I have been concerned with high impact practices and strong student engagement in higher education for a number of years. One aspect of student engagement that I think is often lacking in higher education is a strong connection between course work and a student’s own life, a way to connect learning to life. While it is sometimes easier to see how their major may connect to their life goals, it is not always as easy to see how literature might connect to their world. This project is designed to show a direct connection between texts they read and study in the class and some aspect of their own lives, often an aspect that they may not have thought of in these terms [or in any terms] before. The final project requires students to identify a personal or familial artifact [either tangible or intangible] and apply what they have learned from the fiction they have read to an analysis of that artifact.

This OER will showcase how using examples and discussions of comparable indigenous experiences benefits both Native and non-Native student cultural awareness in the classroom. While IEFA focusses upon Montana Indian histories and experiences, I use film, art, and other forms of material culture to ask students to engage broadly with other indigenous communities within and outside of the United States. Often these examples are shown next to local forms of cultural expression. This exposure, its comparative component, and the analytical discussion of such, has proven to help them understand and appreciate the local indigenous perspectives more clearly than when these local perspectives are studied/discussed in isolation. The OER will outline several exercises and assignments that have proven successful in enabling both Native and non-Native students to develop a wider cultural consciousness than they began with.

The goal of this laboratory is to help students understand that burning fossil fuels, which results in an increase in the acidity of ocean waters, has a detrimental impact on marine life (specifically coral but also other organisms that have calcium carbonate based shells).

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Facilitating a Group Discussion: A Brief Survey and Comparative Analysis of Native American Perceptions in Art, Then and Now

This OER takes a comparative analysis of Native American perceptions in Art and integrates this into an Art Appreciation survey course discussion. The context with which the content fits is "Themes of Art." This dialogue begins with the students' base knowledge of the subject, proceeded by observations of the works of contemporary, female Native American Artist, Wendy Red Star and the paintings of non-native, male artists from the 1800s (i.e. Alfred Jacob Miller, Charles Wimar, George Catlin, Frederic Remington, and Charles M. Russell). The primary pedagogical approaches will be engaging students in dialogue and allowing for a broader visual vocabulary through the study of historical works of art. Large groups will break into more detail specific, smaller groups. The crux of the exercise is to facilitate an appreciation of these works, through socio-political means (outsiders looking in) and the perspective of self-reflection, that of the insider's view.

In the sections of Chapter 1, we’ve included interactive learning content to test your knowledge over Theater history and production, with many knowledge checks over Theatrical Worlds, Edited by Charles Mitchell, as well as Playhouse Square theaters and productions, and other theater content. This content can be used by Theater students anywhere in the world, but will be helpful to those reading Theatrical Worlds.

In Chapter 2, there are analyses of local live performance, written by CSU Theater students and Heather Caprette. They serve as examples of exemplary work for the open assignment 2, as well as provide information about performances of interest to the public theater goers. * A Note of Caution: These analyses can not be copied by other Theater students to satisfy the requirement for an assignment in a course, but will give an idea of what a well written analysis paper looks like. Copying of these assignments to turn in as your own assignment constitutes plagiarism and academic misconduct.

Chapter 3, is an example of how a group of students working together on the recreation of a scene or small part of a play can share their ideas. The part should be less than 10% of a play. The example is being produced by Heather Caprette, MFA, but in the assignment, different students would work on various aspects of the theater production. Elements recreated include: dialogue, character design, set design, stage lighting, costume design, and sound design.

At this time, it’s best to view the Pressbook in Chrome browser, due to some display issues caused by a recent upgrade.

Students examine the collection of letters sent by Florence Nightingale to James George Fife, a Royal Engineer working on Indian irrigation systems. The letters reveal the deep concern for the Indian people that Nightingale possessed and the policies the British government used when dealing with colonial affairs. Across a series of activities and tasks, students will develop an argument on the feelings and treatment of colonial citizens and culminate the lesson by creating an essay summarizing their evidence and argument. Written for grades 9-10, aligned with ELA History and Social Studies standards.

This collection of letters shows Nightingale’s concerns and her challenges with developing policies that would be beneficial to the poor and sick. Nightingale’s primary concern here is sanitation and the care of wounded soldiers. The letters also contain a peek into Nightingale’s private life, describing her views on poetry, plants, and her love of the countryside. Across a series of activities and tasks, students will use the letters as a catalyst to respond to domestic issues and politics during the 1800’s.

This collection of letters shows Nightingale’s concerns and her challenges with developing policies that would be beneficial to the poor and sick. Nightingale’s primary concern here is sanitation and the care of wounded soldiers. The letters also contain a peek into Nightingale’s private life, describing her views on poetry, plants, and her love of the countryside. Across a series of activities and tasks, students will use the letters as a catalyst to respond to domestic issues and politics during the 1800's.

This interactive online visualization allows the user to view a variety of weather patterns including temperature, wind, and wave action over time.

This activity has students make small cuts in processed cheese food and then apply shear stress perpendicular or parallel to the cuts to see what sort of fracturing will occur.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Frankenstein200 is a free, episodic online story game paired with a series of fun hands-on science activities related to robotics, genetic engineering, and electricity. By teaching a robot how to draw, experimenting with simple machines, or even bringing their own “creature” to life, learners will encounter the same questions and ideas Mary Shelley had when writing Frankenstein 200 years ago. In the process, they will develop important skills for exploration, discovery, and critical thinking in the 21st century.