Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Geological Structures: a Practical Introduction
John Waldron; Morgan Snyder · Open Education Alberta · 2020
This manual is about structures that occur within the Earth’s crust. Structures are the features that allow geologists to figure out how parts of the Earth have changed position, orientation, size and shape over time. This work requires careful observation and measurements of features at the surface of the Earth, and deductions about what’s below the surface. The practical skills you will learn in this course form the foundation for much of what is known about the history of the Earth, and are important tools for exploring the subsurface. They are essential for Earth scientists of all kinds. The course that this document supports is about doing structural geology. It’s not possible to be a good geologist (or to pass the course) just by learning facts. You have to be able to solve problems. Do your lab work conscientiously and get as much as possible done during lab sessions when instructors are available to help you. This manual consists of both readings and lab exercises, which alternate through the text. The readings are designed to be read and understood outside the lab sessions, whereas the labs contain specific instructions and questions to be completed. Before each lab, be sure you have covered the readings that come immediately before it.
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Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions
Veerabhadran Ramanathan; Roger Aines; Max Auffhammer · eScholarship · 2019
Climate change is an urgent problem. Because it is causing new weather extremes and fatal catastrophes, climate change is better termed climate disruption. Bending the curve to flatten the upward trajectory of pollution emissions responsible for climate disruption is essential in order to protect billions of people from this global threat. Education is a key part of the solution. This textbook book lays out ten solutions that together can bend the curve of climate warming below dangerous levels. These solutions fall into six categories: science, societal transformation, governance, economics, technology, and ecosystem management. Four themes emerge from the book: * There is still time to bend the curve. The time to act was yesterday, but if proper actions are taken now, there is still time to avoid disastrous changes. We have to pull on three levers: The carbon lever to achieve zero net emissions of carbon dioxide before 2050; the short-lived climate pollutants lever to drastically reduce concentrations of other major climate pollutants; and the atmospheric carbon extraction lever to remove massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. * Bending the curve will require interdisciplinary solutions. Climate change requires integrating approaches from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, so this textbook—unlike most on climate change solutions—does just that, with chapters written by experts in climate science, social justice, economics, environmental policy, political science, energy technologies, ecology, and religion. Bending the curve also requires preservation and restoration of ecological systems. * Bending the curve requires a radical shift in attitude. This shift requires change in behavior, change in our attitudes towards each other, and change in our attitude towards nature. Climate justice has to be an integral part of the solution. * Technology, market mechanism and policy need to be a part of the solution. New market mechanisms an
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Body Physics: Motion to Metabolism
Lawrence Davis · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2018
Body Physics sticks to the basic functioning of the human body, from motion to metabolism, as a common theme through which fundamental physics topics are introduced. Related practice, reinforcement and Lab activities are included. See the front matter for more details. Additional supplementary material, activities, and information can be found at: https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/bpsupmat/
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Biochemistry: Free For All
Kevin Ahern; Indira Rajagopal; Taralyn Tan · Oregon State University · 2018
We are happy to welcome you to our second Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook, Biochemistry Free For All. Biochemistry is a relatively young science, but its rate of growth has been truly impressive. The rapid pace of discoveries, which shows no sign of slowing, is reflected in the steady increase in the size of biochemistry textbooks. Growing faster than the size of biochemistry books have been the skyrocketing costs of higher education and the even faster rising costs of college textbooks. These unfortunate realities have created a situation where the costs of going to college are beyond the means of increasing numbers of students.
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Environmental Biology
Matthew Fisher · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2018
This open textbook covers the most salient environmental issues, from a biological perspective. The text is designed for an introductory-level college science course. Topics include the fundamentals of ecology, biodiversity, pollution, climate change, food production, and human population growth.
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Health Education
College of the Canyons · College of the Canyons · 2018
Readers will learn about the nature of health, health education, health promotion and related concepts. This will help to understand the social, psychological and physical components of health.
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Investigations in Experimental Physics
Peter Polito; James Walsh; Jeff Gagnon · Peter J. Polito, James E. Walsh, and Jeff L. Gagnon · 2025
As stated in previous editions, the purpose of the physics laboratory is not only to reinforce the physical principles studied in the classroom but also to stimulate the development of skills and techniques required to carry out well-designed experimental investigations. It is the hope of the authors that the experimental skills and techniques acquired in this laboratory will be carried over by the student to their respective areas of interest. It is, in fact, strongly suggested that the student make an effort early in their undergraduate career to become familiar with the current research problems in their area of interest. The student should always be aware of the applicability of skillsand techniques developed in this laboratory to their field of study. This manual can be used in a one semester or two semester course. At our institution, we use it in a two semester General Physics course designed primarily for health science majors (Physical Therapy, Biology, Physician Assistant, etc.). It it also used in a one semester Physics for Movement Science course designed for movement science majors (Exercise Science, Athletic Training, Physical Education, etc.). The tenth edition of the manual is a major revision of the ninth edition. Nearly all of the diagrams were updated, pictures of the lab equipment were included for every lab, and more tables were added to record data for each lab. Six new labs on Vector Addition and Subtraction with Applications, Graphical Interpretation, Motion Analysis, Applications of Rotational Equilibrium, Impulse-Momentum Vertical Jump Application, and Basic Exploration of Electric Fields Due to Point Charges were added. In addition, three older labs that we no longer have equipment to perform were removed (Hygrometry, Measurement of the Speed of Sound in Air by Kundt’s Method, and Spectrometry). Many of the other labs were also updated and supplemented by adding a simulation component using the Phet online simulations. The student is requi
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Environmental Justice
Deron Carter; Colleen Sanders · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2023
This book presents the original works of Environmental Justice students from Linn-Benton Community College. Students select and design projects based on their experiences and interests to contribute to this living anthology each term. The goal of this publication is to increase the impact of student scholarship, research, creativity, and activism to work for environmental and social justice in our communities. These openly-licensed works span multiple formats and genres based on student interest.
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Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Sustainability
Emily Harris · University of West Florida Pressbooks · 2023
Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Sustainability is a college-level Open Educational Resource (OER) that focuses on the most relevant environmental science issues and addresses ways to incorporate sustainable practices. The text is designed for an introductory-level college science course. Topics include the fundamentals of ecology, biodiversity, pollution, climate change, food production, human population growth, and incorporating sustainable approaches in our communities, economies, and environments. This resource is targeted at environmental science students.
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Climate Justice in Your Classroom
Alexandra Anderson-Frey; Brittany Johnson; Mikelle Nuwer; Luanne Thompson · University of Washington · 2023
As the inequitable impacts of climate change become more evident and destructive, it is essential for climate and environmental justice, as well as methods of civic engagement, to be taught at a high-level to college-level students. This book provides real examples of how professors at the University of Washington integrated these critical issues into their teachings, both in targeted lessons and as throughlines across an entire course. These samples of how environmental and climate justice have been successfully integrated into higher-level education can serve as both a record of the UW's progress towards centering JEDI at the heart of all students, and as a model for future instructors to use as they work to incorporate more aspects of justice and engagement into their own material.
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Introduction to Neuroscience
Valerie Hedges · Michigan State University · 2022
Introduction to Neuroscience is designed for undergraduate students enrolled in introductory neuroscience courses. This book specifically targets students enrolled in Introduction to Neuroscience 1 and Introduction to Neuroscience 2 at Michigan State University and primarily contains topics covered in those courses. This first edition will guide students through the structure and function of nervous system cells and nervous system structures, signaling within the nervous system, and introduce various sensory systems. A future edition that will be completed in spring 2023 will include the somatosensory system, motor systems, motivation and reward, stress, sex and the brain, emotions, nervous system disorders, learning, and memory. This text has been remixed and revised from two different open educational resources aimed at undergraduate neuroscience students: Foundations of Neuroscience by Casey Henley, Michigan State University The Open Neuroscience Initiative by Austin Lim, DePaul University In addition, new original content has been added to supplement what was provided in the above texts. The text includes many images and animations throughout and will be divided into shorter chapters that focus on a single topic. As this text is meant for undergraduate students, the writing is aimed at students that have not taken a neuroscience course before. Neuroscience terminology will be defined throughout the text through the use of the embedded Glossary terms to help with ease of reading. Additionally, important terms are bolded. Each chapter will end with an interactive quiz for student self-evaluation of the content. Find errors or have suggestions? Please email hedgesva@msu.edu
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Case Studies in Systems Chemistry
George Fleck · Smith College Open Educational Resources: Textbooks · 1973
This publication was produced as a teaching tool for college chemistry.The book is a text for a computer-based unit on the chemistry of acid-base titrations, and is designed for use with FORTRAN or BASIC.computer systems, and with a programmable electronic calculator, in a variety of educational settings. The text attempts to present computer programs that are relatively free of reliance on specialized large computer systems programs. The case-study approach presented is highly research and laboratory oriented. Similar subject matter is conventionally taught in most introductory college chemistry courses, but this text material attempts greater depth of instruction through utilization of the computational resources of a computer.
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Conservation techniques
Marcia Meixler; Mark Bain · Rutgers University Library Press · 2022
This book fosters the recognition of options for making progress toward increased environmental conservation through an understanding of the underlying science and practice of a variety of conservation techniques. Today, there are expected benefits from integrated science and practice, and many people are promoting this as the way forward to improve our environment. Over time, trends emerge regarding the best way to conserve the environment, but so far an outstanding solution has not emerged. Each conservation technique has its foundational concepts, limitations, and implementation issues. Reviewing a collection of techniques provides a basis for considering which approach will be best for any specific environmental challenge. This book should advance the recognition of the challenges managing the environment, techniques that can be used to address the challenges, and the ways they might help foster the integration of science and the practice of ecological conservation. This book is intended for students and management professionals who might benefit from a vision and guiding path that leads toward achieving ecological conservation for the long-term. This book is unique in the Open Educational Resources (OER) space as it seeks to present a range of conservation techniques with differing science concepts and applications.
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The Story of Earth: An Observational Guide
Daniel Hauptvogel; Virginia Sisson · University of Houston · 2023
This is the second edition of our open-access lab manual for a historical geology lab released for the Fall 2023 semester. It focuses on student observations. We have uploaded this book to Lulu Press so that you may have them print a copy for you. The cost is $21.63 plus shipping. We believe in free access to educational materials, therefore we collect no revenue from Lulu. The price you pay is simply the cost Lulu charges to print the materials for you. You can also download a printable PDF version to print on your own. Do you plan on using the lab manual? Have any questions, comments, suggestions, or notice an error? Please fill out our contact form and let us know!
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Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience
Holly Ahern · Milne Open Textbooks · 2018
As a group of organisms that are too small to see and best known for being agents of disease and death, microbes are not always appreciated for the numerous supportive and positive contributions they make to the living world. Designed to support a course in microbiology, Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience permits a glimpse into both the good and the bad in the microscopic world. The laboratory experiences are designed to engage and support student interest in microbiology as a topic, field of study, and career. This text provides a series of laboratory exercises compatible with a one-semester undergraduate microbiology or bacteriology course with a three- or four-hour lab period that meets once or twice a week. The design of the lab manual conforms to the American Society for Microbiology curriculum guidelines and takes a ground-up approach — beginning with an introduction to biosafety and containment practices and how to work with biological hazards. From there the course moves to basic but essential microscopy skills, aseptic technique and culture methods, and builds to include more advanced lab techniques. The exercises incorporate a semester-long investigative laboratory project designed to promote the sense of discovery and encourage student engagement. The curriculum is rigorous but manageable for a single semester and incorporates best practices in biology education.
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Principles of Biology: Biology 211, 212, and 213
Lisa Bartee; Walter Shriner; Catherine Creech · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2017
The Principles of Biology sequence (BI 211, 212 and 213) introduces biology as a scientific discipline for students planning to major in biology and other science disciplines. Laboratories and classroom activities introduce techniques used to study biological processes and provide opportunities for students to develop their ability to conduct research.
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Radiation Safety
Jason Ballard · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2020
The purpose of this OER is to provide students with a comprehensive textbook aligned with the NDT 130 (Radiographic Testing) course as taught at Linn-Benton Community College.
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Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet
Thomas Murphy · eScholarship · 2021
Where is humanity going? How realistic is a future of fusion and space colonies? What constraints are imposed by physics, by resource availability, and by human psychology? Are default expectations grounded in reality? This textbook, written for a general-education audience, aims to address these questions without either the hype or the indifference typical of many books. The message throughout is that humanity faces a broad sweep of foundational problems as we inevitably transition away from fossil fuels and confront planetary limits in a host of unprecedented ways—a shift whose scale and probable rapidity offers little historical guidance. Salvaging a decent future requires keen awareness, quantitative assessment, deliberate preventive action, and—above all—recognition that prevailing assumptions about human identity and destiny have been cruelly misshapen by the profoundly unsustainable trajectory of the last 150 years. The goal is to shake off unfounded and unexamined expectations, while elucidating the relevant physics and encouraging greater facility in quantitative reasoning. After addressing limits to growth, population dynamics, uncooperative space environments, and the current fossil underpinnings of modern civilization, various sources of alternative energy are considered in detail— assessing how they stack up against each other, and which show the greatest potential. Following this is an exploration of systemic human impediments to effective and timely responses, capped by guidelines for individual adaptations resulting in reduced energy and material demands on the planet’s groaning capacity. Appendices provide refreshers on math and chemistry, as well as supplementary material of potential interest relating to cosmology, electric transportation, and an evolutionary perspective on humanity’s place in nature.
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General Biology II: Survey of Molecular Life and Genetics
Lisa Bartee; Christine Anderson · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2018
BI102: Survey of Molecular Life and Genetics is intended for one term of the introductory biology course for non-science majors taught at many two- and four-year colleges. The concepts of genetics, as they apply to the study of life, are introduced, including the principles of inheritance, genetics, and gene regulation. This textbook incorporates the mandates found in Vision and Change and focuses on the non-content aspects of biology education that are just as important. Additionally, this book explicitly teaches the general education outcomes that we have identified as important for this class. This textbook pulls together biology content resources that are accessible for our community college non-major biology students, as well as resources to provide them with explicit instruction in the quantitative literacy, communication, and information literacy general education outcomes as they relate to the biology content they are learning.
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General Biology I: Survey of Cellular Biology
Lisa Bartee; Christine Anderson · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2018
BI101: Survey of Cellular Biology is intended for one term of the introductory biology course for non-science majors taught at many two- and four-year colleges. The concepts of cellular biology, as they apply to the study of life, are introduced, including parts of a cell, metabolism, and homeostasis. This textbook incorporates the mandates found in Vision and Change and focuses on the non-content aspects of biology education that are just as important. Additionally, this book explicitly teaches the general education outcomes that we have identified as important for this class. This textbook pulls together biology content resources that are accessible for our community college non-major biology students, as well as resources to provide them with explicit instruction in the quantitative literacy, communication, and information literacy general education outcomes as they relate to the biology content they are learning. Contact the author for inquiries about quiz