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Precalculus

Contributors: Abramson, Falduto, and Grosss

Publisher: OpenStax

License: CC BY

Precalculus is intended for college-level precalculus students. Since precalculus courses vary from one institution to the next, we have attempted to meet the needs of as broad an audience as possible, including all of the content that might be covered in any particular course. The result is a comprehensive book that covers more ground than an instructor could likely cover in a typical one- or two-semester course; but instructors should find, almost without fail, that the topics they wish to include in their syllabus are covered in the text. Many chapters of Openstax College Precalculus are suitable for other freshman and sophomore math courses such as College Algebra and Trigonometry; however, instructors of those courses might need to supplement or adjust the material. Openstax will also be releasing College Algebra and Algebra and Trigonometry titles tailored to the particular scope, sequence, and pedagogy of those courses.

(7 reviews)

APEX Calculus

Contributors: Hartman, Heinold, Siemers, Chalishajar, and Bowen

Publisher: APEX Calculus

License: CC BY-NC

This text comprises a three–text series on Calculus. The first part covers material taught in many “Calc 1” courses: limits, derivatives, and the basics of integration, found in Chapters 1 through 6.1. The second text covers material often taught in “Calc 2:” integration and its applications, along with an introduction to sequences, series and Taylor Polynomials, found in Chapters 5 through 8. The third text covers topics common in “Calc 3” or “multivariable calc:” parametric equations, polar coordinates, vector–valued functions, and functions of more than one variable, found in Chapters 9 through 14. More information, including free downloads of .pdf versions of the text, is available at www.apexcalculus.com.

(5 reviews)

Native Peoples of North America

Contributor: Stebbins

Publisher: Open SUNY

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Native Peoples of North America is intended to be an introductory text about the Native peoples of North America (primarily the United States and Canada) presented from an anthropological perspective. As such, the text is organized around anthropological concepts such as language, kinship, marriage and family life, political and economic organization, food getting, spiritual and religious practices, and the arts. Prehistoric, historic and contemporary information is presented. Each chapter begins with an example from the oral tradition that reflects the theme of the chapter. The text includes suggested readings, videos, and classroom activities.

(8 reviews)

How We Got from There to Here: A Story of Real Analysis

Contributors: Rogers and Boman

Publisher: Open SUNY

License: CC BY-NC-SA

The typical introductory real analysis text starts with an analysis of the real number system and uses this to develop the definition of a limit, which is then used as a foundation for the definitions encountered thereafter. While this is certainly a reasonable approach from a logical point of view, it is not how the subject evolved, nor is it necessarily the best way to introduce students to the rigorous but highly non-intuitive definitions and proofs found in analysis.

(3 reviews)

Instruction in Functional Assessment

Contributors: Desrochers and Fallon

Publisher: Open SUNY

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Instruction in Functional Assessment introduces learners to functional assessment (FA), which includes a variety of assessment approaches (indirect, observational, and experimental) for identifying the cause of an individual's challenging behavior for the purpose of designing effective treatments. FA is mandated by federal law and is a recognized empirically based approach to treatment of individuals with challenging behaviors (e.g., disruptive, self-injurious, and aggressive behaviors). Instruction in FA is essential for students who will one day enter professions as educators, psychologists, social workers, counselors, or mental health professionals.

(11 reviews)

Guidelines for Improving the Effectiveness of Boards of Directors of Nonprofit Organizations

Contributors: Harrison and Murray

Publisher: Open SUNY

License: CC BY-NC-SA

The purpose of this book is to help boards of directors of nonprofit organizations improve their performance after completing the online board self-assessment tool found at www.boardcheckup.com. However, it can also be used as a stand-alone resource for any board seeking to enhance its effectiveness in that it also contains the diagnostic questions on which the online tool is based.

(6 reviews)

The Missing Link: An Introduction to Web Development and Programming

Contributor: Mendez

Publisher: Open SUNY

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Web development is an evolving amalgamation of languages that work in concert to receive, modify, and deliver information between parties using the Internet as a mechanism of delivery. While it is easy to describe conceptually, implementation is accompanied by an overwhelming variety of languages, platforms, templates, frameworks, guidelines, and standards. Navigating a project from concept to completion often requires more than mastery of one or two complementing languages, meaning today's developers need both breadth, and depth, of knowledge to be effective.

(8 reviews)

Literature, the Humanities, and Humanity

Contributor: Steinberg

Publisher: Open SUNY

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Literature, the Humanities, and Humanity attempts to make the study of literature more than simply another school subject that students have to take. At a time when all subjects seem to be valued only for their testability, this book tries to show the value of reading and studying literature, even earlier literature. It shows students, some of whom will themselves become teachers, that literature actually has something to say to them. Furthermore, it shows that literature is meant to be enjoyed, that, as the Roman poet Horace (and his Renaissance disciple Sir Philip Sidney) said, the functions of literature are to teach and to delight. The book will also be useful to teachers who want to convey their passion for literature to their students. After an introductory chapter that offers advice on how to read (and teach) literature, the book consists of a series of chapters that examine individual literary works ranging from The Iliad to Charles Dickens' Bleak House. These chapters can not substitute for reading the actual works. Rather they are intended to help students read those works. They are attempts to demystify the act of reading and to show that these works, whether they are nearly three thousand or less than two hundred years old, still have important things to say to contemporary readers.

(12 reviews)

Natural Resources Biometrics

Contributor: Kiernan

Publisher: Open SUNY

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Natural Resources Biometrics begins with a review of descriptive statistics, estimation, and hypothesis testing. The following chapters cover one- and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), including multiple comparison methods and interaction assessment, with a strong emphasis on application and interpretation. Simple and multiple linear regressions in a natural resource setting are covered in the next chapters, focusing on correlation, model fitting, residual analysis, and confidence and prediction intervals. The final chapters cover growth and yield models, volume and biomass equations, site index curves, competition indices, importance values, and measures of species diversity, association, and community similarity.

(2 reviews)

U.S. History

Contributors: Corbett, Janssen, and Lund

Publisher: OpenStax

License: CC BY

U.S. Historycovers the breadth of the chronological history of the United States and also provides the necessary depth to ensure the course is manageable for instructors and students alike. U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most courses. The authors introduce key forces and major developments that together form the American experience, with particular attention paid to considering issues of race, class, and gender. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience).

(40 reviews)