Interactives
McGraw-Hill is proud to bring you an assortment of 23 out-standing Interactives like no other. Each Interactive is programmed in Flash for a stronger visual appeal. Located on the Astronomy Online Learning Center, these Interactives offer a fresh and dynamic method for teaching the astronomy basics. Each Interactive allows users to manipulate parameters and gain a better understanding of topics such as Blackbody Radiation, The Bohr Model, Retrograde Motions, Cosmology, and the H-R diagram by watching the effect of these manipulations. Each Interactive includes an analysis tool (interactive model), a tutorial describing it function, content describing its principal themes, related exercises, and analysis tools with just the click of the mouse. Electronic Media Integration
To help better grasp key concepts, an interactive icon or an animation icon, has been placed near figures and selections where students can gain additional understanding through the interactives and animations on the Astronomy Online Learning Center.Chapter Introduction
Every chapter begins with an introduction designed to give the historical and scientific setting for the chapter material. The overview previews the chapter's contents and what you can expect to learn from reading the chapter. After reading the introduction, browse through the chapter, paying close attention to the topic headings and illustrations so that you get a feel for the kinds of ideas included within the chapter. Also included in the chapter introduction are questions to explore while reading the text.Worked Example Boxes
These boxes contain one or more examples of how and when to use the equations mentioned in the text. These also detail why the equation is important. Historical Emphasis
Throughout the text the historical development of astronomy is used to show that astronomy, like other sciences, advances through the efforts of many scientists and to show how present ideas developed. In the main body of text there are many comparisons of what was once known about a particular phenomenon to what we now know about it. These historical comparisons are used to illustrate the cycle of observation, hypothesis, and further observation, which is the essence of the scientific method of discovery. Planetary Data Boxes
These boxes include summaries of planetary data making this information easy to access.End of Chapter Material Chapter Summary highlights the key topics of the chapter.Key Terms listed and defined in the text and in the end-of-book glossary.Conceptual Questions require qualitative verbal answers.Problems, involving numerical calculations, test the reader’s mastery of questions.Figure-Based Questions require the reader to extract the answer from a particular graph or figure in the chapter.Planetarium Exercises let the reader investigate key ideas of the chapter using the Starry Night planetarium software on the DVD that accompanies the book.Group Exercises encourage interaction between students as they work in groups to discuss different viewpoints on chapter-related issues or to complete small group projects.End-of-Text Material
Appendices provide additional background materials, charts, and extensive tables. There is also a glossary of key terms and constellation maps for reference.
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