Students learn astronomy by doing astronomy
The Second Edition offers a variety of features that promote active learning and facilitate students’ retention of concepts. Each chapter opens with a student sketch figure that is referred to within the chapter, encouraging students to re-examine the illustration in light of what they have learned. End-of-chapter Exploration Activities promote collaboration and “doing” astronomy. Reading Astronomy News provide a news article or press release followed by Evaluating Astronomy News questions that train students to be critical consumers of media. Learning Astronomy by Doing Astronomy: Collaborative Lecture Activities—written by Stacy Palen and Ana Larson (University of Washington)—provide 30 field-tested lecture activities designed to increase classroom interactivity.
An innovative and visual media package
Author pedagogy paired with Norton's interactive online content gives students a range of opportunities to apply what they are learning and instructors the tools they need for better assessment. All 1700+ questions in Norton Smartw ork offer hints, answer-specific feedback, and ebook links. Over twenty Astronomy in Action videos—a mix of live demos and mini lectures—provide explanations of key concepts that students can watch before (or after) they come to class. Twenty-eight AstroTour animations use art from the text to illustrate important physical and astronomical concepts. Interactive simulations from the University of Nebraska allow students to manipulate variables and see how physical systems work. The Starry Night Planetarium Software, a realistic and user-friendly simulation program, allows students to perform observational activities on a computer screen. Our accompanying workbook offers assignments that guide students' virtual explorations and help them apply what they've learned from the text.
In-text tools guide, support, and test understanding
Every chapter of the Second Edition is organized with student understanding and retention in mind. Learning Goals outlined at the start of each chapter now correspond with the end-of-chapter Summary, giving students a clear guide to the most important concepts and skills of chapter. Physical principles are introduced incrementally—just in time to be relevant in the course—making students more likely to understand how and why they are used. New Concept Connection icons help make these “just in time” topics easier to locate throughout the text. Vocabulary Alerts in each chapter highlight words that students may be familiar with, but that have a different meaning in astronomy. Working It Out boxes highlight the role of math in predicting outcomes and proving what we think we know, a feature useful for instructors that cover quantitative material. Chapters 14-17 have been reorganized to introduce the Milky Way earlier than in the previous edition.
