Elgin students learned about freedoms, censorship and notable controversial debates Wednesday as part of a traveling museum that uses modern examples to educate students on the First Amendment.

Larsen Middle School hosted The Freedom Express — a truck converted into a mobile museum, which is provided free to Chicago area schools by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Jan Thrun, seventh-grade history teacher, saw the exhibit at a workshop and eventually brought it to Larsen.

“You can write about the Constitution and freedom in a book, but it’s different when you see it in real life,” she said.

The hands-on exhibit features touch screens, videos, music recordings and an interactive image of the Constitution.

Thrun’s students were able to list off the five freedoms in the First Amendment — the rights of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition.

Thrun said the exhibit is not only a fun way for students to learn, but also is effective. She noted how the exhibit uses modern examples to open up debate on First Amendment issues — like Janet Jackson’s famous wardrobe malfunction during the 2004 Super Bowl half time show, or video games like Grand Theft Auto.

A display on current, controversial issues is used to highlight that First Amendment struggles still go on today, like gun control, gay marriage and abortion.

Seventh-graders Christina Corona and Nicole Ahrens, both of Elgin, worked on an activity at that exhibit Wednesday.

Corona said she learned more about the issues, and even changed her mind on one of them.

Ahrens said the entire museum helped her understand the lessons she learns in class and in her textbook.

“It helps me understand it better because it puts it into stuff that’s happening now,” she said.