"Earth Science opens with the Big Bang and then introduces basic plate tectonics, so students immediately experience the "action" of the Earth as a system. Learning objectives are identified at the beginning of each chapter and assessed at the end through questions that range from simple review to thought-provoking applications. Additionally, every chapter contains "How Can I Explain" features, which provide simple, hands-on projects that illustrate a key concept. The text's narrative art program explains earth science concepts by breaking down processes into a series of steps. Brief annotations embedded throughout the figures explain each phase. Features such as "What a Scientist Sees," "Science Toolbox," "A Deeper Look," "How Can I Explain," and "Putting Earth Science to Use," present real-world photos alongside drawings that simplify and amplify visual information, while "See For Yourself" features identify sample sites in Google Earth. Throughout, the authors' narrative approach to the content and innovative integration of new visual and interactive resources guides students to a clearer, more applicable understanding of the entire Earth System"--