This book is intended to explore the constructivist perspective and to clarify its use in the classroom by presenting learning not only as a cognitive experience, but also as one that derives from the emotional, personal, social, cultural, and preconceptual experiences of the learner. Part l introduces the idea of constructivism and its development as an alternative to traditional views of knowledge and learning, and orders, organizes, and reviews the literature on children's learning in science. Part II presents six case studies of individual students in the same fifth grade classroom setting as they learn about the topic light. Part III summarizes the book's constructivist analysis and suggests how understanding knowledge and learning affects the role of the teacher. Case studies with personal orientation themes and the personal construct theory are also reviewed.