Book excerpt: Hirshfeld's Astronomy Activity and Laboratory Manual is a collection of twenty classroom-based exercises that provide an active-learning approach to mastering and comprehending key elements of astronomy. Used as a stand-alone activity book, or as a supplement to any mainstream astronomy text, this manual provides a broad, historical approach to the field through a narrative conveying how astronomers gradually assembled their comprehensive picture of the cosmos over time. Each activity has been carefully designed to be implemented in classrooms of any size, and require no specialized equipment beyond a pencil, straightedge, and calculator. The necessary mathematical background is introduced on an as-needed basis for every activity and is accessible for most undergraduate students. This learn-by-doing approach is sure to engage and excite your introductory astronomy students!