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OER & ZTC: Open Educational Resources & Zero-Textbook Cost Classes

A guide for faculty about OER & ZTC at El Camino College.

Textbooks

book cover The Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology by Michael Wesch (2018): New Prairie Press.

Anthropology is the study of all humans in all times in all places. But it is so much more than that. “Anthropology requires strength, valor, and courage,” Nancy Scheper-Hughes noted. “Susan Sontag called anthropology a “heroic” profession.” What is the payoff for this heroic journey? You will find ideas that can carry you across rivers of doubt and over mountains of fear to find the the light and life of places forgotten. In this unique book, Dr. Michael Wesch shares many of his own adventures of being an anthropologist and what the science of human beings can tell us about the art of being human.

book coverExplorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology by Beth Shook, Katie Nelson, Kelsie Aguilera & Lara Braff
(2019): American Anthropological Association. 

The focus of this book is biological anthropology, which explores who we are from biological, evolutionary, and adaptive perspectives. We lay the foundation for this inquiry by introducing the discipline of anthropology, evolutionary theory, molecular biology and genetics, and the forces of evolution. The book also covers nonhuman primates, fossils, hominin species and the emergence of Homo sapiens. Finally, the book explores human biological variation and the concept of       race, bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology, and human biology and health in the past and present. 

book coverPerspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology by Nina Brown, Laura Gonzalez & Thomas Mcllwraith
(2020): American Anthropological Association. 

This book is an edited volume with each chapter written by a different author. Each author has written from their experiences working as an anthropologist and that personal touch makes for an accessible introduction to cultural anthropology. Our approach to cultural anthropology is holistic. We see the interconnectedness of cultural practices and, in all of the chapters, we emphasize the comparison of cultures and the ways of life of different peoples. 

Digging into Archaeology by Amanda Wolcott Paskey & AnnMarie Beasley Cisneros (2020): Academic Senate forundefined
California Community College’s Open Educational Resources Initiative. 

This book is intended for use in a variety of introductory archaeology settings. This text can complement an existing traditional text or completely replace a standard text. When we wrote this text, we designed the chapters to be brief, providing concise and to-the-point information. This book is not intended to replace lectures or direct instruction from an instructor; rather, it supports learning in a variety of settings and formats. The book can be printed in whole, read digitally, or used piecemeal in either format. 

book coverThe History of Our Tribe: Hominini by Barbara Welker (2017): Open SUNY. 

This text explores paleoanthropology's past and present. Welker traces the evolution of our species, the environments and selective forces that shaped our ancestors, their physical and cultural adaptations, and the people and places involved with their discovery and study. It is designed as a textbook for a course on Human Evolution but can also serve as an introductory text for relevant sections of courses in Biological or General Anthropology. It is both a comprehensive technical reference for relevant terms, theories, methods, and species and an overview of the people, places, and discoveries that have imbued paleoanthropology with such fascination, romance, and mystery.

undefinedNative Peoples of North America by Susan Stebbins (2013): Open SUNY. 

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.

Book Cover Physical Anthropology by Sarah Etheredge (2019): Taft College/College of the Canyons. 

An Open Educational Resources Publication by Taft College Authored and compiled by Sarah Etheredge Editor: Trudi Radtke. Distributed freely as a ZTC (Zero Cost Textbook) via College of the Canyons in California for their Anthropology 101 course. Lays a foundation explaining all fields of anthropology and then moves to focus on physical and biological anthropology, including primatology, human evolution, cell biology, and human diversity. 

undefined Folklife and Fieldwork: An Introduction to Field Techniques by Peter Bartis (1979/2002): Library of Congress. 

Folklife fieldwork has gone beyond its early missions of preservation and scholarship to serve new uses, such as providing information to economists, environmentalists, and community planners. New technologies for preserving and presenting traditional cultural expression have been developed. A new generation of professionally trained folklorists have emerged from university programs, and many now work in state and local organizations to sponsor concerts, Web site presentations, exhibits, and other cultural heritage programs. Regardless of the number of folklorists, there is still a need for the participation of all citizens in the process of documenting our diverse traditional culture.

book cover Introduction to Human Osteology by Roberta Hall, Kenneth Beals, Holm Neumann, Georg Neumann, Gwyn Madden
(2010): Grand Valley State University. 

This text was designed for use in the human osteology laboratory classroom. Bones are described to aid in identification of skeletonized remains in either an archaeological or forensic anthropology setting. Basic techniques for siding, aging, sexing, and stature estimation are described. Both images of bone and drawings are included which may be used for study purposes outside of the classroom. The text represents work that has been developed over more than 30 years by its various authors and is meant to present students with the basic analytical tools for the study of human osteology.

Courses

Anth 101 (The Art Of Being Human)

ANTH 101 is many things, including: a free alternative to expensive Introduction to Cultural Anthropology textbooks, a full textbook, original videos, podcasts, and curated digital materials, and an open course freely available to anyone online

Introduction to Anthropology (MIT OpenCourseWare)

Through the comparative study of different cultures, anthropology explores fundamental questions about what it means to be human. It seeks to understand how culture both shapes societies and affects the way institutions work.. This course will provide a framework for analyzing diverse facets of human experience such as gender, ethnicity, language, politics, economics, and art.

Magic, Witchcraft, and the Spirit World (MIT OpenCourseWare)

Spiritual, magical, and "occult" aspects of human behavior in anthropological and historical perspective: magic, ritual curing, trance, spirit possession, sorcery, and accusations of witchcraft. Material drawn from traditional nonwestern societies, medieval and early modern Europe, and colonial and contemporary North America.

Survey of Anthropology (Teri Tucker/Open Course Library)

The course begins with a basis in evolutionary theory and human variation. With this foundation, we will explore primate behavior and the fossil record to develop a better understanding of human evolution. We will discuss the archaeological record of early civilizations, the origins and use of language, and the concept of culture in the development of human societies.