Capillary filtration is a key area in the understanding of cardiovascular function and has both physiological and pathophysiological relevance in nearly every organ system. This article describes how classic papers in the Legacy collection of American Physiological Society publications can be used in a teaching symposium exploring the evidence supporting current concepts of capillary fluid exchange. Individual students are given papers to read, edit, and present to the class. The appropriate selection and sequencing of these papers allows the development of important physiological concepts to be tracked. A series of papers concerned with capillary filtration is suggested, and the contribution of each to the developing story is outlined. This approach allows students to develop critical and presentation skills and provides them with a case study of the scientific method as it is applied to physiology as well as establishing an appropriate knowledge base concerning the role of hydrostatic and oncotic forces in capillary fluid exchange. Relevant teaching points are explored further using questions based on a figure from one of the three classic papers used: "Microinjection studies of capillary permeability: II. The relationship between capillary pressure and the rate at which fluid passes through the walls of single capillaries," by E. M. Landis ("Am J Physiol" 82: 217-238, 1927). (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)