Although education journals contain article after article about the wonders that computers, color television, and other elaborate hardware will bring to the classroom, many teachers do not yet have access to these things and must make do with the "humble" media: pictures, filmstrips (both silent and sound), slides, films, and overhead projected material. In fact the potential of even these media has not been fully developed. Each medium has specific learning effects. For example, sound filmstrips structure what is seen more than silent ones do. Teachers who understand both the potential and limitations of these media can facilitate the prime aim of education today: Understanding, rather than acquisition of data; insight, rather than inventory of facts; and intelligent guesses rather than pat answers. Prime requirements for putting the media to work are flexibility of approach and an open, pleasant learning environment: Multi-media kits should be selected that really do contain material from several media. Several sample learning units on such topics as rocks and minerals, simple machines, and outer space are described that do integrate material from various media. (JK)