Earth Science: Understanding Environmental Systems
Edgar W. Spencer,
Washington and Lee University
ISBN: 0072341467 Copyright year: 2002
Features
Systems emphasis. The text's systems approach emphasizes the relationships among the great variety of processes that affect Earth and its environment, giving students a better understanding of Earth as a whole, the relationships among processes acting on and inside Earth, and the connections between physical and biological sciences.
Major ecosystems. Close connections which exist between the study of the physical and biological aspects of Earth's environments are emphasized throughout the text.
The theme of relationships between humans and their environment flows throughout the text, which holds the interest of students and helps them appreciate how natural systems affect their lives.
Flexible organization. To accommodate various approaches used by instructors, this text provides self-contained chapters that can be used in any sequence.
Case histories. Where appropriate, case histories of events or localities are used to illustrate principles and demonstrate the relevance of the subject matter. Students will find the concepts presented with a case history interesting and easy to understand and remember because they can associate them with real situations.
Pedagogical tools are used throughout the chapters to help students better understand the material presented: -- Chapter objectives summarize the main objectives of the chapter and indicate how the subject matter of the chapter relates to Earth systems. -- New terms are identified in bold face print. -- Data banks contain files such as soil and climate types that students need to have readily available for reference as they read the text. -- Summary points provide a quick review of the most important concepts presented in the chapter. -- Review questions are included to help students evaluate their mastery of basic materials presented in each chapter. -- Critical thinking questions encourage students to go beyond the text materials in exploring the relevance of the subject matter to environmental issues.
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education