Every chapter begins with a Focus on the Big Idea question that is linked to a California Science Standard. It also promotes active reading and enhances student note taking skills, and gives teachers a useful tool in guiding the students to study and learn. Each chapter is organized into nine general standard sets which are Motion, Forces, Structure of Matter, Earth in the Solar System, Reactions, Chemistry of Living Systems, Periodic Table, Density and Buoyancy, and Investigation and Experimentation.