The CLP projects have consistently proven that a student's level of conceptual understanding of science increases with the utilization of software tools. Compared with some of the higher-tech CD-ROM educational packages now available on the market, hypercard-based instruction may seem simplistic. But CLP's simple ability to emphasize interactivity and real-world pertinence has afforded middle school students the opportunity to accomplish something few other young students have done in school - the opportunity to understand science, rather than to merely memorize it.