Biology Today has the dual goals of teaching basic biology in the context of key societal issues and encouraging students to think critically about biology. With these aims in mind the text has the following study aids and features:

• Chapter Outlines detail the major section headings of each chapter. The outline enables students to assess the full range of biological and issue-related content coverage within the chapter.
• The Issues section at the beginning of each chapter lists the underlying questions within the chapter. Every chapter raises a number of critical issues, and asks the student to consider a number of important, pivotal questions.
• The Biological Concepts section summarizes the biology that is covered within the chapter. These sections are directly related to key concepts developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (in the USA).
• The opening narrative scenario immediately introduces the science covered in the chapter by placing it within an interesting and relevant societal context.
• Sets of Thought Questions appear at the end of each chapter section. They are linked to the chapter opening Issues section by the perspective icon. These questions can form the basis for discussion either in class or in informal study groups.
• Many illustrations, including photographs and drawings, help students understand and visually remember biological concepts.
• Some tables summarize important sections of text, while others provide specific examples.
• Boxes provide additional material that supplements the text
• The Chapter Summary reviews key ideas and key terms at the end of each chapter.
• Biology Today aims for an integrated comprehensive view of biology. The Connections To Other Chapters section at the end of each chapter helps reinforce this integrated view of biology as a science. Icons placed throughout the chapters indicate cross references to other material in the text.
• Learning biological concepts still requires some memorization of the facts. End-of-chapter Practice Questions are straightforward review questions for students to answer.

Biology Today offers two complementary Web sites that serve as a complete teaching and learning resource—an essential supplement to an issues-oriented biology course. Where the Web site icon is featured in the book, students are encouraged to go to the Biology Today Web site to find additional content. We have indicated the names of these resources in the text itself and each resource is organized by chapter. Also organized by chapter are notes and outlines, and a selection of ethical discussion topics. These are completely new to this edition, and designed to invite in-class discussions. In addition, you can find a bibliography, the glossary, a table of biological concepts, a list of useful web links and sample term papers.

The Garland Science Classwire (www.classwire.com/garlandscience) Web site offers extensive instructional resources. In addition to containing all materials on the first site, it provides curriculum advice and assistance for those teaching an issues-oriented biology course for the first time. It also contains a sample syllabus, advice about laboratory manuals, and all the answers to the practice questions from the textbook. All the images from the textbook are also available in a downloadable, web-ready, as well as Power Point-ready, format. Instructors can choose whether they wish to make these resources available to students.

Garland Science Classwire also does much more than offer supplementary teaching resources. It is a flexible and easy-to-use course management tool that allows instructors to build Web sites for their classes. It offers features such as a syllabus builder, a course calendar, a message center, a course planner, virtual office hours and a resource manager. No programming or technical skills are needed. Garland Science Classwire is offered free of charge to all instructors who adopt Biology Today for their course. Resources for all other Garland textbooks are also available.