school teachers will preview the exhibit April 2.

Accommodating up to five classes a day, the exhibit will take a student up to 80 minutes to experience.

Cohen and the education staff have compiled curricula including a pre-visit video, pre-visit guides for teachers and students and a post-visit debriefing manual for students.

Teachers will choose the role each student will play. Each will get background knowledge of the national issue the exhibit explores, which will change periodically, Cohen said.

The Oval Office is about three-quarters the actual size, with replicas of Reagan's desk, paintings, couches, chairs and statues that filled his office. A sign that reads "It Can Be Done" sits on the corner of the desk.

There are flat-screen TVs that present students with problems and possible solutions, and they choose which path to take. Then students are shown a video that includes images of their participation in the process.

At the end, students will have the opportunity to analyze and compare their decisions with those of historical figures, Cohen said.

"It's a very intensive, immersive experience," she said.

Teachers seeking more information can e-mail afodiscovery@reaganfoundation.org.