AceAstronomy:

Our textbook has a website called "AceAstronomy" with tutorials which many students
have said is very useful.  Included are pre-tests (reading tests) which are largely
duplicated for credit on BlackBoard (only!).  (Taking them on AceAstronomy does not count for
your grade.) 

So, if you master the pre-test on AceAstronomy, you should do well on the
pre-test for credit on BlackBoard.  But, I reserve the right to clarify/correct
questions from the pre-tests on the BlackBoard edition, so don't blindly copy the
answers, but rather think when you're doing them for credit!

Register as below.  Once you register, log in this way:
1) Go to http://www.cengage.com/sso
2) Ignore any prompt for "course code" and go directly to "study tools" if that's somewhere on the screen
3) Click on "SSO AceAstronomy"
4) Click on "Study Tools"
5) Click on "The Cosmos"
6) Click on the chapter you want to study. Work with the active figures, exercises and pre-test.
The pre-tests are available on the upper left under "What do I know?"
If you do not see that, check that you are registering with your 13 digit access code (see below).

If these directions are not accurate, please let the instructor what does work
so this website can be updated.

REGISTER and LOG IN for AceAstronomy by going to this website:
http://www.cengage.com/sso

Register as a student and look up our textbook, "The Cosmos", 3rd edition, using
the ISBN (0-495-01303-X). 

If you have a new book, use the  the 13 digit code which comes with it to be able to 
use the online tutorials ("AceAstronomy Demo") and other materials. 

If you have a used book and the code for AceAstronomy is ripped out,
you can get access for $33.49 from http://ichapters.com. I encourage students to work together and
share the financial and academic load when working with AceAstronomy
(as well as with homework).
If you bought a used book and the code for AceAstronomy is NOT ripped out,
then you're LUCKY -- go ahead and try to use the code! If the previous owner didn't
use it, then you've got AceAstronomy for free. If you can, please share access
with those who haven't got it or split costs with one or more classmates.
It's good to study together, and I encourage it.

There is NO "course code".  You don't need it. (It's only used for graded work on
AceAstronomy, and our class uses it as a tutorial only.) You
may need to explain that to a customer service agent.

If you need help logging on, call customer service at 800/354-9706.
There is also a direct line for student tech support:
800/648-7450, then choose option 5 (tech support), then option 2 (student support).

Don't give up till a human being has helped you to log on! I needed their help, too.

To get to the pre-tests and extremely useful tutorials, click on
"course materials", then on the textbook icon, then on the various chapters.
Please do this as soon as possible.