Practicing Geology essays help students see what geologists do and how their activities are relevant to students and society. The essays describe how geologists tackle important questions- "Is it worth mining for gold," "Where do oil and gas form," etc.- and include dynamic illustrations as well as a problem for students to solve.
Google Earth Exercises take advantage of the widely used software to help students see what geologists see. Students are directed to view geologic features in GoogleEarth, and then answer questions based on what they see and their understanding of the concepts. These exercises appear in the textbook, and are also available in GeoPortal for assignment and grading.
Enhanced art program- the product of a new collaboration between the authors and geologist/artist, Emily Cooper. Emily Cooper graduated from Williams College with a major in Geology and Earth Sciences. The university program led to an internship at Scientific American, where she spent several productive years exploring the potential of 3D computer modeling in creating effective and beautiful images.
- New figures based on 3-D computer simulations and data models, developed by a team of Harvard researchers.
- New and reimagined major, multi-concept images that help students visualize concepts and processes as geologist do.