Student-centered focus
This book is written to help students understand the big picture rather than get lost in random factoids to memorize. The language is accessible and inviting. Helpful diagrams and summary tables review and encapsulate the ideas being covered. Each chapter contains interactive group activities you can assign to help students work in teams and pool their knowledge.
Interactive online resources
Interesting “Links to Learning” are scattered throughout the chapters, which direct students to online animations, short videos, or enrichment readings to enhance their learning. Also, the resources listed at the end of each chapter include links to websites and other useful educational videos.
Feature boxes that help students think outside the box
A variety of feature boxes within the chapters connect astronomy to the students’ other subjects and humanize the face of astronomy by highlighting the lives of the men and women who have been key to its progress. Besides the math examples that we’ve already mentioned, the boxes include:
- Making Connections. This feature connects the chapter topic to students’ experiences with other fields, from poetry to engineering, popular culture, and natural disasters.
- Voyagers in Astronomy. This feature presents brief and engaging biographies of the people behind historically significant discoveries, as well as emerging research.
- Astronomy Basics. This feature explains basic science concepts that we often (incorrectly) assume students know from earlier classes.
- Seeing for Yourself. This feature provides practical ways that students can make astronomical observations on their own.
End-of-chapter materials to extend students’ learning
- Chapter Summaries. Summaries give the gist of each section for easy review.
- For Further Exploration. This section offers a list of suggested articles, websites, and videos so students can delve into topics of interest, whether for their own learning, for homework, extra credit, or papers.
- Review Questions. Review questions allow students to show you (or themselves) how well they understood the chapter.
- Thought Questions. Thought questions help students assess their learning by asking for critical reflection on principles or ideas in the chapter.
- Figuring For Yourself. Mathematical questions, using only basic algebra and arithmetic, allow students to apply the math principles given in the example boxes throughout the chapter.
- Collaborative Group Activities. This section suggests ideas for group discussion, research, or reports.
Beautiful art program
Our comprehensive art program is designed to enhance students’ understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs. Here are a few examples.
How a pulsar beam sweeps over earth.
Structure of the milky way galaxy.
Two aspects of plate tectonics.
Pluto close up.
Additional resources
Student and instructor resources
We’ve compiled additional resources for both students and instructors, including Getting Started Guides, PowerPoint slides, and an instructor answer guide. Instructor resources require a verified instructor account, which can be requested on your openstax.org log-in. Take advantage of these resources to supplement your OpenStax book.