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https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/arrivalactivities/chapter/acknowledgements/
|
8 Acknowledgements
Our education and employment as students, instructors, education developers, and learning designers takes place on the lands of the Coast Salish, the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, the Mississaugas of the Credit River, the Algonquin, the Anishinabewaki, the Wendake-Niowentsïo, the Haudenosaunee, and the Attiwonderonk. We strive to follow intent with action and make equity, diversity, and inclusion foundational components of our teaching, educational leadership, and learning practice.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:52.896614
|
10-18-2024
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/arrivalactivities/chapter/acknowledgements/",
"book_url": "https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/arrivalactivities/front-matter/arrival-activities/",
"title": "Arrival Activities",
"author": "Co-designed by students, recent graduates, educational developers, librarians,, instructors",
"institution": "University of Toronto, Mississauga, Western University, York University, Trent University, University of Guelph",
"subject": "Education, Open learning, distance education"
}
|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/arrivalactivities/chapter/appendix-a-resources-from-the-environmental-scan/
|
9 Appendix A: Resources from the Environmental Scan
A selection of resources from our environmental scan are below, arranged by focus:
General Resources and References
- High Stakes and Low Stakes Assessment (2021). Instructional Resources. Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (Citl). https://blog.citl.mun.ca/instructionalresources/high-stakes-and-low-stakes-assessment/.
- Keyes, C. L. M., Eisenberg, D., Perry, G. S., Dube, S. R., Kroenke, K., & Dhingra, S. S. (2012). The relationship of level of positive mental health with current mental disorders in predicting suicidal behavior and academic impairment in college students. Journal of American College Health, 60(2), 126-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2011.608393.
Online Learning
- Berry, S. (2017). Building community in online doctoral classrooms: Instructor practices that support community. Online Learning, 21(2), 1-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i2.875.
- Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. The internet and higher education, 13(1-2), 5-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2009.10.003.
- Yuan, J., & Kim, C. (2014). Guidelines for facilitating the development of learning communities in online courses. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(3), 220-232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12042.
Pedagogy
- Dixson, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and Summative Assessment in the Classroom. Theory Into Practice, 55(2), 153-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1148989.
- Sharples, M. (2019). Practical pedagogy: 40 new ways to teach and learn. Routledge.
Icebreakers/Activities
- Braghirolli, L. F., Ribeiro J. L. D., Weise, A. D., & Pizzolato, M. (2016). Benefits of educational games as an introductory activity in industrial engineering education. Computers in Human Behavior, 58, 315-324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.12.063.
- Kinsella G.K., Mahon C., & Lillis S. (2017). Using pre-lecture activities to enhance learner engagement in a large group setting. Active Learning in Higher Education, 18(3), 231-242. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787417715205.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:52.910991
|
10-18-2024
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/arrivalactivities/chapter/appendix-a-resources-from-the-environmental-scan/",
"book_url": "https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/arrivalactivities/front-matter/arrival-activities/",
"title": "Arrival Activities",
"author": "Co-designed by students, recent graduates, educational developers, librarians,, instructors",
"institution": "University of Toronto, Mississauga, Western University, York University, Trent University, University of Guelph",
"subject": "Education, Open learning, distance education"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/sweetgrass/
|
Main Body
Sweetgrass
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Print the alphabet in upper case letters
- Hear, read, and write words with a short /a/ and a short /i/
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- Complete sentences with original ideas
- Begin a sentence with an upper case letter
Talk About It
- What are some ways that plants help people?
Picture Dictionary |
||
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
||
| hurt | street | braid |
| house | grass | break |
| feelings | bend | walk |
| roots |
Practice reading the words without the pictures. |
||||
| street | house | walk | bend | break |
| hurt | grass | roots | braid | feelings |
Word Skills
Word Patterns
The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. The letter a says /a/ like in apple.
Match the word to the picture.
| cap | sad | rat | sat |
| fat | map | mad | nap |
| 1. ____________ | 2. ____________ | 3. ____________ |
| 4.____________ | 5.____________ | 6. ____________ |
| 7. ____________ | 8.____________ |
Word Patterns
The letter i says /i/ like in itch.
Match the word to the picture.
| lip | wig | rip |
| hit | fin | dig |
| 9. ____________ | 10. ____________ | 11. ____________ |
| 12. ____________ | 13. ____________ | 14. ____________ |
Pick the word that matches the picture. |
|||
| 15. | rit | rat | |
| 16. | fan | fin | |
| 17. | nap | nip | |
| 18. | wag | wig | |
| 19. | sad | sid | |
| 20. | fit | fat |
Read these sentences. Practice writing them. |
| The rat had a nap. |
| The map has a rip. |
| He has a fat lip. |
| She sat on the cap. |
| I am mad. |
You will see these words in the story. They all have the /a/ sound like apple.
| Max | at | grass |
| asks | after | that |
| away | bad | happy |
You will see these words in the story. They all have the /i/ sound like itch.
| live | kids | in |
| is | pick | it |
| if | this | will |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to the story Sweetgrass. Then read Sweetgrass in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
Circle yes if the sentence is right. Circle no if the sentence is wrong.
| 1. Dan used to live on the street. | yes | no |
| 2. Max and Dan are both Cree. | yes | no |
| 3. Sweetgrass is tall. | yes | no |
| 4. Sweetgrass breaks when you step on it. | yes | no |
| 5. Max and Dan eat the sweetgrass. | yes | no |
| 6. Dan says sweetgrass takes away bad feelings. | yes | no |
Writing
Below are all the letters of the alphabet. They are in lower case. Write each letter in upper case. The first one is done for you.
| a ___A___ | b _______ | c _______ | d _______ |
| e _______ | f _______ | g _______ | h _______ |
| i _______ | j _______ | k _______ | l _______ |
| m _______ | n _______ | o _______ | p _______ |
| q _______ | r _______ | s _______ | t _______ |
| u _______ | v _______ | w _______ | x _______ |
| y _______ | z _______ |
Grammar Rule
Always use an upper case letter at the beginning of a sentence.
She has a red wig. – YES
she has a red wig. – NO
Writing Task
What makes you feel better when you feel bad? Fill in the blanks. Your instructor will help you spell.
Example: I feel better when I go for a walk.
1. I feel better when I ________________________________________.
2. I feel better when I ________________________________________.
3. I feel better when I ________________________________________.
Answer Key |
|
| Word Skills | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | map |
| 2 | rat |
| 3 | nap |
| 4 | mad |
| 5 | cap |
| 6 | sat |
| 7 | fat |
| 8 | sad |
| 9 | dig |
| 10 | hit |
| 11 | wig |
| 12 | rip |
| 13 | fin |
| 14 | lip |
| 15 | rat |
| 16 | fin |
| 17 | nap |
| 18 | wig |
| 19 | sad |
| 20 | fat |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | no |
| 2 | yes |
| 3 | yes |
| 4 | no |
| 5 | no |
| 6 | yes |
| Writing | |
| LOWER CASE | UPPER CASE |
| a | A |
| b | B |
| c | C |
| d | D |
| e | E |
| f | F |
| g | G |
| h | H |
| i | I |
| j | J |
| k | K |
| l | L |
| m | M |
| n | N |
| o | O |
| p | P |
| q | Q |
| r | R |
| s | S |
| t | T |
| u | U |
| v | V |
| w | W |
| x | X |
| y | Y |
| z | Z |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:52.954889
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/sweetgrass/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/a-new-flower/
|
Main Body
A New Flower
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Print the alphabet in lower case letters
- Hear, read, and write words with a short /o/ and a short /u/
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- State an opinion about a reading
- End a sentence with a period or question mark
Talk About It
- Do you have any grandparents? What will you always remember about them?
Picture Dictionary |
||
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
||
| grandma | plane | flowers |
| garden | club | know |
| long | time | home |
| smile |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
||||
| time | garden | smile | home | club |
| flowers | long | know | plane | grandma |
Word Skills
Word Patterns
The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. The letter o makes an /o/ sound like in octopus.
Match each word to a picture.
| log | mop | dot | jog | hot |
| cot | cop | pot | top | box |
| 1. ____________ | 2. ____________ | 3. ____________ |
| 4. ____________ | 5. ____________ | 6. ____________ |
| 7. ____________ | 8. ____________ | 9. ____________ |
| 10. ____________ |
Word Patterns
The letter u says /u/ like in up.
Match each word to a picture.
| sun | mud | rug | mug | pup |
| bug | cup | gum | nut |
| 11. ____________ | 12. ____________ | 13. ____________ |
| 14. ____________ | 15. ____________ | 16. ____________ |
| 17. ____________ | 18.____________ | 19. ____________ |
Pick the word that matches the picture. |
|||
| 20. | mup | mop | |
| 21. | bug | bog | |
| 22. | gum | gom | |
| 23. | jog | jug | |
| 24. | cop | cup | |
| 25. | bux | box |
Read these sentences. Practice writing the words. Begin with an upper case letter. |
| The mug is hot. |
| Is this gum on the rug? |
| Can you mop up the mud? |
| The pup had a nap on the cot. |
| The cop sat on the log. |
You will see these words in the story. They all have the /o/ sound like octopus.
| lot | not | on |
You will see these words in the story. They all have the /u/ sound like up.
| clubs | but | hunt |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to A New Flower. Then read A New Flower in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
1. Who goes on a plane for the first time?
________________ goes on a plane for the first time.
2. What does the grandma see that she has never seen before?
The grandma sees a ________________.
3. What three things do men do back home?
Back home, men ________________, ________________, and ________________.
4. What makes Dave different from the men back home?
Dave is different from the men back home because he knows about ________________.
5. Do you think the grandma likes Dave? Why or why not? Discuss with a classmate.
Writing
Below are all the letters of the alphabet. They are in upper case. Write each letter in lower case. The first one is done for you.
| A ___a___ | B _______ | C _______ | D _______ |
| E _______ | F _______ | G _______ | H _______ |
| I _______ | J _______ | K _______ | L _______ |
| M _______ | N _______ | O _______ | P _______ |
| Q _______ | R _______ | S _______ | T _______ |
| U _______ | V _______ | W _______ | X _______ |
| Y _______ | Z _______ |
Grammar Rule
A sentence can be a question or a statement.
A question asks for information. It ends with a question mark.
What is your name? – YES
What is your name – NO
What is your name. – NO
A statement gives information. It ends with a period.
My name is Ted. – YES
My name is Ted – NO
Writing Task
Think of a time when you acted differently from how people expect a man or woman to act. Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
|
| Word Skills | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | cop |
| 2 | box |
| 3 | mop |
| 4 | dot |
| 5 | top |
| 6 | cot |
| 7 | jog |
| 8 | pot |
| 9 | log |
| 10 | hot |
| 11 | pup |
| 12 | nut |
| 13 | bug |
| 14 | mud |
| 15 | sun |
| 16 | gum |
| 17 | rug |
| 18 | mug |
| 19 | cup |
| 20 | mop |
| 21 | bug |
| 22 | gum |
| 23 | jog |
| 24 | cup |
| 25 | box |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | The grandma |
| 2 | flower |
| 3 | hunt, fish, farm |
| 4 | flowers |
| Writing | |
| UPPER CASE | LOWER CASE |
| A | a |
| B | b |
| C | c |
| D | d |
| E | e |
| F | f |
| G | g |
| H | h |
| I | i |
| J | j |
| K | k |
| L | l |
| M | m |
| N | n |
| O | o |
| P | p |
| Q | q |
| R | r |
| S | s |
| T | t |
| U | u |
| V | v |
| W | w |
| X | x |
| Y | y |
| Z | z |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:52.996238
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/a-new-flower/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/the-sack-garden/
|
Main Body
The Sack Garden
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Print the alphabet in order using upper case letters
- Hear, read, and write words with a short /e/
- Hear, read, and write words with a long /e/ (spelled ee)
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- Describe the sequence of a story
- State an opinion about a reading
- Use an upper case letter to begin a person’s name
Talk About it
- Have you ever had a garden? What did you grow?
- What did you like about having a garden?
- What was hard about having a garden?
Picture Dictionary |
||
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
||
| South Africa | three | white |
| farm | money | land |
| sack | rock | middle |
| dirt | one | hole |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
|||
| one | sack | land | dirt |
| South Africa | hole | money | three |
| white | middle | farm | rock |
Word Skills
The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. Vowels have short sounds and long sounds. So far, you have looked at short vowel sounds:
- A short /a/ says /a/ like in apple.
- A short /i/ says /i/ like in itch. A short /o/ says /o/ like in octopus.
- A short /u/ says /u/ like in up.
Word Patterns
A short /e/ makes an /e/ sound like in Expo.
Match each word to a picture.
| bed | pet | net | red |
| web | pen | wet | vet |
| 1. ____________ | 2. ____________ | 3. ____________ |
| 4. ____________ | 5. ____________ | 6. ____________ |
| 7. ____________ | 8. ____________ |
Word Patterns
Vowels can also make a long sound. The letters ee make a long /e/ sound like in jeep.
Match each word to a picture.
| see | bee | green | weed |
| tree | feet | three | feed |
| 9. __________ | 10. __________ | 11. __________ |
| 12. __________ | 13. __________ | 14. __________ |
| 15. __________ | 16. __________ |
Pick the word that matches the picture. |
|||
| 17. | wet | weet | |
| 18. | neet | net | |
| 19. | weed | wed | |
| 20. | se | see | |
| 21. | web | weeb | |
| 22. | peet | pet |
Read these sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters correctly. Use periods and question marks correctly. |
| My pet is at the vet. |
| I did not see the bee. |
| I got my feet wet. |
| This is a red pen. |
| She is not in bed. |
You will see these words in the reading. They have the short /e/ sound like Expo.
| Meg | rest | eggplant |
You will see these words in the reading. They have the long /e/ sound like jeep.
| three | feed | weeds |
| green | need |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to The Sack Garden. Then read The Sack Garden in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
1. Where does Meg live?
Meg lives in _____________________.
2. Who owns most of the farmland in South Africa?
_____________________ own most of the farmland in South Africa.
3. What does Meg use to grow a garden?
Meg uses a _____________________ to grow a garden.
Are these sentences true? Circle yes or no.
| 4. A sack garden costs a lot of money. | yes | no |
| 5. A sack garden takes up a lot of room. | yes | no |
| 6. A sack garden does not have many weeds. | yes | no |
7. How do you make a sack garden? Put these steps in the right order (1, 2, 3).
_____ Make little holes in the side of the sack.
_____ Put dirt and rocks in the sack.
_____ Put plants in the holes.
Writing
Write all the letters of the alphabet in order. Use upper case letters.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Grammar Rule
Use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name.
This is Meg. – YES
This is meg. – NO
Write your full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.
_______________________________________________________
Find a classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.
_______________________________________________________
Find another classmate. Write their full name on the line below. Use upper case letters to begin each name.
_______________________________________________________
Writing Task
Have you ever had a garden?
If so, tell your instructor about your garden. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
If not, imagine you were going to plant a garden. Think about what you would want to grow. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
|
| Word Skills | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | web |
| 2 | net |
| 3 | red |
| 4 | vet |
| 5 | pen |
| 6 | bed |
| 7 | pet |
| 8 | wet |
| 9 | green |
| 10 | bee |
| 11 | feet |
| 12 | see |
| 13 | feed |
| 14 | tree |
| 15 | three |
| 16 | weed |
| 17 | wet |
| 18 | net |
| 19 | weed |
| 20 | see |
| 21 | web |
| 22 | pet |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | South Africa |
| 2 | white people |
| 3 | sack |
| 4 | no |
| 5 | no |
| 6 | yes |
| 7 | 2, 1, 3 |
| Writing | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.039208
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/the-sack-garden/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/vals-garden/
|
Main Body
Val’s Garden
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Print the alphabet in order using lower case letters
- Read and write words with the endings -s, -ing, and -ed
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- Complete sentences by adding a missing word
- Use an upper case letter to begin a person’s name
Talk About It
- Do you like to get to know the people who live near you? Why or why not?
Picture Dictionary |
||
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
||
| new | city | vegetables |
| woman | sidewalk | carrots |
| tomatoes | beans | peas |
| talk | family | door |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
|||
| sidewalk | peas | carrots | family |
| door | city | woman | vegetables |
| talk | beans | new | tomatoes |
Word Skills
Word Patterns
Words can have endings. Some common word endings are –s, –ing, and –ed.
| –s | –ing | –ed | |
| look | looks | looking | looked |
| pull | pulls | pulling | pulled |
| talk | talks | talking | talked |
1. Fill in this chart.
| –s | –ing | –ed | |
| bill | |||
| fill | |||
| walk | |||
| pick | |||
| kick |
Word Patterns
| The word ending –s can show there is more than one of something. | |
| carrot | carrots |
| bean | beans |
| pea | peas |
How many do you see? |
||
| 2. | egg or eggs? | |
| 3. | rock or rocks? | |
| 4. | bug or bugs? | |
| 5. | pen or pens? | |
| 6. | tree or trees? | |
| 7. | rat or rats? |
Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly. |
| The dog naps with the cats. |
| This log has bugs on it. |
| Tim jogs a lot. |
| The kids got on the bus. |
| Can you get the red cups? |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to Val’s Garden. Then read Val’s Garden in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
| garden | family | new | vegetables |
| box | passes on | Val | sidewalk |
Fill in the blanks with the right word or words.
1. I am _______________ to the city.
2. A woman named _______________ lives next door.
3. She grows a vegetable garden by the _______________.
4. She gives me a _______________ of vegetables.
5. She _______________.
6. I take care of her _______________.
7. A _______________ moves next door.
8. I give them a box of _______________ from Val’s garden.
Writing
Grammar Rule
You can use words from a question to make your own sentence.
| Question: | Who has a garden? |
| Answer: | Val has a garden. |
| Question: | What vegetables are in Val’s garden? |
| Answer: | Carrots, tomatoes, beans, and peas are in Val’s garden. |
| Question: | Who moves next door when Val passes on? |
| Answer: | A family moves next door when Val passes on. |
| Question: | What is given to the family next door? |
| Answer: | A box of vegetables is given to the family next door. |
Answer the questions. Use the underlined words to form your answer.
1. Who talks to plants?
____________________________________________________
2. What gets dry after Val passes on?
____________________________________________________
3. What looks sad after Val passes on?
____________________________________________________
4. Write all the letters of the alphabet in order. Use lower case letters.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Writing Task
Think of a time when a neighbour was nice to you, or a time when you were nice to a neighbour. Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down what you say. Then copy the story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Word Skills | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | eggs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | rocks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | bug | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | pens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | tree | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | rat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Check Your Understanding | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | new | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Val | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | sidewalk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | box | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | passes on | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | garden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | family | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | vegetables | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Writing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Val talks to plants. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | The dirt gets dry after Val passes on. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | The plants looks sad after Val passes on. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.076876
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/vals-garden/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/gm-food/
|
Main Body
GM Food
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Hear, read, and write blends with r, l, and t
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- State an opinion about a reading
- Give sentence answers to questions
Talk About It
- Have you heard that people in labs make new kinds of fruits and vegetables?
- Would you mind eating fruits and vegetables that were made by people in a lab?
Picture Dictionary |
||
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
||
| hard | cold | weather |
| crop | rain | fruits |
| sold | change | company |
| help | bird | test |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
|||
| sold | test | fruits | crop |
| hard | help | weather | rain |
| bird | change | company | cold |
Word Skills
Word Patters
A consonant is any letter that is not a vowel. For example, the letters b, c, d, f, g, h, and j are consonants. A blend is when two consonants go together and each consonant makes a sound.
The letters dr in drip are a blend.
Read these words. Underline the blend. The first one is done for you.
|
||
| 1. clap | 2. frog | 3. step |
| 4. plum | 5. drum | 6. stop |
| 7. club | 8. crib | 9. star |
| 10. flag | 11. crab | 12. stem |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
||
| crab | star | club |
| stem | plum | clap |
| step | flag | crib |
| frog | stop | drum |
Your instructor will read these words to you. Underline the blend in each word. You will see these words in the story. |
||
| crop | fruit | grow |
| dry | stay | cold |
| sold | test |
Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly. |
| Stop the car. |
| Do not step on the bug. |
| We put up a flag. |
| He hit the drum. |
| Was she bitten by a crab? |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to GM Food. Then read GM Food in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
Does each sentence say something good or bad about GM food?
| 1. GM food can grow in cold weather. | good | bad |
| 2. GM food may kill bugs we need, like butterflies. | good | bad |
| 3. GM food may make birds sick. | good | bad |
| 4. GM food can stop bugs from eating it. | good | bad |
| 5. GM food may make people sick. | good | bad |
| 6. There have not been many tests on GM food. | good | bad |
| 7. GM food may grow in dry land in Africa. | good | bad |
| 8. GM food can stay good longer. | good | bad |
9. Do you think farmers should grow GM food? Use the underlined words to help form your answer.
____________________________________________________
Writing
Grammar Rule
You can use words from a question to form an answer.
Question: Why is farming a hard job?
Answer: Farming is a hard job because cold weather can kill your crops.
Two things changed from the question to the answer:
- is farming changed to farming is
- because was used
Answer this question in three more ways.
Why is farming a hard job?
1. _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Writing Task
Have you ever visited a farm? Or have you ever visited a farmers’ market? Tell your instructor about your visit. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
|
| Word Patterns | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | clap |
| 2 | frog |
| 3 | step |
| 4 | plum |
| 5 | drum |
| 6 | stop |
| 7 | club |
| 8 | crib |
| 9 | star |
| 10 | flag |
| 11 | crab |
| 12 | stem |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | good |
| 2 | bad |
| 3 | bad |
| 4 | good |
| 5 | bad |
| 6 | bad |
| 7 | good |
| 8 | good |
| Writing | |
| (Any three of the sentences below are correct.) | |
| Farming is a hard job because bugs can eat your crops. | |
| Farming is a hard job because weeds can hurt your crops. | |
| Farming is a hard job because your crops may need more rain than they get. | |
| Farming is a hard job because fruits and vegetables can go bad before they are sold. |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.111486
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/gm-food/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/tomatoes/
|
Main Body
Tomatoes
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Hear, read, and write words with digraphs (sh, th, ch, and ck)
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- State an opinion about a reading
- Name some common symbols
Talk About It
- What foods can be made with tomatoes?
- What is your favourite food that can be made with tomatoes?
Picture Dictionary |
||
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
||
| South America | Europe | doctor |
| world | sauce | soup |
| juice | salsa | ketchup |
| leaf | stem | space |
| fight | Spain | taste |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
||||
| doctor | sauce | leaf | taste | fight |
| juice | soup | world | stem | Europe |
| South America | Spain | space | ketchup | salsa |
Word Skills
Word Patterns
| A digraph is when two letters together make one sound. Here are some common digraphs. | |
| sh like in ship | |
| ch like in chin | |
| th like in thumb | |
| ck like in sock |
Say what is in the picture. What digraph is in each word?
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
| sh ch th ck | sh ch th ck | sh ch th ck |
|
4 |
5 |
6 |
| sh ch th ck | sh ch th ck | sh ch th ck |
|
7 |
8 |
9 |
| sh ch th ck | sh ch th ck | sh ch th ck |
How many sounds do you hear in these words? |
||
|
10 |
mop |
3 |
|
11 |
sun |
_______ |
|
12 |
web |
_______ |
|
13 |
fish |
_______ |
|
14 |
lock |
_______ |
|
15 |
crab |
_______ |
|
16 |
stop |
_______ |
Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, question marks, and exclamation marks correctly. |
| Get in the bath. |
| The fish is wet. |
| Do not lock me in! |
| I cut my chin. |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to Tomatoes. Then read Tomatoes in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions. Use the underlined words from the question to form your answer.
1. Who used to tell people that tomatoes would make them sick?
____________________________________________
2. What part of the tomato plant will make people sick?
____________________________________________
3. What place has a big tomato fight every year?
____________________________________________
4. Why do farms pick tomatoes before they are ripe?
____________________________________________
Writing
Grammar Rule
This is how to write an address:
639 Sun Street
Golden, British Columbia V0A 1H0
Write your address on the lines below.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Match the word with the correct symbol.
| equals | dollars | and |
| at | plus |
& |
$ |
+ |
= |
@ |
| 1.
_____ |
2.
_____ |
3.
_____ |
4.
_____ |
5.
_____ |
Fill in the blank with the correct symbol.
6. The bill came to ___ 10.00.
7. My email is tim___gmail.com.
8. Kim ___ Sam got a cat.
9. One ___ one = two.
10. Two + two ___ 4.
Writing Task
Think of a food you like to make using tomatoes. Tell your instructor how you make this food. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
|
| Word Skills | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | fish, sh |
| 2 | rock, ck |
| 3 | duck, ck |
| 4 | chip, ch |
| 5 | bath, th |
| 6 | cheese, ch |
| 7 | sheep, sh |
| 8 | three, th |
| 9 | lock, ck |
| 10 | 3 |
| 11 | 3 |
| 12 | 3 |
| 13 | 3 |
| 14 | 3 |
| 15 | 4 |
| 16 | 4 |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | Doctors used to tell people that tomatoes would make them sick. |
| 2 | A tomato leaf or stem will make people sick. |
| 3 | Spain has a big tomato fight every year. |
| 4 | Farms pick tomatoes before they are ripe because they last longer this way. |
| Writing | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | and |
| 2 | dollars |
| 3 | plus |
| 4 | equals |
| 5 | at |
| 6 | $ |
| 7 | @ |
| 8 | & |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | = |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.149488
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/tomatoes/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/how-to-grow-tomatoes/
|
Main Body
Grow Your Own Tomatoes
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Hear, read, and write words with short vowels
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- State an opinion about a reading
- Complete sentences by adding a word
Talk About It
- Do you have any plants? What kind?
- What is good about growing your own food?
Picture Dictionary
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words.
| potting soil | warm | window |
| hour | tie | stick |
| colour | bottom |
Practice reading these words without the pictures.
| hour | stick | bottom | colour |
| window | warm | potting soil | tie |
Word Skills
Word Patterns
You have learned to read these vowel sounds:
a says /a/ like apple
e says /e/ like Expo
i says /i/ like itch
o says /o/ like octopus
u says /u/ like up
You will see these short vowel words in the story. Read each word. Listen to the short vowel sound. Sort it in the list below.
| pot | big | sun | wet | bit |
| yet | top | add | pack | pick |
| /a/ like apple | /e/ like Expo | /i/ like itch | /o/ like octopus | /u/ like up |
|
|
|
Can you think of more short vowel words? Add your words to the chart.
Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly. |
| Is the pot hot? |
| Did you pack yet? |
| The bug bit me. |
| Do not pop the zit. |
| We sat in the sun. |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to Grow Your Own Tomatoes. Then read Grow Your Own Tomatoes in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
| sun | ripe | pot | seed | wet |
- Fill the _____________ with soil.
- Put a _____________ in the soil.
- Add water. Keep the soil _____________.
- Put the pot by a window with lots of _____________.
- Pick the tomatoes when they are _____________.
Writing Task
Have you ever picked fruit, such as berries, in a field, forest, or orchard? Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
|||||||||||
| Word Skills | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Check Your Understanding | |||||||||||
| QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||
| 1 | pot | ||||||||||
| 2 | seed | ||||||||||
| 3 | wet | ||||||||||
| 4 | sun | ||||||||||
| 5 | ripe |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.174042
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/how-to-grow-tomatoes/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/canadas-tallest-tree/
|
Main Body
Canada’s Tallest Tree
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Hear, read, and write words with long vowels
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- Give sentence answers to questions
Talk About It
- Have you ever gone for a hike? Where?
- Do you have a favourite forest to walk in?
Picture Dictionary |
||
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
||
| hunt | Vancouver Island | logger |
| path | forest | tall |
| awe | park | risk |
| down |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
||||
| forest | awe | down | hunt | tall |
| risk | Vancouver Island | logger | park | path |
Word Skills
Word Patterns
Many words end in e. The e is silent but can make the first vowel in the word say its name.
|
cap |
cape |
|
kit |
kite |
|
rob |
robe |
Match the word to the picture.
| rake | dime | nose | cake |
| nine | home | rice | gate |
| 1. _____________ | 2. _____________ | 3. _____________ |
| 4. _____________ | 5. _____________ | 6. _____________ |
| 7. _____________ | 8. _____________ |
You will see these words in the story. Practice reading them.
| name | like | made |
| take | more | save |
Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, question marks, and exclamation marks correctly. |
| Meg has nine cats. |
| Lock the gate. |
| What is your name? |
| Save me! |
| Can I have more cake? |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to Canada’s Tallest Tree. Then read Canada’s Tallest Tree in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions. Use the underlined words to help you form a sentence.
1. Where is Canada’s tallest tree?
___________________________________________________
2. How tall is Canada’s tallest tree?
___________________________________________________
3. Who was the first person to find Canada’s tallest tree?
___________________________________________________
4. What did the forest with Canada’s tallest tree become?
___________________________________________________
5. What are many of BC’s old forests at risk of?
___________________________________________________
Writing Task
Think of a time something in nature filled you with awe, or made you feel amazed. Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
|
| Word Skills | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | rice |
| 2 | dime |
| 3 | gate |
| 4 | home |
| 5 | rake |
| 6 | nose |
| 7 | nine |
| 8 | cake |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | Canada’s tallest tree is on Vancouver Island. |
| 2 | Canada’s tallest tree is 314 feet tall. |
| 3 | A logger was the first person to find Canada’s tallest tree. |
| 4 | The forest with Canada’s tallest tree is now a park. |
| 5 | Many of BC’s old forests are at risk of being cut down. |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.202033
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/canadas-tallest-tree/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/arctic-plants/
|
Main Body
Arctic Plants
Learning Goals
In this chapter, you will learn to:
- Identify rhyming words
- Copy short sentences
- Read common sight words in a paragraph
- Answer questions about a story
- Give sentence answers to questions
- Give an opinion on a reading
Talk About It
- Would you ever want to go to the arctic? Why or why not?
Picture Dictionary |
||
Use the pictures to help you figure out the words. |
||
| arctic | beautiful | winter |
| dark | summer | ice |
| water | heat | together |
| wind | willow | poppy |
| bright |
Practice reading these words without the pictures. |
||||
| beautiful | dark | winter | wind | willow |
| bright | heat | together | water | summer |
| arctic | ice | poppy |
Word Skills
Word Patterns
Two words rhyme when the endings sound the same. For example, these words rhyme:
- car and bar
- net and jet
- fill and hill
- pot and rot
- nut and cut
Find the words that rhyme. The first one is done for you.
| land | try | mice | ||
| lot | ice | hand | sky | dot |
1. sun run
2. ______________ ______________
3. ______________ ______________
4. ______________ ______________
5. ______________ ______________
Read the sentences. Then copy them. Use upper case letters, periods, and question marks correctly. |
| The mice hid in the hole. |
| Do you like this dish? |
| Do not slip on the ice. |
| Can we chat? |
| We had a lot of fun. |
Use Your Reading Skills
Listen to Arctic Plants. Then read Arctic Plants in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1.
Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions. Use the underlined words to form a sentence.
1. How long does summer in the arctic last?
___________________________________________________
2. What plant adds a bit of heat to the ground so other plants can grow?
___________________________________________________
3. What do the plants do to last in the cold wind?
___________________________________________________
4. Why is the arctic willow different from other trees?
___________________________________________________
5. What does the arctic poppy always face?
___________________________________________________
6. What plant do you like best?
___________________________________________________
Writing Task
Think of a time when you had to be strong and brave. Tell the story to your instructor. Your instructor will write down your words. Then copy your story into your notebook.
When you are done, read your story.
- Did you begin each sentence with an upper case letter?
- Did you use an upper case letter at the beginning of a person’s name?
- Did you end each sentence with a period or question mark?
- Are you missing any words?
Answer Key |
|
| Word Skills | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | sun, run |
| 2 | land, hand |
| 3 | try, sky |
| 4 | mice, ice |
| 5 | lot, dot |
| Check Your Understanding | |
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1 | Summer in the arctic lasts for just a few weeks. |
| 2 | Arctic moss adds a bit of heat to the ground so other plants can grow. |
| 3 | Plants stay together to last in the cold wind. |
| 4 | The arctic willow is different from other trees because it grows on its side. |
| 5 | The arctic poppy always faces the sun. |
| 6 | Answers will vary. |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.228081
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/chapter/arctic-plants/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealf1/front-matter/about-bccampus/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/chapter-1/
|
Main Body
The Most Amazing Structure on Earth
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Some people say the human brain is the most amazing structure on Earth. Our brain is so complex that it took about 700 million years to develop! The human being started out as a wormlike creature that used one end of its body to move forward. Over millions of years, a bunch of nerves began developing at that one end — the head. This helped the creature sense food, light, and danger as soon as possible. That bunch of nerves became a brain. Next, the creature grew a spinal cord that carried messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Eventually, the creature became a fish with a very simple nose, eyes, and ears. Now the brain could receive messages containing sights, sounds, and smells. Over time, the fish grew arms and legs so it could move around on land. For this, it developed a bigger and more complex brain. Millions of years passed, and the creature became a monkey. The parts of the brain for seeing and being social became very strong. Finally, it became human, with a brain highly capable of reason, emotion, creativity, memory, and the ability to judge right from wrong.
Believe it or not, people used to think of the brain as useless stuffing. Now we know that the brain is our control centre. The surface of the brain, known as the cerebral cortex, is the part of the brain that makes us so smart. The cerebral cortex has four parts, called lobes. The front lobe is where much of our thinking and feeling happens. The top lobe processes information coming from our skin, muscles, and joints. The side lobe plays an important role in hearing, speech, and long-term memories. The back lobe processes images from our eyes.
Which do you think is more powerful: your brain or a supercomputer? You might be surprised to learn that the world’s best supercomputer is only about as powerful as half a mouse brain! Your brain is packed with 100 billion brain cells called neurons. Neurons send information to your body telling it what to do, and they receive information from your body about what you are seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, and feeling. Your spinal cord, which is found down the centre of your back, is the highway the information uses to travel to and from your other body parts. As the information travels from neuron to neuron, pathways are created. When you think about or practice something over and over, those pathways get stronger. That’s how the brain learns and remembers. You were born with most of the neurons you have now, but when you were a baby, you didn’t have many pathways to connect them. As an adult, you now have more than 125 trillion connections between your neurons. No computer on Earth can compete with the speed of your brain and how much information it can hold.
Yet the human brain is still very mysterious. Why do our brains need sleep? Why do we dream? What does it mean to be smart? Do we really have a self, or is the self an illusion? There is a lot about the brain that we do not know. Even so, the facts scientists have discovered so far can be very helpful in our daily lives. This book is like a user guide for your brain based on what we do know. It will help you take charge of your ability to learn and grow in the ways that matter most to you.
Attributions
Human brain
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
Scans of a brain
Image by WikiImages is in the public domain.
|
pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.238820
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/chapter-1/",
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/the-many-faces-of-genius/
|
Main Body
The Many Faces of Genius
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Is intelligence something that is measured by success in school? Not always. In 1895, Albert Einstein wrote an exam to get into university. He failed all the non-science parts of the test. Yet Einstein went on to become one of the world’s best-known geniuses. Winston Churchill struggled in school and failed sixth grade. He went on to win a Nobel Prize and be elected prime minister of the United Kingdom twice. Whoopi Goldberg struggled to read and write and eventually dropped out of high school. She went on to win every major award for excellence in show business: the Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy.
These stories show us that intelligence is more complex than something that can be measured by schoolwork and tests. In fact, intelligence is so complex that scientists cannot even agree on how to define it. Some people think of intelligence as the ability to solve problems, learn new things, or adapt to new situations. Others think of intelligence as the ability to cope in the world.
Being intelligent is often seen as the same as being good at reading, writing, and math. These are the subjects that schools tend to focus on. But people can be intelligent in a variety of different ways. For example, people can be:
- Picture smart: able to visualize, read maps, and draw
- Word smart: able to read, write, tell stories, and explain things
- Logic smart: able to solve puzzles, work with shapes, see patterns, or figure out machines like computers
- Body smart: able to dance, act, play sports, or work with their hands
- Music smart: able to pick up a tune or rhythm, sing, play an instrument, or compose music
- People smart: able to get along with people, understand how others are feeling, or give good advice
- Self smart: able to sort out their feelings, know their strengths and weaknesses, or make personal decisions
- Nature smart: able to understand the natural world and their role in it
To learn more about what you are good at, try out the quiz at http://www.literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html. This website will also give you ideas for using your strengths to improve your reading and writing skills.
Attributions
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein-Colorized by DonkeyHotey is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi by Archman8 is used under a CC BY SA 2.0 license.
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.249790
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09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/the-many-faces-of-genius/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/front-matter/about-the-book/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 5",
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"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/the-many-pathways-to-knowledge/
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Main Body
The Many Pathways to Knowledge
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
We often think people are either born smart or they aren’t. But geniuses in writing, chess, music, sports, and so on, tend to share three things in common. First, they began learning their skill early in life. Second, they practiced more than 20 hours a week over at least a decade. Third, they took on challenges that were just above their level. This tells us that intelligence is not something we either have or we don’t have; it is something that we can build with practice.
Lots of factors other than our brains affect how well we learn. For example, we will have a harder time learning if: we are having difficulties at home; we aren’t getting along with our peers; the information we are learning does not match our interests; our school does not respect our identities; we aren’t getting enough healthy food; or the way something is taught does not fit with how we learn. Often, people who have not done well in school think they are not smart, but really these other factors were part of the problem.
In the 1950s, Barbara Arrowsmith-Young was an elementary school student in Toronto. No matter how hard she tried, she could not learn to tell time. She did not understand complex ideas or how they connected to each other. She wrote letters backwards and struggled to learn the rules of math and grammar. Her teachers said she had a learning disability. She dreaded the thought of going to high school so much that she tried to take her own life. When she did not succeed, she felt angry with herself for not even being able to get that right. But the world is a better place because Barbara survived that difficult time.
When Barbara was 25 years old, she learned about a scientist who found that the structure of the brain could be changed by experience and exercise. She decided to create exercises to change her brain to do the things she was supposedly unable to do. She practiced turning the hands of a watch to the correct time. Then she practiced drawing clock faces that showed the correct time. Slowly, she made these exercises harder and tried to do them faster. She practiced everyday, sometimes up to 12 hours a day. Eventually, she could tell time, and she also began to understand the rules of math and grammar. The exercises she made up actually changed the structure of her brain. Scientists say there are two possible explanations. One explanation is that the parts of her brain that work well were able to change their structure to make up for the parts that didn’t. The other explanation is that the parts of her brain that didn’t work changed until they did.
After this amazing success, Barbara went on to create more exercises to solve other problems she was experiencing. For example, she learned to read maps and overcome her physical clumsiness.
Barbara’s story suggests that a brain that gets labelled as having a learning disability may just learn differently. Everybody learns in their own way and at their own pace. If we try different approaches, we may be able to find an approach that works best for us. Today, Barbara runs schools that help students who learn in different ways. Many more people who thought they couldn’t learn have found out that they can. The human brain is full of surprises!
Attributions
Learning
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.259932
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09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/the-many-pathways-to-knowledge/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/front-matter/about-the-book/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 5",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/boost-your-brainpower/
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Main Body
Boost Your Brainpower
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Many different factors affect how well we learn. While we can’t control all of these factors, there are many that we can. Below are 10 things we can do to help our brains work better.
1. Eat healthy foods
The fuel for the brain comes from the calories in the food we eat. In fact, 20% of the calories we eat are used by our brain. Not all calories are equally good for your brain. Canada’s Food Guide explains how to make healthy choices. Research suggests that some foods might be especially good for memory and concentration, such as egg yolk, whole grains, nuts, fish, dark green leafy vegetables, beans, strawberries, and blueberries.
2. Drink enough water
The brain is more than 70% water. If we don’t drink enough water, it affects our concentration. We need around six to eight glasses of non-sugary, non-alcoholic fluid each day. Research suggests that the brain does not do well with sudden rushes of sugar, so sweet fizzy drinks do not really help your brain.
3. Get oxygen to your brain
Oxygen is carried to your brain by your blood. When you move your body, your blood flow increases and your brain gets more oxygen. Going for a walk, a run, or a bike ride really helps get oxygen to your brain. Taking deep breaths and stretching also helps.
4. Rest
Getting enough rest boosts our mood and helps us concentrate. What’s more, when we are asleep, the brain practices what we were doing during the day. We actually learn in our sleep. If you have a hard time falling asleep at night, try listening to gentle music, thinking positive thoughts, or reading something funny to relax you. Avoid video games and exciting TV shows in the hour before bedtime.
5. Manage your stress levels
It can be hard not to feel stressed out by schoolwork that we find challenging. Stress stops the brain from working at its best. Some people find it helpful to imagine a beautiful box. When it’s time to focus on schoolwork, imagine putting all the things that stress you into that box. Imagine a place where you put the box away until you have time to deal with what’s inside.
6. Organize yourself
Being organized helps you decide how to use your time well. Use a day planner or calendar to keep track of important times and dates. This will help you plan ahead, set priorities, be on time, and meet deadlines. Make to-do lists every week and set goals for when you will finish each thing on your list.
7. Challenge yourself
Your brain likes to try new things. Trying new things makes dopamine in your brain. Dopamine helps you feel excited and satisfied. Try listening to music that’s different from what you normally listen to. Cook something you’ve never cooked before. Learn the words to a song. Taste something you’ve never tasted before. Start a new hobby or sport. Go to an art gallery.
8. Motivate yourself
Whenever you cross something off your to-do list, feel proud of yourself. You might reward yourself, too. Do something you enjoy like watching a TV show, talking to a friend on the phone, eating a treat, or taking a rest. Also, practice positive self-talk. When you make a mistake, try thinking “how fascinating!” instead of “well, that was stupid!” This will help you stay motivated.
9. Create an environment where you work well
Try changing the environment you work in to see what feels best. Many people work better in light from a window. Temperature can also make a difference. A room that is too warm might make you feel sleepy. Lots of people find it easier to concentrate in rooms that are tidy. Some people find it helpful to listen to music while they study. Others prefer silence. Finally, get rid of any distractions. Turn off your cellphone. Let people in your home know that you need to be left alone.
10. Involve your senses
The brain takes in information through the senses. Your brain will have an easier time focusing and remembering when vision, hearing, smell, touch, and taste are involved. Use your vision to help you learn by imagining what you read — like a movie in your mind. This is called visualizing. Highlight and underline important information. When you take notes, use different colours. Make charts, mind maps, flashcards, and diagrams, or draw pictures. Use your hearing to help you learn by reading out loud. Explain the new information to a friend and talk about it. Use your sense of taste by chewing gum while you learn. Use your sense of touch by holding a stress ball or smooth stone while you study.
Attributions
Vegetables
Image by congerdesign is in the public domain.
Resting
Image by Prinz-Peter is in the public domain.
Office supplies
Image by stokpic is in the public domain.
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.272351
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09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/boost-your-brainpower/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/front-matter/about-the-book/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 5",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/memory-magic/
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Main Body
Memory Magic
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Dave Farrow is a Canadian recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for Greatest Memory. As a student, Dave had a learning disability called dyslexia. He found ways to improve his memory in order to do well in school despite his struggles with reading and writing. In 2008, he set a world record by memorizing the order of 59 decks of playing cards in two days.
How did his brain store all this information? Dave says anyone’s brain can do it, but it helps to understand how memory works. Your brain is constantly taking in information through your senses. The information enters your sensory memory, which can hold lots of information, but only for a few seconds. If you ignore the information, your brain throws it away. If you pay attention to the information, it goes into your short-term memory. This is why learning to pay attention is an important first step. To help the brain focus, Dave recommends breaking big tasks down into smaller tasks. He sets a timer and works as hard as he can for short periods of time until the timer goes off. Then he takes a small break. This keeps his focus strong.
Your short-term memory can only hold information for 15 seconds to a few minutes. In addition, short-term memory can only hold about seven things at a time. Memory champions like Dave have to hold long lists of information in their short-term memory at one time. To do this, they use different tricks.
One trick is to look at the first letter of each word in the list you want to memorize. Then, make a word or phrase using all those letters. This is called an acronym. For example, if you want to remember all the colours in the rainbow, try remembering the name Roy G. Biv. Each letter in Roy G. Biv matches the first letter of a colour: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. When you want to remember the colours of the rainbow, just think of Roy G. Biv and you will have an easier time.
Another trick is to organize information into chunks. For example, when you try to remember a telephone number, your brain usually remembers it in chunks. You remember the area code as one chunk, the next three numbers as a chunk, and the final four numbers as a chunk. This way, your brain only has to remember three things instead of 10. This works for words as well as numbers. Say you want to improve your vocabulary. When you learn a new word, study words that share the same meaning. This way, you learn several new words at one time and you only need to memorize one definition. This is called a synonym. For example, these words mean big: huge, enormous, gigantic, large, and massive.
A third memory trick is to use visualization. Say you want to memorize how people developed from wormlike creatures into human beings. First, create a picture in your mind for each stage (I can see a worm, a fish, a monkey, and a human). Then, think of a path you regularly walk along. For example, I often walk from the sidewalk, into my house, and into the kitchen. Finally, imagine each picture in a place along your path. For instance, in the garden I can see a worm. Beside the garden is a garbage can. I imagine the garbage can is full of rainwater and inside I can see a fish. I go in the house, and the first door goes into a bedroom. I can see a monkey jumping on the bed. Next to the bedroom is the kitchen. My partner, a human, is cooking dinner. If I visualize that path a few times, I’ll have the information memorized. Visualization works because the brain remembers images well, and the wackier the image is, the easier it is to remember.
If you don’t keep using the information, your brain throws it away. If you keep reviewing the information, it will go into your long-term memory. The more you practice recalling the information, the better you will be at remembering it. Try these tips the next time you need to remember a phone number, a new word, or something for school.
Attributions
Playing cards
Image by gepharts3d is in the public domain.
Dave Farrow
Dave Farrow by Zacharylim is used under a CC BY SA 4.0 license.
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.283295
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09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/memory-magic/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/front-matter/about-the-book/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 5",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/put-to-the-test/
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Main Body
Put to the Test
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Some students bring good luck charms to school on test days. They might keep a four-leaf clover in their pocket or wear a pair of lucky underwear. While these things can’t hurt, there are better ways of doing well on a test.
Writing a test is like running a marathon. Both activities require you to do your best for a long time. There are a couple of strategies you can use to stay relaxed, focused, and motivated for the whole test.
Runners train before a big race. They practice their skills in the same conditions they will face in the marathon. You can train for a test in a similar way. Start by thinking about the types of questions that will likely be on the test. For a reading test, there may be comprehension questions on vocabulary, main idea, details, cause and effect, sequence, and inferences. You may also be asked to summarize the text. For a writing test, you will likely be asked to write a paragraph about a given topic. The topics will often involve describing something, explaining how to do something, telling a story about something, or giving your opinion about something. Study what your instructor has taught you about how to answer each question type. The goal of a test is usually to independently apply the skills you have learned and practiced in class.
Just like before a big race, it is a good idea to take care of your basic needs before the test begins. For example, get plenty of sleep the night before. During the day of the test, get enough to eat. Go to the bathroom ahead of time. These things will help you focus.
When you get the test, don’t forget to put your name on it. Then, take a quick look at each page. A long test may have different sections. Notice how many marks each section is worth. Like a runner, you will want to be careful about your pace. If you have a limited amount of time to complete the test, you will want to leave yourself enough time for the sections that are worth the most marks.
Now you are ready to begin answering the questions. Read the instructions and questions very carefully. Make sure you understand what you are being asked to do. If you do not understand a question, ask your instructor. If you feel nervous, you may want to build your confidence by starting with the questions that are easiest for you.
Some runners use positive self-talk when they are struggling. They tell themselves things like, “I feel good about myself and my abilities. I am not going to worry. I will do the best that I can.” Give this strategy a try. You can also take short brain breaks between sections to take some deep breaths, roll your neck and shoulders, and massage your temples.
During a reading test, it can help to do a quick pre-reading exercise you have been taught, even if it is not part of the instructions. For example, try scanning the text to figure out the topic before you read the whole thing more carefully. Then think about what you already know about the topic. Predict the details that might be in the reading. For a writing test, pre-writing is a very important first step. Brainstorm your ideas and organize them before you start writing. Some students skip these two things, but they probably shouldn’t. These activities warm up your brain so that it will work more efficiently.
Before you hand in your test, review your answers. Unlike a marathon, it doesn’t matter who finishes first during a test. Check your grammar and spelling. Make sure your instructor will be able to read your handwriting. Finally, be sure that you answered every question.
Follow these tips and, if your lucky underwear doesn’t work, you will have a solid backup plan in place.
Attribution
Runner
Image by tpsdave is in the public domain.
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.295729
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09-19-2023
|
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/put-to-the-test/",
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/the-sixth-sense-intuition/
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Main Body
The Sixth Sense: Intuition
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
A fire broke out in the kitchen of a house in Chicago, Illinois. A team of firefighters kicked down the door of the house. They stood in the living room as they sprayed water at the fire in the kitchen. Strangely, the fire would not go out. One of the firefighters had a feeling that something was very wrong. “Get out, now!” he ordered. The team ran out of the house. Moments later, the floor they had been standing on in the living room collapsed.
Looking back, the firefighter believed his brain must have had the ability to know the future. A researcher who studies decision-making wasn’t so sure. He talked to the firefighter about what was going through his mind before he told everyone to get out of the house. The researcher found out that the firefighter had noticed three strange things: water was not putting out the fire, the living room was unusually hot, and the fire was unusually quiet. The researcher believed that the firefighter’s intuition recognized this pattern and knew that the situation was not safe. A part of his brain beyond his own awareness knew that the fire was also in the basement underneath the living room, making the living room unusually hot and the fire unusually quiet.
The story shows that intuition can be a very important factor in decision-making. Intuition is the ability to know something without any proof. It is sometimes known as a “gut feeling,” “instinct,” or “sixth sense.”
For hundreds of years, intuition has had a bad reputation among scientists. It has often been seen as inferior to reason. But these days, many researchers see intuition as our brain’s way of taking a shortcut based on our memories and knowledge. Like our ability to reason, sometimes our intuition is accurate and sometimes it’s not.
Intuition has long been a valued part of many First Nations cultures. It is recognized as one of many ways of knowing. Knowledge can be passed down from our elders, gained from experience, and revealed to us through dreams, visions, and intuitions.
There are many situations when intuition is more useful than reason. For example, intuition lends itself to making art. Jazz musicians who compose music in front of an audience are using their intuition, backed by years of practice. Some couples claim they “just knew” they were meant to be together from the moment they met, so intuition may play an important role in choosing a mate. Intuition is also the part of the brain many people use to explore their spiritual side.
At the same time, our quick-thinking brains tend to have some biases. For example, our brains tend to think that something that is attractive must be good, when this isn’t necessarily true. We also tend to pay attention to information that confirms our beliefs and ignore information that challenges our beliefs, causing us to believe things that are wrong. Sometimes we make a quick decision without thinking of all the possible options and end up regretting it. As a result, it is likely wise to use a balance of reason and intuition in our decision-making.
Attributions
Firefighter
Image by skeeze is in the public domain.
Dreamcatcher
Image by Free-Photos is in the public domain.
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.311108
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09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/the-sixth-sense-intuition/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/front-matter/about-the-book/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 5",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/the-big-five-personality/
|
Main Body
The Big Five: Personality
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
“Who am I?” It’s a question most people spend a lifetime answering. The answer often depends on things like our cultural background, gender, skills, jobs, hobbies, appearance, and of course, our personality. Our personality is the way that we think, feel, and act. Most researchers agree that personality can be described by five factors. The five factors are based on how open, conscientious, extroverted, and sensitive we are. The following five questions can help you reflect on who you are.
1. How open are you?
An open person is someone who is interested in new ideas and experiences. They are imaginative and curious. They often have lots of hobbies that they dip in and out of. They may also be seen as unpredictable or unfocused. A person who is closed to new ideas and experiences probably likes routine and tradition. This person may have one hobby that they are deeply interested in. They are likely practical. They may also be seen as closed-minded.
2. How conscientious are you?
A conscientious person is someone who works hard. They do what they say they will do. They are well organized and on time. They may also be seen as stubborn or fussy. A person who is less conscientious is likely easy-going. They can deal with sudden changes in plans. They may struggle to get things done, so they can be seen as lazy.
3. How extroverted are you?
An extroverted person is someone who gets energy from being around other people. They enjoy talking and don’t mind being the centre of attention. They are confident and more likely to take risks. They may also be seen as bossy. An introverted person is someone who gets energy from being alone. They prefer to spend time with one or two friends rather than groups of people. They tend to be good at listening and reflecting. They may also be seen as shy or cold.
4. How agreeable are you?
An agreeable person is someone who is friendly and easy to get along with. They tend to generally trust other people. They care a lot about how people feel and like to help others. They may also be seen as easy to control or trick. A person may be seen as less agreeable if they care deeply about ideas, even if speaking out means hurting someone’s feelings. As a result, this person is more likely to get into arguments. This person may challenge others to do what’s right.
5. How sensitive are you?
A highly sensitive person is very affected by their environment. They are more likely to feel stressed out and nervous. They tend to worry a lot about what others think of them. They may also feel emotions, including love and pleasure, more strongly. It is possible that they have better instincts, perhaps from being more alert. A person who is less sensitive to their environment is more likely to feel calm, relaxed, and confident. They may also be seen as uncaring.
The kind of personality we have is influenced by our genes, our upbringing, and our experiences. Personality tends to change over time. Research shows that we can change our personality. However, psychologists suggest we will probably be happier if we change to meet our needs, rather than try to meet our idea of the perfect personality.
Attributions
Who am I?
Image by RyanMcGuire is in the public domain.
Facial expression
Image by LenaSevcikova is in the public domain
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.322678
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09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/the-big-five-personality/",
"book_url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/front-matter/about-the-book/",
"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 5",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/33/
|
Main Body
Secrets of a Happy Brain
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
https://media.bccampus.ca/id/0_q8fex9vk?width=608&height=70&playerId=23449753
The human brain remembers negative experiences more easily than positive ones. Our brains may have developed this way because threats, like dangerous animals, had a more immediate effect on our ancestors’ survival compared to positive things like food or shelter. As a result, you likely know what makes you unhappy, but do you know what makes you happy?
Research suggests that our level of happiness depends partly on factors we cannot control — our genes and our life circumstances. But our level of happiness is also shaped by the choices we make. If you’ve been chasing wealth, fame, good looks, material things, and power, you may be looking for happiness in all the wrong places. Psychologists suggest that the following seven habits make people happier.
1. Forming close relationships
People who form close relationships tend to be happier than those who do not. The number of friends we have is not important. What matters is the quality of our relationships. Relationships that bring happiness usually involve the sharing of feelings, mutual respect, acceptance, trust, fun, and empathy.
2. Being kind
People who make a habit of caring for the well-being of others tend to be happier. This might involve volunteering for an organization or reaching out to support friends and family on a regular basis.
3. Getting exercise
People who exercise regularly improve both their physical and mental well-being. Some research has shown that exercise can be as effective as medication in treating depression.
4. Finding your flow
When we are so interested in an activity we enjoy that we lose track of time, we are in a state of flow. The activity could be making art, playing piano, surfing, or playing a game. People who experience flow in their work or hobbies tend to be happier.
5. Getting in touch with your spirituality
People who include spirituality in their daily life tend to be happier. Practicing spirituality is a way of recognizing and trying to understand the wonder and beauty of existence. Some people do this by going to a place of worship or praying. Some people practice yoga or meditation. Some people go for long walks in nature.
6. Discovering and using your strengths
People are more likely to be happy if they know what their strengths are and use them regularly. People who set goals and use their strengths to achieve them tend to be happier. People are especially happy when they can use their strengths to serve the greater good.
7. Thinking positively
People who think positively by being grateful, mindful, and optimistic are more likely to be happy. Being grateful means being thankful. Being mindful means being open to, focusing on, and enjoying the experiences of the present moment. Being optimistic means being hopeful about the future.
Take good care of your brain. The “most amazing structure on Earth” deserves your appreciation.
Attributions
Happy
Image by tpsdave is in the public domain.
Buddhist monk
Image by sciencefreak is in the public domain.
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.335537
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09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader5/chapter/33/",
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 5",
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/chapter-1/
|
Main Body
The Story of Our Human Rights
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Human beings like us have been around for about 100,000 years. In the last 7,000 years, we have built a world with big cities, powerful governments, rapid trade, special traditions, and beautiful art. Depending on where we live, we eat different food, wear different clothes, live in different houses, speak different languages, worship different gods, and play different games. These many differences are what make human beings so amazing. But history has shown that these differences can also lead to conflict and war.
After World War II, people around the globe began to wonder — in a world of so much difference, how can we promote peace, life, freedom, and respect? This is how the United Nations was born. One of the first jobs of the United Nations was to decide on a list of rights that belong to every human being. A right is something that everyone deserves to have, just because they are human. The list of rights was called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says:
- It doesn’t matter how rich or poor we are. It doesn’t matter what colour our skin is or what country we are from. It doesn’t matter what gender we are or what gender we are attracted to. It doesn’t matter if we have a disability. We all have equal rights. No one can legally treat us as less than human.
- We have the right to be safe from harm.
- We have the right to believe what we want and to express ourselves.
- We have the right to work.
- We have the right to vote and to disagree with the government.
- We have the right to get help from our government if we are out of work, sick, disabled, or old.
- We have the right to food, housing, and health care.
- We have the right to a free basic education.
Canada created many laws to make sure Canadians would have all the rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But did you know that our government has not always stood up for equal rights? In the history of Canada, people have often been treated as less than human. So how did we get to where we are today? In these pages, you will read the stories of Canadians who dared to stand up for our human rights.
Media Attributions
- Photo montage © geralt is licensed under a Public Domain license
- War © hucky is licensed under a Public Domain license
- United Nations © geralt is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Canada Day © Monam is licensed under a Public Domain license
Fast
Being unable to agree
Treating people in a way that shows they are important
The same for each person.
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.350716
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09-19-2023
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/the-story-of-viola-desmond/
|
Main Body
The Story of Viola Desmond
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Viola Desmond was an African Canadian woman from Nova Scotia. She lived in a time when black women were expected to be servants in houses, and black men were expected to be servants on trains. From a young age, Viola dreamed of having her own business. By 1946, she was making her dreams come true. Viola was only 32, yet she had her own beauty salon. She had set up a school to train other black women to work in the beauty business. She also had her own line of beauty products.
One day, she was driving across Nova Scotia to make a delivery. But then her car broke down in New Glasgow. She decided to go see a movie while she waited for her car to be fixed. She went to the Roseland Theatre. It was a brick building with a big sign that lit up at night. She paid for a ticket and went inside. The theatre had a main floor and a balcony. Viola sat on the main floor because her eyesight was poor and she needed to be close to the screen.
Just as the movie started to play, she felt a tap on her shoulder. A staff person told her she could not sit there. Her ticket was for the balcony. Viola went back to the ticket booth. She asked for a ticket for the main floor. The ticket seller said, “We don’t sell tickets on the main floor to you people.” That’s when she realized that the balcony was for black people. The main floor was for white people. Viola said that she could not see from the balcony. She put the extra money for a main floor ticket on the counter. The ticket seller would not take it, but she went back to her seat anyway.
That’s when the manager came. He told her to move to the balcony, or he would call the police. Viola told him to go ahead. She wasn’t moving. She was doing nothing wrong. Sure enough, the police came. They asked her one more time to move. Viola said no. So the police grabbed her by the arms and took her from the theatre. They had to drag her. “I just sort of went limp,” Viola said. “I wasn’t going to make it easy for them.”
The police took Viola to prison. She sat up awake the whole night.
The next day, she was taken to court. Nobody had told her she could call a lawyer, so she had to argue for herself. She didn’t know how courtrooms worked, and she was found guilty.
Her husband begged her to forget about what had happened and move on. But Viola bravely took the case back to court. Sadly, she lost once more. But Viola’s case brought people together to fight for equal rights in Nova Scotia. They kept up the battle, and, in 1954, the province finally got rid of the laws that made it legal to treat black people differently from white people.
People of colour are now equal under the laws of Canada. However, racism is alive in many Canadians’ hearts and minds. Viola’s story invites us to ask: What can we do to make sure that history does not repeat itself?
Media Attributions
- Viola Desmond © Hantsheroes is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Barber Invite © FaceGuard is licensed under a Public Domain license
- The_Hoyts_Regent_Theatre © John Vandenberg is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Interior_of_the_old_Supreme_Court_of_Canada © Skeezix1000 is licensed under a Public Domain license
Something that is sold in stores
Floppy or without strength
A person who helps people with the law
Responsible for carrying out a crime or doing something wrong
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.366412
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09-19-2023
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{
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/the-story-of-nellie-mcclung/
|
Main Body
The Story of Nellie McClung
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
In 1882, a nine-year-old girl from the Prairies was at a community picnic. The summer sun was high in the sky. People sat on tablecloths spread over the green grass. They ate sandwiches and watermelon. They drank tea and lemonade. And boys were lining up for a race. The nine-year old girl wanted to run in that race. But she was told that races were for boys only. It was not nice for girls to run. Their skirts might fly up and their legs might show. A fire was lit inside her that day. One day, she would see to it that women could do the things that men could do — like vote. Her name was Nellie McClung.
Running in races wasn’t the only thing girls weren’t allowed to do. Back then, it was illegal for women to vote, be in government, own property, or go to university. This is because men were thought to be more reasonable than women. Only men were reasonable enough to take part in the world of government and business. Women were seen as emotional. This made them “more fit” for the world of homemaking and childcare.
When Nellie grew up, she poked holes in these old ideas. She spoke to large crowds in favour of women’s right to vote. Some Canadians worried that women’s rights would lead to the breakdown of the family. With a colourful hat on her head and a charming sense of humour, Nellie changed hearts and minds.
Women’s rights activists in Europe and America often used violence to get their point across. Nellie used humour, instead. She starred in a play where she debated men’s right to vote. She began by telling the men how nice they looked. Then she pointed out that most of the people in prison were men, and men made up only a small number of the people who went to church. How could these people be trusted with politics? Big crowds came to see Nellie’s play. They roared with laughter. It became fashionable to support women’s rights.
White women were finally allowed to vote in federal elections in 1918. As a result of racist laws, women of colour and Aboriginal women would not be allowed to vote until much later.
In 1921, Nellie served as one of the first female MLAs in the government of Alberta. It was often said that women’s involvement in politics would lead to divorce. Nellie and her husband Wes proved those claims wrong. Wes was proud of his wife. “I don’t mind being Mr. Nellie McClung,” he’d say with a smile.
One day, Nellie’s friend Emily Murphy invited some friends to her house for tea. They talked about how unfair it was that women were not allowed to sit in the Senate. This is because women were not seen as “persons” in the eyes of the law. The women decided to take the matter to court. After a long battle, they won the case in 1929 — but Nellie wasn’t finished. “The end is not yet!” she said.
Even though women had won many legal rights, they were still not treated as equal to men. This was especially true for women of colour. Unlike most women’s rights activists of her time, Nellie called for an end to racism.
Even as she grew older and her health declined, she kept writing and speaking for equal rights. Nellie said, “Because I’ve got a bad heart my doctor has told me not to write. I assume he meant books so I keep busy on letters, editorials, and messages.” If she hadn’t died in 1951, she would probably still be fighting for women’s rights today.
Media Attributions
- Picnic_in_a_wooded_area © Tangerinehistry is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Nellie_McClung © JKelly is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Women_voter_outreach_1935_English_Yiddish © Kheel Center is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- WLMK_unveiling_plaque_to_Valiant_Five © JKelly is licensed under a Public Domain license
A discussion where people express different viewpoints about something
One of the groups that help make laws in Canada
Became worse
An article in a newspaper or magazine that reflects the opinion of the editors
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.380761
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09-19-2023
|
{
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/the-story-of-tommy-douglas/
|
Main Body
The Story of Tommy Douglas
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
In 1919, Tommy Douglas was a teenager standing on a rooftop in downtown Winnipeg. He was looking down on a huge crowd of workers protesting low wages. They could not give their families a good quality of life, even though they worked very hard. Suddenly, the police pulled out their guns and shot over 20 of the protesting workers. Two people died. Many more were hurt. Tommy was deeply affected by what he saw that day. He believed everyone should have a good quality of life, whether they were rich or poor. He thought it was wrong that people who fought for their rights were being killed.
When he was 26, he became a minister so he could help people. His first job was in Saskatchewan. When the miners in his town went on strike, he brought them food and blankets. Once more, the police came in. They shot and killed three people. Tommy had seen enough. He decided to go into politics to make life better for poor people.
He joined a socialist party called the CCF. People tried to scare voters by saying he was a communist. So Tommy told a story about a place called Mouseland. In Mouseland, the mice kept voting for fat black cats who made laws that were only good for cats. To make a change, next time the mice voted for the fat white cats. Of course, nothing changed. Finally one day, a mouse got the idea to vote for other mice. The story ends with everyone calling him a communist! This story helped people understand socialism. The cats were like the rich people who were in government at the time. On the other hand, the mice were the working class people that Tommy wanted to see in government. With his bold ideas and ability to speak to a crowd, Tommy connected with voters. He became premier of Saskatchewan in 1944. He had this job until 1961.
During that time, Tommy kept his promises to make life better for everyone in Saskatchewan. At the time, only big cities had power for heat and lights. Tommy brought in power across the province. He made a law that bosses had to give workers at least two weeks of paid vacation. He made a bill of rights saying people of all races and genders are equal. The biggest change of all was that he brought in free health care for everyone in the province.
Health care was personal for Tommy. When he was a young boy, he got an infection in his leg. His family was poor and could not afford health care. He was going to lose his leg. Thankfully, a doctor agreed to operate on his leg for free. Most people were not as lucky as he had been in his time of need. In 1959, Tommy brought in free health care for everyone in Saskatchewan, rich and poor. Before long, many people across Canada wanted the same health care rights that people in Saskatchewan had.
In 1961, Tommy was voted into the federal government. The federal government put many of Tommy’s ideas in place for the rest of Canada. These ideas included money for seniors, minimum wage, and even health care.
In a country-wide vote, in 2004, Canadians named Tommy Douglas as the greatest Canadian of all time.
Media Attributions
- Flag-Billboard-Forward_with_CCF,_1944 © Jwkozak91 is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Tommycropped © Samuell is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Canada_Parliament_Buildings © Jonathankslim is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
Someone who believes the government should run health care, schools, and other major services
Someone who believes the government should own everything. People and companies should not own property, like houses or cars.
The leader of a province
The level of government responsible for things that affect the whole country
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.394635
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09-19-2023
|
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/the-story-of-joy-kogawa/
|
Main Body
The Story of Joy Kogawa
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Joy Kogawa remembers her childhood home in Vancouver fondly. The house always had the smell of wood burning in the fireplace. The walls were covered with paintings, photos, and bookcases. The sounds of music, storytelling, and laughter sailed through the air. Her bedroom had toy boxes filled with cars, dolls, and games. A cherry tree stood in the yard outside her window. But her happy days there were cut short.
In 1941, a warplane from Japan dropped a bomb on the United States. Canada went to war with Japan. The prime minister of Canada thought that Japanese Canadians might be spies. So he had all Japanese Canadians taken from their homes. They were sent to live and work in camps. To pay for the camps, their homes and belongings were sold. Most of the people sent to the camps were born in Canada. Half of them were under the age of 19. Both the RCMP and the military agreed the prime minister’s decision did not make sense. But the prime minister did it anyway. He wanted Canada to be mostly for white people. He hoped the Japanese Canadians would just go back to Japan.
Joy Kogawa was six years old when her family was forced from their home. They were put onto a train and shipped to a camp in Slocan, British Columbia. The family had to live in a one-room shack. It was a heat trap in the summer and an ice box in the winter. Her family was forced to work on a farm. Joy had to work alongside them in the beet fields — often instead of going to school. She dreamed of going back to her home in Vancouver.
After the war, Joy did not want to be thought of as Japanese. She thought of herself as a white person. It was a way of trying to forget the painful past. One day, Joy came across some letters. They were written by a Japanese Canadian woman from Vancouver and sent to her brother in Toronto. The letters were about how terrible it was to live in a time of so much racism. The writer called for justice. These letters gave Joy an idea. She decided to write a story based on what had happened to her family. She wrote a book called Obasan. As she wrote it, she began to accept herself as Japanese Canadian. And she began to want justice, too.
Joy began to work for justice for the Japanese Canadians who had been put in camps. She worked with others to hold meetings, write letters, and organize rallies. Her book, Obasan, helped people across Canada to understand the terrible things that had happened. Finally, in 1988, the federal government said it was sorry for what had happened. It paid back part of what it had taken from Japanese Canadians. It promised to work to make sure such a terrible injustice never happens again.
In 2005, Joy’s childhood house in Vancouver was going to be torn down. Joy helped raise enough money to buy it back. To this day, the house still stands in Vancouver. It stands as a reminder of the injustice of racism and war. If we remember our past, we can avoid making the same mistakes in the present.
Media Attributions
- A_young_evacuee_of_Japanese_ancestry_waits_with_the_family_baggage_before_leaving_by_bus_for_an_assembly_center. © U.S. National Archives and Records Administration is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Japanese_internment_camp_in_British_Columbia © JKelly is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Joy Kogawa & Places That Matter plaque © monnibo is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives) license
In a loving way
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, also known as Mounties
The army, navy, and air force
Unfair treatment
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.408426
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09-19-2023
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{
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/the-story-of-jim-egan/
|
Main Body
The Story of Jim Egan
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
At one time, the word “queer“ was an insult. Today, it is a word many people proudly use to describe themselves. The road to pride began with Jim Egan.
Jim was born in Toronto in 1921. As a young man, he began visiting bars quietly known to be gay meeting places. He had to be careful. The police in Toronto often went to these places. They would trick gay men by pretending to be gay, too. Then they would arrest them. The men’s names would be printed in newspapers. They often lost their jobs, their family, and their friends. Landlords would not rent to them. Being gay meant being left out by the world. Jim met a man named Jack in one of those bars. They fell in love. The world seemed like a less lonely place.
Jim loved to read. He noticed queer people were being written about a lot more in the newspapers. But queer people were always talked about as being sick and immoral. This upset Jim. He could not stay silent. So, in 1949, he began writing letters to the newspapers. He protested the way they talked about gay people. He called for equal rights under the law. This was at a time when no one else was speaking up. Over the next 10 years, his letters appeared in many places, including TIME magazine. In 1963, a reporter from Maclean’s magazine wrote a story about Jim. It was the first positive report about queer people by a major Canadian news company. Jim used a fake name to avoid arrest.
Jack was uncomfortable with Jim’s activism. He was worried that one day they might be thrown in jail. So Jim agreed to give up his activism. They moved across the country to Vancouver Island and started a new life.
In 1969, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau finally got rid of the law that made queer relationships illegal. Trudeau said, “There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.” Jim and Jack no longer had to worry about being put in prison.
In the 1980s, AIDS began taking the lives of gay men. Gay men whose partners died of AIDS did not have the same rights as everyone else whose partners were sick or had passed away. Jim returned to queer activism — and this time, Jack was right by his side. They helped run an AIDS organization. They also ran a drop-in group out of their home for queer people.
Jim retired in 1987. The government would not give him and Jack the same amount of money that married men and women get when they retire. Jim and Jack had been together for over 40 years. They took the government to court. It took eight years, but the courts made it illegal to discriminate based on who people are in love with. This was the first time queer people in Canada had human rights.
In 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to make same gender marriage legal. Canada became a worldwide leader in queer rights. Just think – it all began with one man who decided to write a letter!
Media Attributions
- Rainbow_flag_breeze © Benson Kua is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- Marchers_at_Toronto_Pride_2014 © Stacie DaPonte is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- Wedding-chantelois-gomez © Mm.toronto is licensed under a Public Domain license
Someone whose gender or romantic relationships are outside of what is traditional
Doing things that support change in the world
The government
To unfairly treat a person differently from other people
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.422973
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09-19-2023
|
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/the-story-of-elijah-harper/
|
Main Body
The Story of Elijah Harper
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
An eight-year-old boy named Elijah sat in the forest with his grandfather. He lived on a reserve in Manitoba called Red Sucker Lake. His grandfather was showing him how to make a beaver trap. Elijah loved spending time on the land. He had learned all about hunting and fishing from his grandfather.
One day, a small plane landed on the lake. A white man stepped out. He was sent by the government. His job was to take Elijah from his grandparents and bring him to residential school, or boarding school. Elijah didn’t want to get on the plane, but he had no choice. At that time, First Nations people didn’t have any rights. They weren’t allowed to vote or be in government. The laws said that First Nations children had to go to residential school, so they would become more like white people.
Elijah spent the next 10 years in residential school. The teachers cut his hair. They told him that the things he had learned from his grandfather were the ways of the heathens, or godless people. He was punished if he tried to speak his own language. During that time, many of his classmates tried to run away. But they were always caught and brought back.
By the time Elijah became an adult, the laws keeping First Nations people out of government had changed. Elijah had an idea. If he was in government, he could help First Nations people stand up for their rights. So, in 1981, he ran to be an MLA, or member of the government. He won! He was the first Aboriginal MLA in the history of Manitoba.
Even as an MLA, it was hard to make change. The students who went to the residential schools didn’t know about their culture anymore. They didn’t feel like they belonged anywhere. They also had to deal with a lot of racism. Elijah was starting to feel powerless. But his chance to make a difference was just around the corner.
In Ottawa, the prime minister of Canada wanted to pass a bill, or a suggested law. The bill was supposed to help the country stay united. It said that Canada was created by the English and the French. It protected French language and culture. But it didn’t say anything about the role of First Nations people in building Canada. It did nothing to protect First Nations cultures or languages.
The prime minister needed all of the MLAs in Manitoba to agree to the bill to make it a law. But when it was Elijah’s turn to vote, he held up an eagle feather and spoke the word, “No.” He felt that Canada had a duty to protect First Nations language and culture, too. With that, the prime minister’s bill did not pass.
A picture of Elijah holding an eagle feather was soon on the front page of newspapers across the country. It was a moment that put First Nations issues front and centre in Canadian politics. If the country wanted to stay united, First Nations rights couldn’t be ignored.
Elijah Harper inspired a new wave of First Nations people to take part in politics. He paved the way for movements like Idle No More, which was just getting started when he passed away in 2013. The eagle feather that was laid to rest the day he died has been picked up once more.
Media Attributions
- Red_Sucker_Lake_First_Nations © Timkal is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- Residential School © BiblioArchives / LibraryArc is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Elijah Harper And Menno Wiebe © Mennonite Church USA Archives has no known copyright restrictions.
- Idle_No_More_2013_Ottawa_1 © Moxy is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
A small piece of land the government forced First Nations people to live on
Schools that Aboriginal children in Canada were forced by the government to attend. The goal was to remove the children from their families and culture so that they would become more like the white settlers.
A racist word used to describe people who do not follow a Christian religion
Member of the Legislative Assembly. A person who voters choose to represent their area in the provincial government
First Nations, Inuit, and Metis
A suggested law that is presented to the government
Affect someone in a way that leads her or him to do good things
Organized actions taken by people working together to achieve something
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.439600
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09-19-2023
|
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/the-story-of-gabor-mate/
|
Main Body
The Story of Gabor Maté
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
A baby boy named Gabor lay crying in his crib. No matter what his mother did, he would not stop crying. So his mother called the doctor. The doctor told her that all of the Jewish babies he knew were crying. This was in Hungary during World War II. The Nazis had taken over the country. They were doing terrible things to Jews. Gabor’s family was Jewish. The Nazis had just killed Gabor’s grandparents. Gabor’s dad was forced to do hard work every day for the Nazis. Gabor’s aunt was missing. Gabor was only a baby, so he could not have known these things. But he could probably feel his mother’s deep sadness and stress. So he cried and cried. The doctor could not really help.
Today, Gabor Maté lives in Vancouver. He still struggles to feel at peace. He goes shopping to feel better. He spends lots of money on music records. His wife gets mad at him. They cannot afford for Gabor to keep buying new records. There is no space in their house for more records. But he can’t stop. Gabor has developed an addiction to shopping. An addiction is a strong and harmful need to do something.
Gabor is now a doctor and he works with people who have drug addictions. People with drug addictions face a lot of judgment. They often get blamed for their addiction. Gabor thinks that this is wrong. He says addiction is usually the result of a stressful childhood. People with addictions have lived through trauma, such as violence or loss. Yet, the government treats them like criminals. They are put in jail because drug use is illegal. This does nothing to help them get better.
Is there a better way? Gabor calls on everyone to treat people with addictions with compassion. He writes books, gives speeches, and goes on talk shows to spread this message. He says we must stop judging people for the ways they cope with their difficult lives. We must make a world where people can get their needs met and everyone is treated with respect. If we lived in this kind of world, more children would grow up healthy. Fewer people would need to do drugs to cope.
We have not built this kind of world yet. Until we have, Gabor works to reduce the harm done by addiction. He keeps people with addictions alive — and as healthy as possible. British Columbia is a worldwide leader in this approach. For example, BC is home to a place called Insite. Drug users can get clean needles from Insite. They can also do drugs at Insite. If they overdose, a nurse will make sure they do not die. There is no other place like it in North America. When the government tried to close Insite, Gabor was one of many people who spoke out. Today, Insite’s doors are still open and it continues to save hundreds of lives.
But as a doctor, Gabor Maté is not just saving lives. He is helping to build a world where every life is worth living.
Media Attributions
- Gabor_Maté_-_01 © Gabor Gastonyi is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts © elycefeliz is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives) license
- insite – Operation Phoenix © Stephen Dyrgas is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives) license
A member of a German political party controlled by Adolf Hitler
The act of forming an opinion about someone or something that is sometimes disapproving
A very difficult experience that causes someone to have mental and emotional problems for a long time
A feeling of wanting to help someone in trouble
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.453705
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09-19-2023
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader4/chapter/standing-up-for-your-human-rights/
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Main Body
Standing Up for Your Human Rights
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” What would you do if your human rights were being ignored? Many people want to stand up for themselves, but don’t know where to start. If you decide to stand up for your rights, here are some questions that will help you make a plan:
How are your rights being ignored?
Write down your problem in a sentence. Here are some examples of human rights problems:
- Someone at work often makes racist jokes. You have asked him or her to stop, but the problem continues.
- The bathroom in your house has had a mould problem for a long time, and your landlord will not fix it.
- The government raised the fees for your education, and you can no longer afford them.
- You receive income assistance, and the money is not enough to meet your basic needs, like food and housing.
What is your goal?
Be clear about what you want to happen. For example:
| Problem | Goal |
|---|---|
| Someone at work often makes racist jokes. You have asked him or her to stop, but the problem continues. | Your boss will make a rule about workplace bullying. There will be training for staff members about safe work spaces. |
| The bathroom in your house has had a mould problem for a long time, and your landlord will not fix it. | Your landlord will have repairs done in the next month. |
| The government raised fees for your education, and you cannot afford them. | The government will put more money into education so the fees will be lower. |
| You receive income assistance, and the money is not enough to meet your basic needs, like food and housing. | The government will give more money to people on income assistance. |
Who should you speak to?
Always try to speak to the person who has responsibility for the problem you face. Find out the “chain of command,” or levels of people who make decisions. If the first person in the chain of command does not help you, go up to the next person in the chain.
What might get in your way?
Be creative to find ways to deal with these challenges.
| Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| I don’t know enough about the problem. | Find an organization that tries to solve problems like yours. See if it has someone who can help you learn more. |
| I haven’t stood up for myself much before. | Find a friend, a family member, or someone from an organization who will help you with your writing or go with you to meetings. |
| English is my second language. | |
| Fixing this problem will take more reading and writing skills than I have right now. | |
| I worry that people will judge me. | Think about what matters to you most. What do you need to do to stay true to the things you believe in? How can you do this in a way you can be proud of? |
What can you use to make your point?
- Keep notes about the 5 W’s of the problem — who, what, where, when, and why.
- Keep any letters or forms related to the problem.
- Ask friends, family, doctors, or support workers to write letters that back up what you are saying.
- For some problems, you might want to take photos.
- Try to stay calm, be clear about what you need, and be respectful.
How will you speak up?
You can:
- write a letter
- send an email
- make a phone call
- book an appointment
- join an organization
- vote for people who share your beliefs
Who can you turn to for support?
Your support people might be:
- family
- friends
- an MLA or MP
- an organization
- a support group
What will you do if this plan doesn’t work out?
It’s a good idea to have a back-up plan. This will help you stay strong and not give up. Are you willing to:
- change your goals?
- speak out in a different way?
- talk to different people in the chain of command?
- get help from different people?
As you work to make the world a better place, remember the words of a Canadian named Jack Layton, “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful, and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”
Media Attributions
- martin-luther-king-25271_640 © Nemo is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Layton quote © unknown
Unfair treatment
Money that the government gives people who are out of work, sick, disabled, or old
Having the job of taking care of something or someone
Something difficult
A company, business, club, or group that was put together for a special purpose
A feeling that good things will happen in the future
A feeling of no hope
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.474604
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09-19-2023
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/searching-for/
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Unit 1: Mysteries in BC History
Searching for Sasquatches
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
When you talk to a judge, you have to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. A man named Albert Ostman from British Columbia told a judge that he was once kidnapped by a family of sasquatches. Was he telling the truth?
In 1924, Ostman said he went camping in the woods of British Columbia. One night, he was sleeping in his sleeping bag. Suddenly, something lifted him up. It carried him through the woods while he was balled up in his sleeping bag. This went on for three hours. Then he was dumped out onto the ground. He looked up to see a family of four sasquatches looking down at him. The sasquatch family held him at their camp. They would not let him leave. After six days, he was finally able to escape.
A reporter named John Green was interested in stories like this one. He wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery of the sasquatch. So he put together hundreds of reports by people who said they had seen the animal. Green’s research says the sasquatch is a big and hairy beast that looks like an ape. It walks on two legs. It stands three metres tall. It can run very fast, and it smells very, very bad.
Harrison Hot Springs is a place in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. If you drive to Harrison Hot Springs, you will see a sign that says, “Land of the Sasquatch.” Many people say they have seen a sasquatch in this area. In 1957, the government of Harrison Hot Springs started a search party to look for the beast. They didn’t find it.
Stories of the sasquatch are not new. Many First Nations people in British Columbia have told stories about a big ape-like beast for thousands of years. Very old paintings and carvings show ape-like beasts, too. But there is no proof that the sasquatch is real. No sasquatch bones have ever been found. There are no photos or videos of a sasquatch that scientists say are real.
Scientists know that an ape three metres tall did exist 200,000 years ago. Scientists think this ape has died out. Many people who believe in the sasquatch say that maybe the ape did not die out after all. Maybe this is the ape we now call a sasquatch.
Just in case the sasquatch is real, it is on the list of protected animals in British Columbia!
Word Patterns
The letters –dge like in judge make the /j/ sound. The d is usually silent.
The letters –tch like in sasquatch make the /ch/ sound. The t is usually silent.
These patterns are only found at the end of a word or syllable, or after a short vowel.
Media Attributions
- tent-548022_640 © bhossfeld is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
- Sasquatch Statue © Bernell is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Harrisons_Hot_Springs_Mountain_by_ajithrajeswari © Ajith Rajeswari is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Archaeologist_working_in_Trench © Sue Hutton is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.487292
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09-19-2023
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/the-shooting-of-ginger-goodwin/
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Unit 1: Mysteries in BC History
The Shooting of Ginger Goodwin
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
On a spring day in England in 1887, a baby with red hair was born. His name was Albert Goodwin, but his family called him “Ginger.”
Coal was very important back then. Coal is a black rock that can be used for fuel. It was used to run trains and steamboats. Albert “Ginger” Goodwin became a coal miner at age 15. That is how he found himself in British Columbia. There were lots of coal mining jobs on Vancouver Island.
Coal mining was not a safe job. The coal dust made the workers sick. Sometimes gas in the ground made the workers sick, too. Sometimes mines caved in. Many miners wanted the right to be safe at work. So in 1912, some workers on Vancouver Island went on strike. Ginger was one of them. He spoke out for workers’ rights. When the strike ended, the mining company would not give him his job back. The company was angry that he had spoken out. So Ginger moved to the mainland of British Columbia. He continued to fight for workers’ rights.
At that time, Canada was fighting in World War I. In 1917, the government made a law that all men aged 20 to 35 must fight in the war. Ginger did not believe in war. He also had many health problems from working in the mines. A doctor looked at him and said he was not fit to go to war. Ginger began to speak out against the law that forced men to go to war. Shortly after, he got a letter from the government saying he needed to be seen by a doctor again. This time, the doctor said he was fit for war. Many people were sure that the government was trying to get rid of him for speaking out.
Ginger escaped to a cabin on Alone Mountain near Comox Lake. He was joined by some other men who would not fight in the war. People in the nearby town helped them hide by bringing them food and water. Police spent months looking for the men. A police officer named Campbell said he would get Goodwin dead or alive.
One day in 1918, Campbell and two other police officers went to Alone Mountain looking for the men. The two police officers went one way and Campbell went another. Then the two police officers heard a shot ring out. They went toward the sound. They found Ginger’s dead body on the ground. Campbell had shot him. Campbell said he had to because Ginger pointed a gun at him. The police burned the cabin where Ginger was shot. Some people thought that it was a cover-up. They said it was not right that Ginger was killed. They thought the government finally got what it wanted. The government got rid of Ginger Goodwin.
Miners and friends carried Ginger’s coffin on their shoulders through the streets of the town. People followed behind for six kilometres. That day, all the workers in British Columbia put down their tools and went on strike. They protested the shooting of Ginger Goodwin. It was the first general strike of British Columbia.
Today, we wonder what really happened on that summer afternoon in 1918 on Alone Mountain.
Work Patterns
The bold words in this story have these word patterns:
The word ending –igh has three letters. But it makes one sound. The letters –igh make a long /i/ sound. These letters are usually followed by t like these words:
- right
- rights
- fight
- fighting
The word ending –ain has two vowels that make one sound. The vowels –ai can make the long /a/ sound. Words from this story that contain this ending include:
- mainland
- against
- again
The word mountain contains the letters –ain like mainland and again. But it doesn’t have the long /a/ sound.
The last word family in this lesson is the –ound family. The two vowels –ou can make the same sound you make when you stub your toe: ow! Here are the words in this story that contain this word ending:
- found
- ground
- sound
Media Attributions
- Hazelton_coal_miners © BaomoVW is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Elwood_Cabin_Rio_Grande_Forest_Colorado_September_2013 © Drunk Driver is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- goodwinFuneral © Hilda Anggraeni is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.501922
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09-19-2023
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/the-gentleman-bandit/
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Unit 1: Mysteries in BC History
The Gentleman Bandit
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
In the days before cars, people and goods travelled a long way on horses and trains. Horses and trains were easy targets for bandits looking to make easy money. Bill Miner was one of the most feared train bandits. He spent four years of his life here in British Columbia. This is the story of those four years.
Wanted posters with Bill Miner’s face were put up all over the west coast of the United States. Bill needed to escape. He slipped across the border into Canada. George Edwards was the name he gave anyone who asked who he was. He went from town to town in British Columbia. He had no trouble making friends. He was a charming man. He played the fiddle. He showed people how to dance. He was known as a real gentleman. Nobody thought he could be a bandit.
During this time, he got to know the area around Mission, British Columbia. Many trains of the Canadian Pacific Railway, or the CPR, passed through the area. He knew where the trains were coming from and where they were going. He knew how often they passed. By talking to the railroad workers, he found out what the trains carried.
One day in September 1904, a CPR train stopped outside of Mission to fill up with water. Bill and two men climbed onto the train with their faces covered. Bill pulled a gun on the man driving the train. He took the man’s money and gold watch. Word spread to the passenger cars that the train was being robbed. The passengers hid their money and took out their guns. They were ready for the bandits. But the bandits unhooked the passenger cars from the train. The train went on without them. Next, the bandits made a worker open the train’s safe. Inside was $7,000, mostly in gold. They took it all. Bill chatted with the man driving the train. He gave him his money and watch back. Then he wished him a good day and got off the train with his two men and the gold.
This was the first time the CPR was ever robbed. It was in all of the newspapers across British Columbia. More wanted posters went up. But the posters did not describe Bill’s face because it had been covered up. Bill went to Chilliwack. He played pool and poker. He even played poker with police officers. He didn’t get caught. He spent his money freely and told people he made it from mining.
Two years later, Bill and two friends climbed aboard another CPR train. This time the train was near Kamloops. One of the men’s masks slipped. Someone saw his face. Another mistake was made. They unhooked the passenger car, just like last time. But this time, they also unhooked the train car with all the money. They only made $15.50 from the robbery. They wished the workers a good night and got off the train, very upset.
The bad luck continued. About a week later, the police found the bandits in the woods making a meal over a campfire. A gunfight followed. It ended with Bill being arrested. Bill said his name was George Edwards but nobody believed him. He was brought to a prison in Kamloops. When he arrived, a local photographer named Mary Spencer took a photo. That photo was printed in newspapers all across Canada. Yet, not many people across British Columbia were mad at Bill. In fact, many people were fond of him! They thought he was charming, bold, and handsome. They called him “The Gentleman Bandit.” When Bill was brought to a prison in New Westminster, a crowd of fans was waiting to see him.
Bill was expected to stay in that prison until the day he died. But less than a year later, some friends dug a hole under a prison fence. Bill Miner got away. Nobody knows how he was able to escape the province unseen. It was like he disappeared into thin air. He left British Columbia and never returned. British Columbians still talk about “The Gentleman Bandit” to this day.
Word Patterns
Sometimes when you get stuck on a big word, it helps to look for smaller words inside of the big word. Below are examples from this story:
- gentleman = gentle + man
- railroad = rail + road
- newspapers = news + papers
- campfire = camp + fire
- gunfight = gun + fight
Other times, two words talk about just one thing. Here are examples from this story:
- train bandits
- British Columbia
- wanted posters
- United States
- passenger cars
- police officers
- prison fence
Media Attributions
- Bill_Miner © Doctor Sunshine is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Canadian_Pacific_Railroad © Esquin has been cropped is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Orient_Saloon_at_Bisbee,_Arizona…_Faro_game_in_full_blast. © U.S. National Archives and Records Administration is licensed under a Public Domain license
- BCPenitentiaryConstruction1877 © Kyd is licensed under a Public Domain license
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.520475
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09-19-2023
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https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/all-together-now-bc-festivals/
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Unit 2: Snapshots of BC Culture
All Together Now: BC Festivals
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
In places across British Columbia, people come together for festivals that celebrate the things that make their hometown special.
Every year, about 20,000 grey whales swim past the west coast of Vancouver Island. The whales travel from Mexico to the Arctic and back again. The whole trip is about 16,000 kilometres. This is one of the longest yearly journeys of any mammal. Each March, the people who live around the Pacific Rim National Park hold a festival to celebrate the whales’ journey. The festival is known as the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. The whales travel very close to the shore as they swim north. This allows people to gather together to watch them from land as well as from boats.
On the east coast of Vancouver Island, you can spot mammals of a different sort moving through the water — people in bathtub boats! The city of Nanaimo is home to the world’s oldest and best-known bathtub boat race. It started out as a silly event in 1967. Today, Nanaimo’s World Championship Bathtub Race is a serious sport that brings racers and visitors from around the world.
Vancouver is home to another famous festival on the water — the Dragon Boat Festival. Dragon boat racing started in China over 2,000 years ago. It was brought to Vancouver during Expo 86. It returned as a yearly event in 1989 as a way to celebrate the many cultures living together in the city. The festival begins with a ceremony to awaken the dragon and give the people and boats the dragon’s strength. Each boat has a dragon’s head carved on the front and a tail on the back. The boat holds a team of about 20 people, who paddle to the beat of a drummer seated at the front.
One of Canada’s largest winter festivals takes place in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. It’s the Vernon Winter Carnival, which is held each February. Some of the major events include a BC snow sculpture contest, sports using giant hot air balloons, and a parade. During the carnival, people can have a friend, co-worker, or boss arrested by carnival cops who then throw them in “jail” until they raise enough money for bail. All money raised goes to support the carnival.
The festivals of British Columbia are a way for the many people who live here to enjoy nature, share a laugh, and learn about one another.
Word Patterns
When you see the suffix –er, –or, or –ar at the end of a word, it often means “a person who.”
- A baker is a person who bakes.
- An actor is a person who acts.
- A liar is a person who lies.
Words in this story that fit this pattern are:
- racers
- visitors
- drummer
- co-worker
The suffix –est means “the most.”
- Fastest means the most fast.
- Strongest means the most strong.
- Lightest means the most light.
Words in this story that fit this pattern are:
- longest
- oldest
- largest
New vocabulary words have been underlined in the story.
Media Attributions
- Pacific Rim National Park – Wickaninnish Beach © Kyle Duhamel is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Bathtub Race © Moosealope is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Dragon Boat Festival © Ruth Hartnup is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Sunrise at Silver Star, Vernon, BC © David Truss is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike) license
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.537324
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09-19-2023
|
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/bold-and-bright-sook-yin-lee/
|
Unit 2: Snapshots of BC Culture
Bold and Bright: Sook-Yin Lee
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Sook-Yin Lee has been called “a cultural Jill of all trades.” This means she can do a little bit of everything. She’s a musician, actor, writer, filmmaker, and broadcaster. Since she was a child, she has loved putting on a show. At the heart of a good show is a good story. She says stories are how she makes sense of a world that’s both strange and wonderful.
Sook-Yin grew up in North Vancouver. Her parents moved to British Columbia from China. They were strict and her mom used to hit her. So Sook-Yin ran away when she was 15. Her sister Dede went, too. Together, they lived on the streets. Dede fell in with a violent gang and died very young.
Sook-Yin turned to the arts for survival. In the late 1980s, she became the lead singer of a Vancouver-based punk band called Bob’s Your Uncle. The owner of MuchMusic heard about her and asked her to try out for a job as a VJ. A VJ is like a DJ for music videos. She landed this dream job. She quickly became known for being smart, funny, and fearless. In 1995, gay people won some basic human rights. Sook-Yin celebrated by kissing another woman on air. And on her last day at MuchMusic, she said goodbye by mooning the camera.
In 2002, she moved to CBC Radio as host of a show called Definitely Not the Opera. The show is about Canadian pop culture. It has also become a place for Canadians to share stories about the sad, joyful, and embarrassing moments of modern life. What makes Sook-Yin different is that she doesn’t hold back. She shares her stories on the air, too.
In 2006, CBC threatened to fire Sook-Yin for starring in a racy film called Shortbus. After the film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, people stood and clapped for 20 minutes. This act sent a loud message about letting artists express themselves. So CBC didn’t fire her after all.
Since then, Sook-Yin has continued to live by her motto: be bold, shine bright. She shows us how storytelling and the arts can help us find who we are, connect with others, and make it through whatever life has in store for us.
Word Patterns
The suffix –less means “without.”
In this story, for example, fearless means without fear. Other examples (not in this story) include:
- Homeless means without a home.
- Careless means without care.
The suffix –ful means “full of.”
In this story, for example, joyful means full of joy and wonderful means full of wonder. Other examples (not in this story) include:
- Fearful means full of fear.
- Careful means full of care.
- Beautiful means full of beauty.
Vocabulary
The underlined words in this story (listed below) are from the synonyms task you did in Unit 2 of Course Pack 3. If you get stuck on a word from your SYN-Circles, see if the synonyms help you.
- strange
- strict
- violent
- embarrassing
- modern
- racy
- motto
- bold
Media Attributions
- Sook-Yin Lee © Karon Liu is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- BobsYourUncle © Bugfix1960 is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- CBC_Vancouver_Studios_(Vancouver_2010) © Bull-Doser is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Shortbus at King’s Cross © Mark Hillary is licensed under a Public Domain license
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.554571
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09-19-2023
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 3",
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/spread-the-word-first-nations-languages-in-bc/
|
Unit 2: Snapshots of BC Culture
Spread the Word: First Nations Languages in BC
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
The land we now call British Columbia is home to more First Nations languages than any other part of Canada. About 32 First Nations languages are spoken here. But many of these languages are at risk.
For example, there are now fewer than 10 people who can speak the language of the Skwomesh Nation. Most of the speakers are over the age of 65. Then there is a young man named Khelsilem Rivers. Khelsilem is 24 years old. He has learned the Skwomesh language and spends much of his time working to keep it alive. He lives in a house with other young people who want to speak their traditional language every day.
Why is language so important? Language is how we practice our culture. It is how we share our stories, our songs, our history, and our teachings. It is part of our identity. It connects us to our family who came before us. Knowing our language helps us be healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
Why are First Nations languages at risk? When white people came to Canada, they thought they were better than First Nations people. They thought First Nations people should be just like white people. So they made it against the law to practice First Nations culture. From the 1880s until the 1990s, First Nations children were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools. At these schools, they were told never to speak their language. If they did, they would be punished. Now as adults, many have forgotten their language or do not feel safe speaking it. Some languages are said to be sleeping, because there is no one left who can speak them. Today, most people in British Columbia see that what happened was racist and wrong.
Khelsilem compares this history to what happens when a forest is destroyed by a fire. First, the flowers will come back. Then the grasses and weeds will return. Then the shrubs and berry bushes will grow. Next, the softwood trees will come. Finally, the hardwood trees will return. Now the hardwood forest will renew itself. Each stage made way for the next stage. Khelsilem hopes to set up the next wave of Skwomesh people so they will be like that hardwood forest. He is starting a school called the Skwomesh Language Academy.
Like Khelsilem, First Nations people across British Columbia are working to save their languages. There are First Nations language programs for pre-school children. There are camps where First Nations kids learn to do everyday tasks the way their families did them for thousands of years. There are programs for adults to spend time with elders who know their First Nations language.
Settlers can help, too. Settlers are people who moved to British Columbia from other places. Settlers can listen to people speak their languages. Settlers can learn something about the First Nations land where they live. Settlers can also find ways to support First Nations language learning in their area.
We cannot rewrite the past. But we can work toward healing.
Word Patterns
Now you will study a new word pattern. This pattern is like the consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern, but it has an e on the end. So we call them CVCE words. Here are some examples:
- bone
- cake
- bike
Check that each word above has the consonant-vowel-consonant-e pattern.
The e on the end of these words is sometimes called the bossy e or the magic e. That’s because the e tells the other vowel to make a long sound.
Read the CVCE words again and notice the long vowel sound. A long vowel sound is when the vowel says its own name.
CVCE words found in this story are:
- home
- these
- time
- alive
- came
- like
- white
- made
- taken
- safe
- stage
- hopes
- wave
- save
- places
- rewrite
Media Attributions
- Power Shift BC © Caelie_Frampton is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Indian_school © Fawcett5 is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Maple_birch2 © Cephas is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- Central Coast Regional District © Province of British Columbia is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives) license
- Idle No More © The Indignants is licensed under a CC BY-ND (Attribution NoDerivatives) license
|
pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.572997
|
09-19-2023
|
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"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/the-rare-spirit-bear/
|
Unit 3: Wild BC
The Rare Spirit Bear
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
There are lots of wonders in the Great Bear Rainforest. There are trees that are more than a thousand years old. There are waterfalls rushing off mossy mountains. There are wolves that fish — and there are black bears that are white. These bears are known as “spirit bears.”
Spirit bears are rare. They are only found in British Columbia. In all of British Columbia, only about 1 in 100 black bears has white fur. Most spirit bears live in the Great Bear Rainforest. This rainforest is on the coast of British Columbia. On some of the islands in the Great Bear Rainforest as many as 1 in 3 black bears has white fur.
Spirit bears, like other black bears, eat plants such as berries, nuts, and fruits. They also eat small animals such as baby deer and baby moose. Most of all, they love salmon. Spirit bears have an easier time than black bears at catching salmon. Their white fur makes them harder for the salmon to see. After getting nice and fat over the spring, summer, and fall, the bears sleep in their dens all winter. During the winter, spirit bears can go without food for up to seven months.
Spirit bears mostly live alone. They mate in the summer but do not stay with their partner. The mother gives birth in January or February. By the time the cubs are a year and a half old, they are ready to go out on their own.
The Great Bear Rainforest is the traditional land of 12 different First Nations. These First Nations groups have never hunted the spirit bear. It is now against the law for anyone in British Columbia to hunt a spirit bear. Without the threat of people or any other animals, spirit bears can live to over 25 years old.
Yet many people say the spirit bear is at risk. A company called Enbridge would like to put a pipeline through the Great Bear Rainforest. The pipeline would carry oil. The oil would then be shipped across the sea to Asia on oil tankers. Some people are worried about oil spills. A big oil spill in the Great Bear Rainforest would destroy the place where most of the spirit bears on earth live. A big oil spill would kill many plants, fish, and animals that the spirit bear eats. Oil spills are difficult to clean up.
Enbridge says the spirit bears are not at risk. They say pipelines and oil tankers are very safe. They also say that the pipelines will help people in lots of ways. Building pipelines will create jobs for local people. Enbridge will pay taxes to the government, which can be used for schools and hospitals.
Is the spirit bear at risk? What do you think should become of the home of the spirit bear?
Word Patterns
The letter y can make lots of different sounds, depending on where it shows up in a syllable.
A syllable that begins with y usually makes a /y/ sound like in yellow and these words from the story:
- year
- yet
A one syllable word that ends in y usually makes a long /i/ sound, like in cry and this word from the story: by.
If the word has more than one syllable and ends in a y, the y usually makes a long /e/ sound, like in baby. The story has these words, too.
- mossy
- many
- only
- mostly
- January
- February
- ready
- any
- company
- carry
- very
Media Attributions
- Kermode bear/Spirit bear © Haplochromis is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- Great Bear Rainforest © Jim Maloney is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives) license
- Kermode bear near Lava Lake © miguelphotobooth is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Spirit Bear cub © beingmyself is licensed under a CC BY-ND (Attribution NoDerivatives) license
- Sign at Hartley Bay © Meghan Coughlin is licensed under a CC BY-ND (Attribution NoDerivatives) license
- Enbridge pipeine marker © Environmental Defence Canada is licensed under a CC BY-NC (Attribution NonCommercial) license
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pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.589278
|
09-19-2023
|
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/the-journey-of-the-salmon/
|
Unit 3: Wild BC
The Journey of the Salmon
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
For many First Nations people in British Columbia, the salmon is a symbol of trusting your senses and working hard at your goals. Salmon sense the right time to leave the sea. Starting in the fall, they swim thousands of kilometres to return to the same place where they were born. It is a difficult journey. They must swim upriver. They must leap up waterfalls. They must avoid bears and eagles. If they are lucky, they make it back to the place where they were born. They turn bright red to show that they are ready to mate. The female digs a nest. Then she lays thousands of eggs. The male puts sperm on the eggs at the same time. Both of the salmon die soon after.
Only a few of the eggs hatch. The young salmon leave the nest after a couple of days. They swim downriver to the sea. On the way, the bears and eagles are a threat once more. Many salmon do not make it to the sea. Those that do make it live in the ocean until they are about four years old. Then they return to their birthplace, just like their parents did. The amazing cycle of life continues.
Scientists do not know how salmon are able to find their way to their birthplace. Some say they can smell their way back.
Birds, bears, and even trees depend on the salmon. Dead salmon left on the forest floor by animals act like food for the trees. Salmon is also a traditional food for many First Nations people in British Columbia. They have fished salmon from the rivers and oceans since the beginning of time. Some communities hold a ceremony to welcome the salmon as they return to their birthplaces.
In recent years, people have started building salmon fish farms. Fish farmers drop nets and cages into the ocean. They fill the nets and cages with salmon. They raise the salmon for food. Fish farmers say that fish farms are good for people and good for the earth. Fish farms are keeping wild salmon safe from overfishing. Fish farms are making jobs for people.
But some people say that fish farms are bad for the earth. Fish farms are spreading sea lice. The drugs that fish farmers give the salmon are doing harm to other sea life. Finally, many seals and sea lions are getting stuck in the nets of fish farms and drowning.
Fish farms are a hot topic in British Columbia. Some First Nations communities may have found an answer. A few communities are building fish farms on land, rather than in the ocean. They are using closed tanks, rather than nets and cages. This may be a way to protect the earth and make money at the same time.
Word Patterns
An r-controlled syllable is a syllable that has a vowel followed by the letter r. The r changes the vowel sound. The vowel sound is neither short nor long.
Read these words:
- her
- bird
- burn
The –er, –ir, and –ur in the middle of these words all make the same sound. That means there are three ways to spell this sound: -er, -ir, and -ur. The –er is the most common. Examples of these sounds in this story are below:
- first
- return
- were
- upriver or rivers
- waterfalls
- turn
- sperm
- downriver
- birthplace
- farmers
- birds
- overfishing
- answer
- rather
The letters –ar can make many sounds. For now, think of their sound as the one you hear in the word car. Examples of this sound in this story are:
- starting or started
- farms
- farmers
- harm
The letters –or can also make many sounds. For now, think of their sound as the one you hear in horn. Examples in this story are:
- born
- forest
Media Attributions
- Chinook Salmon © Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – PNNL is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike) license
- Salmon_newborn © OpenCage is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- Chena Village: smokehouse © Diane Cordell is licensed under a CC BY-ND (Attribution NoDerivatives) license
- Fish_cages © Thomas Bjørkan is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
- Shrimp_hatchery © National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is licensed under a Public Domain license
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.612994
|
09-19-2023
|
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader3/chapter/spy-hopping-with-killer-whales/
|
Unit 3: Wild BC
Spy-Hopping with Orca Whales
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Did you know that there are about 300 orca whales living off the coast of British Columbia year-round? Orca whales show up in many First Nations stories. In some tales, orca whales take people from canoes and turn them into whales, too. An orca whale near the shore is sometimes seen as one of these people trying to talk to their family.
Whales live in family groups called pods. A pod has between 5 and 30 whales. Pods always stay together. A female orca whale is called a cow. She is the head of the family. A male orca whale is called a bull. Cows and bulls mate for life. Cows will have about five babies in their lifetime. When a baby is born, it comes out tail first. The mother brings it to the surface of the water. The baby takes its first breath of air. After a half an hour, the baby can swim on its own. By age two, it can hunt. A bull will live up to 50 years. A cow will live up to 90 years.
The orca whales in the pod talk to each other. They talk using fast, high clicks. The sounds can be as loud as a jet. Each pod has its own sounds.
Did you know that orca whales cannot breathe underwater? They must breathe air through a blowhole on top of their head. They can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes as they dive deep into the ocean.
Orca whales are one of the fastest animals in the world. They have tails called flukes. Their flukes give them power when swimming. Their two flippers help them steer. Their fin keeps them stable when they go fast. Orca whales usually swim close to shore and near the surface of the water. Sometimes they spy-hop. This means they stay upright in the water to look around. Sometimes they breach. This means they jump right out of the water and land with a big splash.
In British Columbia, orca whales do something no one understands. They come onto some beaches and rub their bodies on the smooth, round pebbles. Sometimes they do this for hours. They do not do this in other parts of the world.
Orca whales are good hunters. To hunt, they send out sound waves. Then they listen as the sound waves come back. This tells them where to find food. They eat fish and small sea mammals. Salmon is their favourite. They eat about 50 kilograms of salmon a day. They work together to hunt. They slap the water with their tails to stun or kill the fish. They also herd fish into a small area and then gulp them down. Up north, they tip floating sea ice so that seals, walruses, and sea lions will slide into the mouth of another whale who has been waiting there.
The biggest threat to orca whales is people. People build dams on rivers. The dams kill many salmon. With less salmon to eat, orca whales die, too.
People move lots of oil across the sea in big ships. Sometimes oil leaks out of ships. The oil is soaked up by small animals. Then the orca whales eat those small animals and get sick. Also, the loud noises from the engines of oil tankers make it hard for whales to use sound waves to find food.
People take orca whales out of the wild. About 150 orca whales have been taken out of the wild. They are put in pools for shows. Often the fins of whales that are kept in pools flop to one side. This is a sign of stress. An orca whale taken from the sea will only live about five more years.
Many people want to help orca whales. They say we should not build dams on rivers. They say we should not allow more oil tankers along the coast of British Columbia. They say we should not allow people to keep whales in pools. They can’t imagine a British Columbia without orca whales. Can you?
Word Patterns
When we read, we sometimes come across words we cannot sound out or do not understand. Sometimes writers put a definition of a word in the text so that you don’t have to look it up in a dictionary.
Here are some examples you will see in the reading above:
- A female orca whale is called a cow.
- A male orca whale is called a bull.
When the writer does not give us the meaning, we can make a guess based on what makes sense. To make a good guess, we have to think about the other words around it. Read this sentence:
- Orca whales must breathe air through a ____________ on top of their head.
What word might make sense in the blank? Once you make a guess, you will likely find it easier to read this sentence:
- Orca whales must breathe air through a blowhole on top of their head.
Media Attributions
- Victorious Orca © Digicla is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Orca_pod_southern_residents © National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Surfaced Orca II © A.Davey is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Orca_anatomy © Mlewan. This image has been modified. is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Oil_tanker_in_Japan © Mohan R is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Keiko the Killer Whale © unknown is licensed under a Public Domain license
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.629353
|
09-19-2023
|
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-1/
|
Langston Hughes: A Poet’s Life
Chapter 1
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Many people think that poems are not for them. They may not have read a poem by a good poet. A good poet can make us feel less cut off from the world. A good poet can make us see the world with new eyes. A good poet can make us feel alive.
Many people think Langston Hughes was a very good poet. Langston was black. He grew up in a time when white people did not treat black people well. So he wrote poems about the need to make a better world. Many people still do not treat black people well. So we still need Langston’s poems. His poems give us hope.
This is a book about the life and poems of Langston Hughes. You can find more of his poems in books or on the web.
Media Attributions
- slam poetry © Nopal Media is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
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pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.641050
|
09-19-2023
|
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-2/
|
Langston Hughes: A Poet’s Life
Chapter 2
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Langston Hughes is from the USA. Not long ago, black people in the USA were made to work for white people. They worked long days for no pay. They were slaves. This is part of a poem Langston wrote about being a slave.
I am the one who labored as a slave,
Beaten and mistreated for the work that I gave –
Children sold away from me, my husband sold, too.
No safety, no love, no respect was I due.
– from “The Negro Mother“
Langston was not a slave. But his great-grandmother was. Her name was Lucy Langston. The white man who owned her fell in love with her. So he set her free. He could not marry Lucy. The law said white people could not marry black people. But they did live together. They also had children together. One of the children was Charles Langston. He was the grandfather of our poet.
Media Attributions
- la negresse © Clay Williams is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
|
pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.650936
|
09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-2/",
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"author": "Shantel Ivits",
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"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-3/
|
Langston Hughes: A Poet’s Life
Chapter 3
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Charles Langston wanted all black people to be free. So he helped slaves run away from their owners. Charles helped slaves get to Canada, where they would be free. He was put in jail for this. But in 1865, the USA made a law that said no one could own a slave ever again. Black people still could not go to school with white people. Black people still could not eat in restaurants with white people. Black people still could not vote. So Charles set up schools for black people. He also helped black people win the right to vote. Langston may have been thinking of Charles when he wrote these words:
I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I am dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.
– from “Democracy“
Charles Langston fell in love with a woman named Mary. They had a daughter named Carrie. Carrie was the mother of our poet.
Media Attributions
- Brooklyn_Museum_-_A_Ride_for_Liberty_–_The_Fugitive_Slaves_-_Eastman_Johnson_-_overall © Eastman Johnson is licensed under a Public Domain license
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.662912
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09-19-2023
|
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-4/
|
Langston Hughes: A Poet’s Life
Chapter 4
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Carrie married a man named James Hughes. They had a son, Langston, in 1902. James was a lawyer. But he was not allowed to work as a lawyer because he was black. James was fed up with racism. So he left the USA. He left Carrie and Langston behind. Carrie had to move away to find work. She left Langston with his grandmother, Mary. They did not have much money. They still had to live with racism. But Mary told Langston many stories. She told him about his grandfather, Charles. These stories made Langston feel proud of who he was.
When Mary died, Langston missed her stories. His mother was always at work. He was on his own a lot. He turned to books. He turned to poems. One day, he began to write his own poems. He turned his sad feelings into beautiful words. The poem “Mother to Son” is about a mother telling her son to keep going in hard times.
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor —
Bare.
– from “Mother to Son”
Media Attributions
- Langston_Hughes_1902 © unknown is licensed under a Public Domain license
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.673190
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09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-4/",
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 2",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-5/
|
Langston Hughes: A Poet’s Life
Chapter 5
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Langston went to live with his dad when he was 17. His dad lived in Mexico. This was a sad time in his life. Langston and his dad did not get along. His dad did not want Langston to write poems. His dad had a lot of shame about being black. But Langston was proud. He wrote poems to tell other black people to feel proud, too. One example is a poem called “My People.”
The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.
The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people.
Beautiful, also, is the sun.
Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.
– from “My People” in The Crisis (October 1923)
After high school, Langston went to university to study science. His wish was to study English. But his dad would not let him. A lot of people at university treated him badly because he was black. So Langston dropped out after two years. Then he went to work. He was a cook. He washed clothes. He worked on a ship. He also worked as a busboy at a hotel. He cleaned tables and dishes. But he still dreamed of being a poet.
Media Attributions
- Langston_Hughes_Lincoln_University_1928 © Yale Collection of American Literature is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Hughes_high_school_1919_or_1920 © Yale Collection of American Literature is licensed under a Public Domain license
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.683827
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09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-5/",
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"author": "Shantel Ivits",
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-6/
|
Langston Hughes: A Poet’s Life
Chapter 6
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Harlem is a place in New York. Many black people in the USA moved to Harlem in the 1920s. A lot of art was being made by black artists in Harlem. They made books, poems, plays, paintings, and music. The art helped black people come together as one community.
Langston had moved around all his life. But he made a home in Harlem. More and more people read his poems. His poems were printed in books and magazines. People began to pay him to write more poems. Soon he did not need to work other jobs. His job was to write. Langston used his poems to fight racism. You can see this in his poem called “I, Too.” It is about a slave or servant who cannot eat with the white people when company comes. Black people were kept apart from white people in most places outside the home, too.
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
– from “I, Too”
Media Attributions
- harlem renaissance © angela.n is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
- Langston-hughes-house-20e127 © Americasroof is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
|
pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.694215
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09-19-2023
|
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-7/
|
Langston Hughes: A Poet’s Life
Chapter 7
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Did Langston ever fall in love? It is hard to say. Many people who have read his books and poems say that he was gay. He wrote some love poems to a man. These poems were never put in books or magazines. He also wrote a story that may tell of his own life. It is the story of a father who is mad because his son is “queer” and acts like a girl. At that time, it was harder to be open about being gay. What would happen if Langston told people he was gay? Would people still pay him to write his poems? Would people still read his poems?
Langston may not have found love. But he won many prizes for his poems. He became a famous poet. He helped many young black writers. He helped them feel pride. He helped them not to worry about the racism of other people. He told them to hold on to their dreams. He wrote a poem about this called “Dreams.”
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
– from “Dreams”
Media Attributions
- langston young © freeparking 😐 is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.704589
|
09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-7/",
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 2",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-8/
|
Langston Hughes: A Poet’s Life
Chapter 8
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
One day, Langston was told he had cancer. On May 22, 1967, Langston Hughes died. He was 65 years old. His ashes are in Harlem. He is still remembered today for his beautiful poems. He is also remembered for helping black people see themselves as a beautiful community. With Langston Hughes’ help, the term “African-American” is used with pride.
The land wants me to come back
To a handful of dust in autumn,
To a raindrop
In the palm of my hand
In spring.
– from “Dust Bowl”
Media Attributions
- Langston Hughes 1936 © Carl_Van_Vechten is licensed under a Public Domain license
- Langston Hughes © Delano/Library of Congress is licensed under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.714756
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader2/chapter/chapter-8/",
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 2",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/sweetgrass/
|
1 Sweetgrass
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Max used to live on the street. Now he lives in a house for other kids from the street.
One of the workers at the house is named Dan. Dan is Cree like Max.
One day, Dan takes Max to pick sweetgrass. They walk out onto the wetland. The sweetgrass is very tall. It bends when they step on it. But it does not break. Dan says, “The sweetgrass tells us to be kind when we are hurt.”
Dan asks the sweetgrass if he can pick it. Then Dan and Max pick what they need. They leave the roots in the land. This way, the sweetgrass will grow again next year.
After that, they make the sweetgrass into a braid. Dan tells Max that sweetgrass takes away bad feelings. It makes room for happy feelings. So Max keeps the sweetgrass close.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.723495
|
09-19-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/sweetgrass/",
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/chapter-1/
|
2 A New Flower
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
My grandma has never been on a plane. But she gets on a plane when she is 82 years old. She gets on a plane to see me.
One day, we go for a walk. She likes the flowers on my street.
Back home, she has many garden beds. She is in three flower clubs. She puts her plants in flower shows. She knows a lot about flowers.
But today she sees a flower she has not seen before. “What is this?” Grandma asks.
My friend Dave knows. He tells her what the flower is. She looks at Dave for a long time.
Back home, men hunt.
Back home, men fish.
Back home, men farm.
But back home, men do not know about flowers.
She takes this in. She smiles. Then we go on.
She hopes to see more flowers she has never seen before.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.733443
|
09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/chapter-1/",
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/the-sack-garden/
|
3 The Sack Garden
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
https://media.bccampus.ca/id/0_6oqak59q?width=608&height=70&playerId=23449753
This is Meg. Meg lives in South Africa. She has three kids.
It is hard to feed her kids. White people own most of the farmland in South Africa. Meg does not have land for a garden. Food costs a lot of money.
But Meg has a very good way to grow food. She finds a big sack. She puts rocks in the middle of the sack. She fills the rest of the sack with dirt. She makes little holes in the side of the sack. She puts a tomato plant in one hole. She puts a bean plant in one hole. She puts a green pepper plant in one hole. She puts eggplant in the top of the sack. She waters the sack garden from the top.
Her garden does not need much water. Her garden does not need much room. Her garden does not cost much money to make. Her garden does not have many weeds.
Now Meg can feed her kids.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.742345
|
09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/the-sack-garden/",
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/vals-garden/
|
4 Val’s Garden
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
I am new to the city. I do not know anyone. But an old woman lives next door. Her name is Val. She gives me a big box of vegetables.
She grows them in a garden by the sidewalk. There are carrots, tomatoes, beans, and peas. They are the best vegetables I ever ate. Val lives alone, too. But she seems happy in her garden. She loves those plants. Sometimes, I can hear her talking to them. Maybe that is why they grow so big.
One day, I stop seeing Val in the garden. I see people take many boxes from her home. Weeds grow in her garden. The dirt is dry. The plants look sad. Val must have passed on.
So I pull the weeds. I water the garden. I even talk to the plants.
Then a family moves next door. They are new to the city. They do not know anyone. And I give them a big box of vegetables from Val’s garden.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.750939
|
09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/vals-garden/",
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"title": "BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Reader 1",
"author": "Shantel Ivits",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
}
|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/gm-food/
|
5 GM Food
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
It is hard to be a farmer. Cold weather can kill your crops. Bugs can eat your crops. Weeds can hurt your crops. Your crops may need more rain than they get. Fruits and vegetables can go bad before they are sold. Some people say farmers can fix all this with GM food.
What is GM food? All living things have DNA. DNA tells living things how to grow. These days, people can change the DNA that tells food how to grow. When people change the DNA of food, it is called GM food.
Some GM food can grow in cold weather. GM food can stop bugs from eating it. GM fruits and vegetables can stay good longer. One day, GM food may be able to grow in dry land in Africa. It will feed people who do not have much food.
But there is a lot we do not know about GM food. Will GM companies help poor people grow food? Or do GM companies just want to get rich? Does GM food kill bugs we need, like butterflies? Does GM food make birds sick? Does GM food make people sick? We do not know. There have not been many tests on GM food.
Do you think farmers should grow GM food?
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.761574
|
09-19-2023
|
{
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"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/164/
|
6 Tomatoes
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
The tomato is from South America. When the tomato came to Europe, people did not eat it. Doctors said it would make them sick. So people just grew tomatoes because they looked nice.
Now people from all over the world eat tomatoes. Tomatoes are used in sauce, soup, juice, salsa, and ketchup. The tomato is very good for you. Only a tomato leaf or stem will make you sick.
People do odd things with tomatoes. People grow tomatoes in space. There is a big tomato fight every year in Spain. A long time ago, people would toss a bad tomato when they saw a show they did not like.
In Canada, many tomatoes are grown on big farms. The farms bring in poor people from far away to help grow tomatoes. Without these workers, the farms could not run. But the workers do not get much money. Canada does not let the workers stay here. Many people say this is not fair.
Most farms pick tomatoes before they are ripe. They last longer this way. But these tomatoes do not taste as good. So lots of people grow their own tomatoes.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.770966
|
09-19-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/164/",
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"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/grow-your-own-tomatoes/
|
7 Grow Your Own Tomatoes
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Tomatoes that you grow are better than tomatoes that you buy. You can grow tomatoes inside if you do not have a garden.
You need:
- Tomato seeds
- A big pot (50 cm deep)
- Potting soil (many big food shops sell this)
- A window
Fill the pot with potting soil. Pack the soil down a little bit. Put a seed on top of the soil. Add a bit more soil on top.
Add water. The soil must always be a bit wet. Seeds like to be warm. Put your pot in a warm place. It does not need sun yet.
The plant will grow above the soil. Put the plant by a window. The plant needs four hours of sun a day. You can tie the stem to a stick to help the plant stay up. Always keep the soil a bit wet.
Pick the tomatoes when they are the same red colour top to bottom. Enjoy!
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.780908
|
09-19-2023
|
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/canadas-tallest-tree/
|
8 Canada’s Tallest Tree
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
A man named Randy liked to hunt trees. He looked for big trees and old trees. He made maps to show where these trees were. He did not want to cut them down. He wanted people to take care of them.
Randy was told of a very tall tree on Vancouver Island. The tree was said to be 314 feet tall. That would make it the tallest tree in Canada. Randy set out to find the tree.
But someone else found it first. It was found by a logger. Loggers wanted to cut down Canada’s tallest tree and all the trees around it.
Randy made a path in the forest so people could see the tall tree. The tree was so big and beautiful it would fill them with awe. More and more people wanted to save that forest. Thanks to these people, that forest is now a park. Canada’s tallest tree is still there.
There may still be a bigger tree out there. Maybe you will find it. But there are only a few old forests left in BC. Many are still at risk of being cut down.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.789799
|
09-19-2023
|
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"institution": "",
"subject": "Language learning: reading skills, , , , ,"
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|
https://opentextbc.ca/abealfreader1/chapter/arctic-plants/
|
9 Arctic Plants
Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.
Some plants grow in land that is rich. Some plants grow where there is a lot of sun. These plants do very well. But there is something beautiful about plants that grow against the odds.
Way up in the arctic, the land is cold and hard. The winter is long and dark. But the arctic plants find a way to get by.
Summer comes for just a few weeks. The ice turns to water. Plants begin to grow.
Arctic moss grows on the land. It adds a bit of heat so that other plants can grow, too.
Arctic plants stay together. When they stay together, the cold winds are not so bad.
In other places, trees try to grow to the sky. But they would not last in the arctic. So the arctic willow is not like the other trees. The arctic willow grows on its side. It grows along the land. This may be odd, but it works.
The sun is out all day and all night. But the sun will go away soon. So the arctic poppy always looks on the bright side. The arctic poppy always faces the sun.
Yes, there is something beautiful about plants that grow against the odds.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.798995
|
09-19-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/frameworks/
|
OER Landscape
To effectively measure the impact of OER, researchers in the field have developed frameworks. We’ll review some of these frameworks in this section to ground the remainder of our conversations in the guide. Three frameworks stood out as most popular: COUP Framework, S3 Framework, and Investment to Impact Framework.[1]
COUP Framework
Bliss, Robinson, Hilton, and Wiley (2013) provide the COUP framework as a model for studying the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) and open pedagogy in secondary and postsecondary education. COUP stands for:
- Cost – What are the financial impacts for students and other stakeholders of OER adoption?
- Outcomes – How does OER influence student academic performance?
- Usage – In what ways do faculty members, as well as learners use OER?
- Perceptions – What do faculty and students think about, and feel toward, OER?
John Hilton III (2017) offers an excellent overview of some of the studies conducted using the COUP framework, broken down into each category of the framework, in Special Issue: Outcomes of Openness: Empirical Reports on the Implementation of OER. This framework is widely used in the field, as numerous experts observe that the COUP framework highlights four critical aspects in OER research (Clinton, 2019).
S3 Framework
This framework (Wiley, 2020) features three components to evaluate the impact of OER: success, scale, and savings. Wiley offers an explanation of how each component is measured:
- Success: Letter grades are used as the metric/indicator of success in this framework. Wiley suggests taking an average of grades across terms before the OER was introduced compared to after — noting that data from multiple terms would offer a more stable measurement.
- Scale: Wiley explains that scale is determined by counting the number of students enrolled in OER course sections. This includes the total number of students in all sections of courses, such as Intro to Psychology using OER, as well as the number of students in particular portions of such courses.
- Savings: The last element in this framework is savings. Wiley notes that “when calculated accurately, the savings measure takes into account several factors” including diverse pricing of materials and instances of zero spending on course materials. Savings are assessed by comparing the average expenditure of OER users with that of control students.
Three questions that the S3 framework focus on are:
- How much does this innovation improve student success?
- How many students are benefiting from this innovation?
- How much money does this innovation save students?
Investment to Impact Framework
Ebner et al (2022) offer a robust overview of some of the OER impact studies conducted.This includes a study by Jenkins et al. (2020) and their findings which show that OER can improve social justice in higher education.
After a robust literature review, Ebner et al (2022) highlight what they consider “important new insights” around OER impact assessment:
- Diversity in OER purposes in universities
- Invisibility of the re-usage
- Overlooking innovations
- Differences in the OER infrastructure and maturity of the implementation
- Huge methodological variety
- Visualization and presentation of results
Ebner et al (2022) provide a framework for OER impact assessment, based on their research. They note how imperative it is to clearly define OER and distinguish the ways in which OER will be measured. They use UNESCO’s definition of OER (2019). Their framework also clearly connects to open educational practices. Ebner et al. suggest a practical approach to get started: look at existing OER policies or similar strategies for purposes, arguments or aims related to OER. This framework has developed a good argument for helping institutions understand that there’s no one way to measure impact, rather it does show all the aspects people need to think about and need to think within their unique context, whether institutional or geographical. This will support researchers as they’re looking into the specifics of what their institution’s OER should achieve and who is the target audience.
Analysis of Frameworks
We found the S3 Framework and COUP Framework focus too much on the quantitative and looking at impact after the fact, rather than preparing for measuring impact while planning out initiatives. The Investment to Impact Framework provides a more holistic tool for examining the complex and very often context-dependent impact of OER in higher education. Ebner et al. (2022) present this framework, emphasizing the importance of looking at OER efficacy not as an after piece but rather as something that has to be part of the planning as you are setting up your initiative and it has to match your own goals/research and examination for efficacy to their own vision and goals.
- We recognize that other frameworks are used by educators and researchers around the world, each with their own merits, but in the interest of keeping the Guide light and easy to read are focusing on the three most common frameworks. ↵
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.811831
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/frameworks/#chapter-24-section-1
|
OER Landscape
To effectively measure the impact of OER, researchers in the field have developed frameworks. We’ll review some of these frameworks in this section to ground the remainder of our conversations in the guide. Three frameworks stood out as most popular: COUP Framework, S3 Framework, and Investment to Impact Framework.[1]
COUP Framework
Bliss, Robinson, Hilton, and Wiley (2013) provide the COUP framework as a model for studying the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) and open pedagogy in secondary and postsecondary education. COUP stands for:
- Cost – What are the financial impacts for students and other stakeholders of OER adoption?
- Outcomes – How does OER influence student academic performance?
- Usage – In what ways do faculty members, as well as learners use OER?
- Perceptions – What do faculty and students think about, and feel toward, OER?
John Hilton III (2017) offers an excellent overview of some of the studies conducted using the COUP framework, broken down into each category of the framework, in Special Issue: Outcomes of Openness: Empirical Reports on the Implementation of OER. This framework is widely used in the field, as numerous experts observe that the COUP framework highlights four critical aspects in OER research (Clinton, 2019).
S3 Framework
This framework (Wiley, 2020) features three components to evaluate the impact of OER: success, scale, and savings. Wiley offers an explanation of how each component is measured:
- Success: Letter grades are used as the metric/indicator of success in this framework. Wiley suggests taking an average of grades across terms before the OER was introduced compared to after — noting that data from multiple terms would offer a more stable measurement.
- Scale: Wiley explains that scale is determined by counting the number of students enrolled in OER course sections. This includes the total number of students in all sections of courses, such as Intro to Psychology using OER, as well as the number of students in particular portions of such courses.
- Savings: The last element in this framework is savings. Wiley notes that “when calculated accurately, the savings measure takes into account several factors” including diverse pricing of materials and instances of zero spending on course materials. Savings are assessed by comparing the average expenditure of OER users with that of control students.
Three questions that the S3 framework focus on are:
- How much does this innovation improve student success?
- How many students are benefiting from this innovation?
- How much money does this innovation save students?
Investment to Impact Framework
Ebner et al (2022) offer a robust overview of some of the OER impact studies conducted.This includes a study by Jenkins et al. (2020) and their findings which show that OER can improve social justice in higher education.
After a robust literature review, Ebner et al (2022) highlight what they consider “important new insights” around OER impact assessment:
- Diversity in OER purposes in universities
- Invisibility of the re-usage
- Overlooking innovations
- Differences in the OER infrastructure and maturity of the implementation
- Huge methodological variety
- Visualization and presentation of results
Ebner et al (2022) provide a framework for OER impact assessment, based on their research. They note how imperative it is to clearly define OER and distinguish the ways in which OER will be measured. They use UNESCO’s definition of OER (2019). Their framework also clearly connects to open educational practices. Ebner et al. suggest a practical approach to get started: look at existing OER policies or similar strategies for purposes, arguments or aims related to OER. This framework has developed a good argument for helping institutions understand that there’s no one way to measure impact, rather it does show all the aspects people need to think about and need to think within their unique context, whether institutional or geographical. This will support researchers as they’re looking into the specifics of what their institution’s OER should achieve and who is the target audience.
Analysis of Frameworks
We found the S3 Framework and COUP Framework focus too much on the quantitative and looking at impact after the fact, rather than preparing for measuring impact while planning out initiatives. The Investment to Impact Framework provides a more holistic tool for examining the complex and very often context-dependent impact of OER in higher education. Ebner et al. (2022) present this framework, emphasizing the importance of looking at OER efficacy not as an after piece but rather as something that has to be part of the planning as you are setting up your initiative and it has to match your own goals/research and examination for efficacy to their own vision and goals.
- We recognize that other frameworks are used by educators and researchers around the world, each with their own merits, but in the interest of keeping the Guide light and easy to read are focusing on the three most common frameworks. ↵
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.824415
|
12-18-2023
|
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"book_url": "https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/front-matter/acknowledgments/",
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"subject": "Education, Open learning, distance education, Educational administration and organization"
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/frameworks/#chapter-24-section-2
|
OER Landscape
To effectively measure the impact of OER, researchers in the field have developed frameworks. We’ll review some of these frameworks in this section to ground the remainder of our conversations in the guide. Three frameworks stood out as most popular: COUP Framework, S3 Framework, and Investment to Impact Framework.[1]
COUP Framework
Bliss, Robinson, Hilton, and Wiley (2013) provide the COUP framework as a model for studying the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) and open pedagogy in secondary and postsecondary education. COUP stands for:
- Cost – What are the financial impacts for students and other stakeholders of OER adoption?
- Outcomes – How does OER influence student academic performance?
- Usage – In what ways do faculty members, as well as learners use OER?
- Perceptions – What do faculty and students think about, and feel toward, OER?
John Hilton III (2017) offers an excellent overview of some of the studies conducted using the COUP framework, broken down into each category of the framework, in Special Issue: Outcomes of Openness: Empirical Reports on the Implementation of OER. This framework is widely used in the field, as numerous experts observe that the COUP framework highlights four critical aspects in OER research (Clinton, 2019).
S3 Framework
This framework (Wiley, 2020) features three components to evaluate the impact of OER: success, scale, and savings. Wiley offers an explanation of how each component is measured:
- Success: Letter grades are used as the metric/indicator of success in this framework. Wiley suggests taking an average of grades across terms before the OER was introduced compared to after — noting that data from multiple terms would offer a more stable measurement.
- Scale: Wiley explains that scale is determined by counting the number of students enrolled in OER course sections. This includes the total number of students in all sections of courses, such as Intro to Psychology using OER, as well as the number of students in particular portions of such courses.
- Savings: The last element in this framework is savings. Wiley notes that “when calculated accurately, the savings measure takes into account several factors” including diverse pricing of materials and instances of zero spending on course materials. Savings are assessed by comparing the average expenditure of OER users with that of control students.
Three questions that the S3 framework focus on are:
- How much does this innovation improve student success?
- How many students are benefiting from this innovation?
- How much money does this innovation save students?
Investment to Impact Framework
Ebner et al (2022) offer a robust overview of some of the OER impact studies conducted.This includes a study by Jenkins et al. (2020) and their findings which show that OER can improve social justice in higher education.
After a robust literature review, Ebner et al (2022) highlight what they consider “important new insights” around OER impact assessment:
- Diversity in OER purposes in universities
- Invisibility of the re-usage
- Overlooking innovations
- Differences in the OER infrastructure and maturity of the implementation
- Huge methodological variety
- Visualization and presentation of results
Ebner et al (2022) provide a framework for OER impact assessment, based on their research. They note how imperative it is to clearly define OER and distinguish the ways in which OER will be measured. They use UNESCO’s definition of OER (2019). Their framework also clearly connects to open educational practices. Ebner et al. suggest a practical approach to get started: look at existing OER policies or similar strategies for purposes, arguments or aims related to OER. This framework has developed a good argument for helping institutions understand that there’s no one way to measure impact, rather it does show all the aspects people need to think about and need to think within their unique context, whether institutional or geographical. This will support researchers as they’re looking into the specifics of what their institution’s OER should achieve and who is the target audience.
Analysis of Frameworks
We found the S3 Framework and COUP Framework focus too much on the quantitative and looking at impact after the fact, rather than preparing for measuring impact while planning out initiatives. The Investment to Impact Framework provides a more holistic tool for examining the complex and very often context-dependent impact of OER in higher education. Ebner et al. (2022) present this framework, emphasizing the importance of looking at OER efficacy not as an after piece but rather as something that has to be part of the planning as you are setting up your initiative and it has to match your own goals/research and examination for efficacy to their own vision and goals.
- We recognize that other frameworks are used by educators and researchers around the world, each with their own merits, but in the interest of keeping the Guide light and easy to read are focusing on the three most common frameworks. ↵
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.838172
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/frameworks/#chapter-24-section-3
|
OER Landscape
To effectively measure the impact of OER, researchers in the field have developed frameworks. We’ll review some of these frameworks in this section to ground the remainder of our conversations in the guide. Three frameworks stood out as most popular: COUP Framework, S3 Framework, and Investment to Impact Framework.[1]
COUP Framework
Bliss, Robinson, Hilton, and Wiley (2013) provide the COUP framework as a model for studying the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) and open pedagogy in secondary and postsecondary education. COUP stands for:
- Cost – What are the financial impacts for students and other stakeholders of OER adoption?
- Outcomes – How does OER influence student academic performance?
- Usage – In what ways do faculty members, as well as learners use OER?
- Perceptions – What do faculty and students think about, and feel toward, OER?
John Hilton III (2017) offers an excellent overview of some of the studies conducted using the COUP framework, broken down into each category of the framework, in Special Issue: Outcomes of Openness: Empirical Reports on the Implementation of OER. This framework is widely used in the field, as numerous experts observe that the COUP framework highlights four critical aspects in OER research (Clinton, 2019).
S3 Framework
This framework (Wiley, 2020) features three components to evaluate the impact of OER: success, scale, and savings. Wiley offers an explanation of how each component is measured:
- Success: Letter grades are used as the metric/indicator of success in this framework. Wiley suggests taking an average of grades across terms before the OER was introduced compared to after — noting that data from multiple terms would offer a more stable measurement.
- Scale: Wiley explains that scale is determined by counting the number of students enrolled in OER course sections. This includes the total number of students in all sections of courses, such as Intro to Psychology using OER, as well as the number of students in particular portions of such courses.
- Savings: The last element in this framework is savings. Wiley notes that “when calculated accurately, the savings measure takes into account several factors” including diverse pricing of materials and instances of zero spending on course materials. Savings are assessed by comparing the average expenditure of OER users with that of control students.
Three questions that the S3 framework focus on are:
- How much does this innovation improve student success?
- How many students are benefiting from this innovation?
- How much money does this innovation save students?
Investment to Impact Framework
Ebner et al (2022) offer a robust overview of some of the OER impact studies conducted.This includes a study by Jenkins et al. (2020) and their findings which show that OER can improve social justice in higher education.
After a robust literature review, Ebner et al (2022) highlight what they consider “important new insights” around OER impact assessment:
- Diversity in OER purposes in universities
- Invisibility of the re-usage
- Overlooking innovations
- Differences in the OER infrastructure and maturity of the implementation
- Huge methodological variety
- Visualization and presentation of results
Ebner et al (2022) provide a framework for OER impact assessment, based on their research. They note how imperative it is to clearly define OER and distinguish the ways in which OER will be measured. They use UNESCO’s definition of OER (2019). Their framework also clearly connects to open educational practices. Ebner et al. suggest a practical approach to get started: look at existing OER policies or similar strategies for purposes, arguments or aims related to OER. This framework has developed a good argument for helping institutions understand that there’s no one way to measure impact, rather it does show all the aspects people need to think about and need to think within their unique context, whether institutional or geographical. This will support researchers as they’re looking into the specifics of what their institution’s OER should achieve and who is the target audience.
Analysis of Frameworks
We found the S3 Framework and COUP Framework focus too much on the quantitative and looking at impact after the fact, rather than preparing for measuring impact while planning out initiatives. The Investment to Impact Framework provides a more holistic tool for examining the complex and very often context-dependent impact of OER in higher education. Ebner et al. (2022) present this framework, emphasizing the importance of looking at OER efficacy not as an after piece but rather as something that has to be part of the planning as you are setting up your initiative and it has to match your own goals/research and examination for efficacy to their own vision and goals.
- We recognize that other frameworks are used by educators and researchers around the world, each with their own merits, but in the interest of keeping the Guide light and easy to read are focusing on the three most common frameworks. ↵
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.849789
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/frameworks/#chapter-24-section-4
|
OER Landscape
To effectively measure the impact of OER, researchers in the field have developed frameworks. We’ll review some of these frameworks in this section to ground the remainder of our conversations in the guide. Three frameworks stood out as most popular: COUP Framework, S3 Framework, and Investment to Impact Framework.[1]
COUP Framework
Bliss, Robinson, Hilton, and Wiley (2013) provide the COUP framework as a model for studying the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) and open pedagogy in secondary and postsecondary education. COUP stands for:
- Cost – What are the financial impacts for students and other stakeholders of OER adoption?
- Outcomes – How does OER influence student academic performance?
- Usage – In what ways do faculty members, as well as learners use OER?
- Perceptions – What do faculty and students think about, and feel toward, OER?
John Hilton III (2017) offers an excellent overview of some of the studies conducted using the COUP framework, broken down into each category of the framework, in Special Issue: Outcomes of Openness: Empirical Reports on the Implementation of OER. This framework is widely used in the field, as numerous experts observe that the COUP framework highlights four critical aspects in OER research (Clinton, 2019).
S3 Framework
This framework (Wiley, 2020) features three components to evaluate the impact of OER: success, scale, and savings. Wiley offers an explanation of how each component is measured:
- Success: Letter grades are used as the metric/indicator of success in this framework. Wiley suggests taking an average of grades across terms before the OER was introduced compared to after — noting that data from multiple terms would offer a more stable measurement.
- Scale: Wiley explains that scale is determined by counting the number of students enrolled in OER course sections. This includes the total number of students in all sections of courses, such as Intro to Psychology using OER, as well as the number of students in particular portions of such courses.
- Savings: The last element in this framework is savings. Wiley notes that “when calculated accurately, the savings measure takes into account several factors” including diverse pricing of materials and instances of zero spending on course materials. Savings are assessed by comparing the average expenditure of OER users with that of control students.
Three questions that the S3 framework focus on are:
- How much does this innovation improve student success?
- How many students are benefiting from this innovation?
- How much money does this innovation save students?
Investment to Impact Framework
Ebner et al (2022) offer a robust overview of some of the OER impact studies conducted.This includes a study by Jenkins et al. (2020) and their findings which show that OER can improve social justice in higher education.
After a robust literature review, Ebner et al (2022) highlight what they consider “important new insights” around OER impact assessment:
- Diversity in OER purposes in universities
- Invisibility of the re-usage
- Overlooking innovations
- Differences in the OER infrastructure and maturity of the implementation
- Huge methodological variety
- Visualization and presentation of results
Ebner et al (2022) provide a framework for OER impact assessment, based on their research. They note how imperative it is to clearly define OER and distinguish the ways in which OER will be measured. They use UNESCO’s definition of OER (2019). Their framework also clearly connects to open educational practices. Ebner et al. suggest a practical approach to get started: look at existing OER policies or similar strategies for purposes, arguments or aims related to OER. This framework has developed a good argument for helping institutions understand that there’s no one way to measure impact, rather it does show all the aspects people need to think about and need to think within their unique context, whether institutional or geographical. This will support researchers as they’re looking into the specifics of what their institution’s OER should achieve and who is the target audience.
Analysis of Frameworks
We found the S3 Framework and COUP Framework focus too much on the quantitative and looking at impact after the fact, rather than preparing for measuring impact while planning out initiatives. The Investment to Impact Framework provides a more holistic tool for examining the complex and very often context-dependent impact of OER in higher education. Ebner et al. (2022) present this framework, emphasizing the importance of looking at OER efficacy not as an after piece but rather as something that has to be part of the planning as you are setting up your initiative and it has to match your own goals/research and examination for efficacy to their own vision and goals.
- We recognize that other frameworks are used by educators and researchers around the world, each with their own merits, but in the interest of keeping the Guide light and easy to read are focusing on the three most common frameworks. ↵
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.861589
|
12-18-2023
|
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"title": "Beyond the Horizon: Broadening Our Understanding of OER Efficacy",
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/oer-efficacy-landscape-trends-gaps/
|
OER Landscape
During our analysis of existing research on the effectiveness of OER, we came across intriguing themes. The following section will delve deeper into the key themes we observed.
Cost-Saving Narrative
One of the main observations from our research for this Guide is how the narrative surrounding OER efficacy is presented – the story of OER efficacy. Storytelling is a pivotal piece of OER efficacy research; how you discuss and describe your work is important, as it informs the decisions you make. As we mention in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far), “Storytelling is a meaningful tool to help you communicate the people, purpose, and vision of your work. We subscribe to the idea that stories are a series of connections.”
A large chunk of the articles we read tell a story of OER being effective in reducing costs for students, expanding access to materials, and perceptions of OER (both for faculty and students). This is definitely a big win in the broader fight to make education more accessible and affordable. Frameworks that highlight the role of OER in reducing costs to students and institutions sometimes fail to answer the question, “why does this matter?” In other words, what is the next chapter of the cost-savings story? What is the trickle-down impact or the snowball effect? What financial implications will this have over time?
We ask similar questions in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far): “given the care and thought to bring a student-centered and equity-based approach to OER creation, are there also ways to carry this forward to look at other measures of assessing student “success” beyond grades?” If you complete the narrative with the cost-savings lens, are there other protagonists who can tell the same story in a different voice and offer a more nuanced view?
Lack of Social Justice Lens
Not many articles were found to look at OER’s efficacy with a social justice lens.
Lambert (2018), Colvard et al. (2018), Figlio, Rush, and Yin (2013), and Levy & Tila (2022) were some of the few that specifically focused on the impact of open educational resources on student impact.
Levi & Tila (2022) noted that by disaggregating data, they found “the educational hardships posed by high textbook prices were even more significant, however, for historically underserved student groups – particularly in regard to stress, (first-day) access, class choice, and academic performance. Thus, the disproportionately negative effect of course material costs on historically underserved students reemphasizes textbook affordability as a redistributive social justice issue.” (pg. 10)
If you answered no, what can you do differently to incorporate this practice into your research? (If it’s a knowledge gap, consider seeking collaborations with members of the open community who have knowledge in these areas, in particular lived experience – however, you need to be mindful of labour and knowledge extraction – pay people equitably and uplift their voices rather than taking their knowledge and claiming it as your own.) As pointed out by Jenkins et al. (2018), “such a gap in OER literature not only perpetuates the higher education system’s neglect of historically underserved students, but also overlooks the potential for textbook affordability to promote social justice values.”
In Using open educational resources to promote social justice, Ivory et al. (2022) offer an overview of some of the other social justice gaps outside of affordability and access. They point out that the open education field has been good at addressing access to educational materials, however, diverse participation and representation in OER have lagged behind. In addition, Ivory et al. (2022) make the observation that in the West, it’s common for us to think we possess unique knowledge and, as a result, we sometimes feel compelled to represent others instead of letting them express their own lived experiences and perspectives.
Missing Worldviews
The majority of the frameworks we researched had a decidedly North American focus. While North American studies often look at contexts in the Global North, there is a lot of insight, progress, and inspiration from OER work being done globally (specifically in Africa and Asia) that these studies tend to miss. This is unfortunate, because the expansive worldviews can help us:
- Define OER and OER efficacy more consistently;
- Better understand overlapping challenges and success;
- Create a shared future of OER that decenter whiteness (both in content and practices) and advance equity for all.
The Understanding the Impact of OER: Achievements and Challenges UNESCO report looks at the implementation and usage of OER in several countries around the world, highlighting both challenges and successes. To our surprise, many countries face similar challenges with regards to OER — meaning that shared conversations could lead to better problem-solving.
Data from the surveyed countries indicate that OER is not widely accepted globally. Rather than being properly incorporated into educational systems, OER initiatives are frequently viewed as distinct enterprises. Instead of being a core component of a strategy for developing and using educational materials, OER initiatives frequently take the form of add-ons.
Respondents noted there were several key research questions and issues that need to be explored regarding OER in their country. Suggested areas for further research included categories such as: educational effectiveness, understanding costs and developing viable OER models, policy development and implementation, and improving diversity of OER. Learning more about these different pieces could help paint a fuller picture of OER efficacy in these regions and therefore help us compare themes and patterns across regions.
Considering the worldwide scope of open education, it is essential to connect and engage with international knowledge networks to expand our perspectives on education by examining, questioning, and enhancing them through the unique prisms of diverse cultures, religions, and regions. This helps expand the perspectives provided in educational materials, while allowing students (and educators, more broadly) to be represented in materials.
If you answered no, how might you be able to modify your approach to integrate this methodology into your research?
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.874771
|
12-18-2023
|
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https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/oer-efficacy-landscape-trends-gaps/#chapter-26-section-1
|
OER Landscape
During our analysis of existing research on the effectiveness of OER, we came across intriguing themes. The following section will delve deeper into the key themes we observed.
Cost-Saving Narrative
One of the main observations from our research for this Guide is how the narrative surrounding OER efficacy is presented – the story of OER efficacy. Storytelling is a pivotal piece of OER efficacy research; how you discuss and describe your work is important, as it informs the decisions you make. As we mention in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far), “Storytelling is a meaningful tool to help you communicate the people, purpose, and vision of your work. We subscribe to the idea that stories are a series of connections.”
A large chunk of the articles we read tell a story of OER being effective in reducing costs for students, expanding access to materials, and perceptions of OER (both for faculty and students). This is definitely a big win in the broader fight to make education more accessible and affordable. Frameworks that highlight the role of OER in reducing costs to students and institutions sometimes fail to answer the question, “why does this matter?” In other words, what is the next chapter of the cost-savings story? What is the trickle-down impact or the snowball effect? What financial implications will this have over time?
We ask similar questions in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far): “given the care and thought to bring a student-centered and equity-based approach to OER creation, are there also ways to carry this forward to look at other measures of assessing student “success” beyond grades?” If you complete the narrative with the cost-savings lens, are there other protagonists who can tell the same story in a different voice and offer a more nuanced view?
Lack of Social Justice Lens
Not many articles were found to look at OER’s efficacy with a social justice lens.
Lambert (2018), Colvard et al. (2018), Figlio, Rush, and Yin (2013), and Levy & Tila (2022) were some of the few that specifically focused on the impact of open educational resources on student impact.
Levi & Tila (2022) noted that by disaggregating data, they found “the educational hardships posed by high textbook prices were even more significant, however, for historically underserved student groups – particularly in regard to stress, (first-day) access, class choice, and academic performance. Thus, the disproportionately negative effect of course material costs on historically underserved students reemphasizes textbook affordability as a redistributive social justice issue.” (pg. 10)
If you answered no, what can you do differently to incorporate this practice into your research? (If it’s a knowledge gap, consider seeking collaborations with members of the open community who have knowledge in these areas, in particular lived experience – however, you need to be mindful of labour and knowledge extraction – pay people equitably and uplift their voices rather than taking their knowledge and claiming it as your own.) As pointed out by Jenkins et al. (2018), “such a gap in OER literature not only perpetuates the higher education system’s neglect of historically underserved students, but also overlooks the potential for textbook affordability to promote social justice values.”
In Using open educational resources to promote social justice, Ivory et al. (2022) offer an overview of some of the other social justice gaps outside of affordability and access. They point out that the open education field has been good at addressing access to educational materials, however, diverse participation and representation in OER have lagged behind. In addition, Ivory et al. (2022) make the observation that in the West, it’s common for us to think we possess unique knowledge and, as a result, we sometimes feel compelled to represent others instead of letting them express their own lived experiences and perspectives.
Missing Worldviews
The majority of the frameworks we researched had a decidedly North American focus. While North American studies often look at contexts in the Global North, there is a lot of insight, progress, and inspiration from OER work being done globally (specifically in Africa and Asia) that these studies tend to miss. This is unfortunate, because the expansive worldviews can help us:
- Define OER and OER efficacy more consistently;
- Better understand overlapping challenges and success;
- Create a shared future of OER that decenter whiteness (both in content and practices) and advance equity for all.
The Understanding the Impact of OER: Achievements and Challenges UNESCO report looks at the implementation and usage of OER in several countries around the world, highlighting both challenges and successes. To our surprise, many countries face similar challenges with regards to OER — meaning that shared conversations could lead to better problem-solving.
Data from the surveyed countries indicate that OER is not widely accepted globally. Rather than being properly incorporated into educational systems, OER initiatives are frequently viewed as distinct enterprises. Instead of being a core component of a strategy for developing and using educational materials, OER initiatives frequently take the form of add-ons.
Respondents noted there were several key research questions and issues that need to be explored regarding OER in their country. Suggested areas for further research included categories such as: educational effectiveness, understanding costs and developing viable OER models, policy development and implementation, and improving diversity of OER. Learning more about these different pieces could help paint a fuller picture of OER efficacy in these regions and therefore help us compare themes and patterns across regions.
Considering the worldwide scope of open education, it is essential to connect and engage with international knowledge networks to expand our perspectives on education by examining, questioning, and enhancing them through the unique prisms of diverse cultures, religions, and regions. This helps expand the perspectives provided in educational materials, while allowing students (and educators, more broadly) to be represented in materials.
If you answered no, how might you be able to modify your approach to integrate this methodology into your research?
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.887233
|
12-18-2023
|
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https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/oer-efficacy-landscape-trends-gaps/#chapter-26-section-2
|
OER Landscape
During our analysis of existing research on the effectiveness of OER, we came across intriguing themes. The following section will delve deeper into the key themes we observed.
Cost-Saving Narrative
One of the main observations from our research for this Guide is how the narrative surrounding OER efficacy is presented – the story of OER efficacy. Storytelling is a pivotal piece of OER efficacy research; how you discuss and describe your work is important, as it informs the decisions you make. As we mention in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far), “Storytelling is a meaningful tool to help you communicate the people, purpose, and vision of your work. We subscribe to the idea that stories are a series of connections.”
A large chunk of the articles we read tell a story of OER being effective in reducing costs for students, expanding access to materials, and perceptions of OER (both for faculty and students). This is definitely a big win in the broader fight to make education more accessible and affordable. Frameworks that highlight the role of OER in reducing costs to students and institutions sometimes fail to answer the question, “why does this matter?” In other words, what is the next chapter of the cost-savings story? What is the trickle-down impact or the snowball effect? What financial implications will this have over time?
We ask similar questions in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far): “given the care and thought to bring a student-centered and equity-based approach to OER creation, are there also ways to carry this forward to look at other measures of assessing student “success” beyond grades?” If you complete the narrative with the cost-savings lens, are there other protagonists who can tell the same story in a different voice and offer a more nuanced view?
Lack of Social Justice Lens
Not many articles were found to look at OER’s efficacy with a social justice lens.
Lambert (2018), Colvard et al. (2018), Figlio, Rush, and Yin (2013), and Levy & Tila (2022) were some of the few that specifically focused on the impact of open educational resources on student impact.
Levi & Tila (2022) noted that by disaggregating data, they found “the educational hardships posed by high textbook prices were even more significant, however, for historically underserved student groups – particularly in regard to stress, (first-day) access, class choice, and academic performance. Thus, the disproportionately negative effect of course material costs on historically underserved students reemphasizes textbook affordability as a redistributive social justice issue.” (pg. 10)
If you answered no, what can you do differently to incorporate this practice into your research? (If it’s a knowledge gap, consider seeking collaborations with members of the open community who have knowledge in these areas, in particular lived experience – however, you need to be mindful of labour and knowledge extraction – pay people equitably and uplift their voices rather than taking their knowledge and claiming it as your own.) As pointed out by Jenkins et al. (2018), “such a gap in OER literature not only perpetuates the higher education system’s neglect of historically underserved students, but also overlooks the potential for textbook affordability to promote social justice values.”
In Using open educational resources to promote social justice, Ivory et al. (2022) offer an overview of some of the other social justice gaps outside of affordability and access. They point out that the open education field has been good at addressing access to educational materials, however, diverse participation and representation in OER have lagged behind. In addition, Ivory et al. (2022) make the observation that in the West, it’s common for us to think we possess unique knowledge and, as a result, we sometimes feel compelled to represent others instead of letting them express their own lived experiences and perspectives.
Missing Worldviews
The majority of the frameworks we researched had a decidedly North American focus. While North American studies often look at contexts in the Global North, there is a lot of insight, progress, and inspiration from OER work being done globally (specifically in Africa and Asia) that these studies tend to miss. This is unfortunate, because the expansive worldviews can help us:
- Define OER and OER efficacy more consistently;
- Better understand overlapping challenges and success;
- Create a shared future of OER that decenter whiteness (both in content and practices) and advance equity for all.
The Understanding the Impact of OER: Achievements and Challenges UNESCO report looks at the implementation and usage of OER in several countries around the world, highlighting both challenges and successes. To our surprise, many countries face similar challenges with regards to OER — meaning that shared conversations could lead to better problem-solving.
Data from the surveyed countries indicate that OER is not widely accepted globally. Rather than being properly incorporated into educational systems, OER initiatives are frequently viewed as distinct enterprises. Instead of being a core component of a strategy for developing and using educational materials, OER initiatives frequently take the form of add-ons.
Respondents noted there were several key research questions and issues that need to be explored regarding OER in their country. Suggested areas for further research included categories such as: educational effectiveness, understanding costs and developing viable OER models, policy development and implementation, and improving diversity of OER. Learning more about these different pieces could help paint a fuller picture of OER efficacy in these regions and therefore help us compare themes and patterns across regions.
Considering the worldwide scope of open education, it is essential to connect and engage with international knowledge networks to expand our perspectives on education by examining, questioning, and enhancing them through the unique prisms of diverse cultures, religions, and regions. This helps expand the perspectives provided in educational materials, while allowing students (and educators, more broadly) to be represented in materials.
If you answered no, how might you be able to modify your approach to integrate this methodology into your research?
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.898830
|
12-18-2023
|
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https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/oer-efficacy-landscape-trends-gaps/#chapter-26-section-3
|
OER Landscape
During our analysis of existing research on the effectiveness of OER, we came across intriguing themes. The following section will delve deeper into the key themes we observed.
Cost-Saving Narrative
One of the main observations from our research for this Guide is how the narrative surrounding OER efficacy is presented – the story of OER efficacy. Storytelling is a pivotal piece of OER efficacy research; how you discuss and describe your work is important, as it informs the decisions you make. As we mention in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far), “Storytelling is a meaningful tool to help you communicate the people, purpose, and vision of your work. We subscribe to the idea that stories are a series of connections.”
A large chunk of the articles we read tell a story of OER being effective in reducing costs for students, expanding access to materials, and perceptions of OER (both for faculty and students). This is definitely a big win in the broader fight to make education more accessible and affordable. Frameworks that highlight the role of OER in reducing costs to students and institutions sometimes fail to answer the question, “why does this matter?” In other words, what is the next chapter of the cost-savings story? What is the trickle-down impact or the snowball effect? What financial implications will this have over time?
We ask similar questions in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far): “given the care and thought to bring a student-centered and equity-based approach to OER creation, are there also ways to carry this forward to look at other measures of assessing student “success” beyond grades?” If you complete the narrative with the cost-savings lens, are there other protagonists who can tell the same story in a different voice and offer a more nuanced view?
Lack of Social Justice Lens
Not many articles were found to look at OER’s efficacy with a social justice lens.
Lambert (2018), Colvard et al. (2018), Figlio, Rush, and Yin (2013), and Levy & Tila (2022) were some of the few that specifically focused on the impact of open educational resources on student impact.
Levi & Tila (2022) noted that by disaggregating data, they found “the educational hardships posed by high textbook prices were even more significant, however, for historically underserved student groups – particularly in regard to stress, (first-day) access, class choice, and academic performance. Thus, the disproportionately negative effect of course material costs on historically underserved students reemphasizes textbook affordability as a redistributive social justice issue.” (pg. 10)
If you answered no, what can you do differently to incorporate this practice into your research? (If it’s a knowledge gap, consider seeking collaborations with members of the open community who have knowledge in these areas, in particular lived experience – however, you need to be mindful of labour and knowledge extraction – pay people equitably and uplift their voices rather than taking their knowledge and claiming it as your own.) As pointed out by Jenkins et al. (2018), “such a gap in OER literature not only perpetuates the higher education system’s neglect of historically underserved students, but also overlooks the potential for textbook affordability to promote social justice values.”
In Using open educational resources to promote social justice, Ivory et al. (2022) offer an overview of some of the other social justice gaps outside of affordability and access. They point out that the open education field has been good at addressing access to educational materials, however, diverse participation and representation in OER have lagged behind. In addition, Ivory et al. (2022) make the observation that in the West, it’s common for us to think we possess unique knowledge and, as a result, we sometimes feel compelled to represent others instead of letting them express their own lived experiences and perspectives.
Missing Worldviews
The majority of the frameworks we researched had a decidedly North American focus. While North American studies often look at contexts in the Global North, there is a lot of insight, progress, and inspiration from OER work being done globally (specifically in Africa and Asia) that these studies tend to miss. This is unfortunate, because the expansive worldviews can help us:
- Define OER and OER efficacy more consistently;
- Better understand overlapping challenges and success;
- Create a shared future of OER that decenter whiteness (both in content and practices) and advance equity for all.
The Understanding the Impact of OER: Achievements and Challenges UNESCO report looks at the implementation and usage of OER in several countries around the world, highlighting both challenges and successes. To our surprise, many countries face similar challenges with regards to OER — meaning that shared conversations could lead to better problem-solving.
Data from the surveyed countries indicate that OER is not widely accepted globally. Rather than being properly incorporated into educational systems, OER initiatives are frequently viewed as distinct enterprises. Instead of being a core component of a strategy for developing and using educational materials, OER initiatives frequently take the form of add-ons.
Respondents noted there were several key research questions and issues that need to be explored regarding OER in their country. Suggested areas for further research included categories such as: educational effectiveness, understanding costs and developing viable OER models, policy development and implementation, and improving diversity of OER. Learning more about these different pieces could help paint a fuller picture of OER efficacy in these regions and therefore help us compare themes and patterns across regions.
Considering the worldwide scope of open education, it is essential to connect and engage with international knowledge networks to expand our perspectives on education by examining, questioning, and enhancing them through the unique prisms of diverse cultures, religions, and regions. This helps expand the perspectives provided in educational materials, while allowing students (and educators, more broadly) to be represented in materials.
If you answered no, how might you be able to modify your approach to integrate this methodology into your research?
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.910442
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/looking-beyond-landscape/
|
OER Landscape
In the process of examining the themes and patterns that emerged from our research, it became clear that these insights offer us more than just observations; they give us chances to improve. It’s noteworthy that the recurring themes have a very human-centered quality, reinforcing the crucial role of human experience and collaboration within the broader context of open education.
While some studies are beginning to look into factors beyond the traditional success metrics, there is room to move beyond the cost-saving narrative. This entails integrative worldviews into not only OER materials, methodologies, and research but also ensuring that a social justice lens is applied.
|
pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.922941
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/themes/
|
Opportunities in OER Efficacy
True to the open education ethos, there is no need to reinvent the wheel! The following recommendations are our attempt to distill the overlapping principles we noticed throughout our research.
This list can serve as a primer for anyone designing larger scale initiatives or undertaking OER efficacy research. Our research findings can be grouped into 5 broad principles and recommendations:
- Customize and Adapt
- Connect and Organize
- Equity and Social Justice
- Multifaceted and Versatile
- Share Your Stories
In the following chapters, we will elaborate on each theme and explain how they can help you broaden your perspective, and widen the horizon on your OER efficacy research.
Media Attributions
- Opportunities in OER Efficacy
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.934773
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/customize-adapt/
|
Opportunities in OER Efficacy
McCoy-Simmons (2022) writes that “a one-size-fits-all approach to OER is infeasible” because many people in higher education still encounter barriers, and these barriers can widely differ between departments, institutions, and states. “For example, while introducing OER policies can be a successful step in implementing OER in one institution, this could be detrimental in another that is less trusting of administration or relies more on a bottom-up approach (Cox & Trotter, 2016)” (McCoy-Simmons, 2022).
The customization of approaches to OER efficacy, and OER more generally, was a recurring theme throughout the research conducted to write this guide. The ‘one size fits all’ approach is not realistic. What works for your institution may not work for another institution. Many educators and researchers have dedicated their time to looking at this. Grimaldi et al., notes that the success of intervention “will almost always depend on the context in which it is implemented.” (2019)
Ebner et al. stress the significance of designing evaluation metrics that take into account aspects specific to your OER activities (2022). In order to help clearly define an institution’s OER purpose and goals, they also recommend educators, researchers, and administrators to look at current OER policies and measurements of efficacy. Be sure to customize your research to your own unique institutional context, so that it aligns with your vision and goals. OER advocates should tailor their information to audiences and the decisions those audiences make (Zaback, 2022).
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:53.943274
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/connect-organize/
|
Opportunities in OER Efficacy
In order for substantive change to happen, you need to connect, collaborate, and organize. Expand your network well beyond your own region – the open education movement is a global movement and we can learn a lot from one another and share our experiences.
A quote we share in Making Ripples: A Guidebook to Challenge Status Quo in OER Creation, is “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” (Ryunosuke Satoro). As individuals, our ability to substantially change educational systems is constrained by our resources and capacities. However, we can work together to increase our capacity as a whole!
The exciting part is that when we collaborate and combine our strengths, skills, and perspectives, we can dramatically increase our collective capacity. By working together, we can create an agile collaborative effort that enables us to develop multifaceted strategies by utilizing a range of viewpoints, skills, and resources. This coordinated effort enables us to approach the complexities of education from various angles, ultimately resulting in a larger impact.
Examples of this include organizations like SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. While based in North America, SPARC has coalitions in Africa, Europe, and Japan as well as individual member organizations in Australia, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. SPARC utilizes this international network to advocate for policy change, support member action, and cultivate communities whose work examines the ways that colonialism, racism, and other forms of injustice have excluded people and groups in knowledge sharing.
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pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.953778
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/equity-social-justice/
|
Opportunities in OER Efficacy
While it’s great to have data and conversations about how OER saves students money, at the end of the day, you also want the material conditions for students and communities to improve so they can do better too. Zaback (2022) suggests that focusing solely on student cost savings carries the potential to perpetuate existing inequalities and that it’s “imperative for state and institutional decision-makers to create conditions where students have equitable access to the materials they need to succeed.”
We all live complex lives and as Audre Lorde says, “we do not live single issue lives”, so the idea that focusing on student savings or grades alone will improve the learning experiences of students is a bit of a fallacy. Students can do well in classes and save money thanks to OER, but do they feel safer in classrooms? On campus? In their communities? Hoosen et al. (2019) remind us that “we cannot analyze OER in a vacuum, and we cannot continue to think about, create, and use OER without social justice in mind.” There also has to be a collective effort to shift the narrative of the broader education ecosystem for open education to show its true potential.
The need to apply an equitable lens while conducting research around OER efficacy is incredibly important. With the current legislation in 2023 being passed across many countries globally, it is understandable that there is hesitance and fear of personal safety over taking an equitable stance in many matters including education. That said, it is of utmost importance that educators, especially those with privilege and power, apply an equitable approach to open education as a whole – from program and resource development, to research, pedagogy, and practice. Apply a social justice lens to your impact reporting and research. Be sure to name structural inequities as they are and don’t skirt around the issues!
McDermott (2020) suggests that future OER efficacy studies could incorporate more qualitative data to center students’ voices and that by using an action research approach – a type of methodology that is based on action and reflection and harmonizes well with critical pedagogy approaches – would be a valuable contribution to the existing literature.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.962770
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/multifaceted-versatile/
|
Opportunities in OER Efficacy
There are multiple ways to measure OER efficacy, from the classroom level to statewide level, resulting in a multipronged approach. Please note that there may be overlap between these various levels, depending on your location or context. These are simply broad categories to help you think about different ways to measure the impact of OER at various levels of education.
How do you assess efficacy on different levels? In a classroom? As someone running an OER initiative? How can you look at efficacy at these different levels while also keeping equity in mind? Similar to above, these broad categories listed below offer some examples for you to look at to get inspiration of the different approaches to measuring OER efficacy from different regions. Depending on your unique context, some of these categories may overlap, such as the OER initiative and state/provincial/territorial levels.
At the classroom level, OER efficacy is measured based on their impact on individual students and educators. Some efficacy indicators may include improved student engagement, student sense of belonging, better learning outcomes, increased educator satisfaction, and cost savings for students.
OER initiatives are organized efforts by educational institutions or organizations to adopt and promote OER adoption. At an OER initiative level, impact can be assessed by tracking the success of specific initiatives, such as increased OER adoption rates, faculty training, and increased resource development.
Institutional efficacy evaluates the impact of OER within a specific educational institution, such as a school, college, or university. Key indicators include cost savings for the institution, student retention rates, faculty buy-in, and changes in institutional policies and practices related to OER.
In some countries, national policies and funding may support the widespread adoption of OER. National-level efficacy focuses on assessing the impact of OER on the country’s education system as a whole, including factors like equity, access, and improved educational outcomes.
Finally, OER can transcend national boundaries, and global initiatives aim to promote the creation and sharing of open educational resources on a global scale. Efficacy at the global level may involve tracking the reach and impact of OER repositories and international collaborations to improve access to education worldwide.
Media Attributions
- Levels of OER Efficacy
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.974448
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/share-your-stories/
|
Opportunities in OER Efficacy
The majority of research has found that OER not only saves students money, but students are able to access their class materials sooner than traditional textbooks, and there are lower withdrawal rates in postsecondary courses with OER (Clinton & Khan, 2019). Levy & Tila (2022) make a compelling argument that care needs to be factored into these benefits as well. Drawing from other educational research, they note that “students are more likely to be engaged, participate, and perform better in a course when they feel that their instructor cares about them.” Furthermore, how do we capture this care while reporting OER impact?
Emphasizing the narrative is a way to effectively encapsulate care when reporting on the impact of OER. At the end of the day your research is telling a story, so intentionally/mindfully taking a storytelling approach to share your findings back with the open community can imbue the readers with inspiration, curiosity, motivation, belief, pride, and spurn them to action. In your efficacy research, reports, presentations, you can start by highlighting the unique features of your approach. Much like in the release preparation guidance provided in The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (so far), it’s essential to craft a narrative that delves into the inception of the idea, the nature of the finished work, and the compelling reasons for generating interest. Essentially, what makes your approach and content different from others?
Be sure to highlight the collaboration efforts of the team working with you and offer pathways for people to learn from and grow on your research. While doing so, we encourage you to think deeply and critically about the stories, rules, representation, and ways of knowing in your day to day interactions, as well as your field. In Making Ripples: A Guidebook to Challenge Status Quo in OER Creation we also highlight the importance of sharing back your learning. As Maya Angelou once said, “when you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
By empowering individuals to share their own stories, we construct a mosaic of knowledge, insights, and viewpoints that collectively contribute to a more robust and powerful story landscape. This approach not only enhances our own learning but also fosters greater empathy, understanding, and constructive change within our communities and society as a whole.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.983750
|
12-18-2023
|
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https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/oerefficacy/chapter/looking-beyond-opportunities/
|
Opportunities in OER Efficacy
The research conducted for this guide has shed light on the limitations and narrow scope of OER efficacy research to date. This learning serves as a resounding call to action, aimed at motivating educators, administrators, and other stakeholders involved in OER initiatives to contribute significantly to this critical area of study.
It’s abundantly clear that while the existing body of research on OER efficacy has some benefit, we can delve deeper into the impact of OER and leverage this impact to create structural changes in education more broadly.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:53.992119
|
12-18-2023
|
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|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-the-metric-system-and-applications-of-fundamental-statistics/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on the Metric System and Applications of Fundamental Statistics
Your Name: _____________________________________
Please answer the following questions by providing stature (height) and weight in standard (US) and or metric system(s) units.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOUR LAB PARTNER MAY BE WRONG, SO WORK ON CONVERSIONS ON YOUR OWN.
However, once completed comparing your results with your fellow classmates is fine. However, please always have the above warning in mind.
1. A female 172 cm _____feet ____inches
2. A male 160 lbs ____________kg
3. A female 5’ 7” ___________cm
4. Your self-reported height ___________inches
5. Convert your stature from question #4 into metric units ____________ mm
6. Convert your stature from question #4 into metric units ____________ cm
7. Convert your stature from question #4 into metric units _____________ m
8. Your height measured in the lab _____________ m
9. Your height measured in the lab _____________cm
10. Your height measured in the lab _____________mm
11. Difference in your self-reported stature and in the lab measured stature ________ mm
12.Difference in your self-reported stature and in the lab measured stature ________ mm
13. Calculate mean of all the participants self-reported heights _________ cm
14. Calculate mean of all of the participants in the lab measured heights __________cm
15. Calculate standard deviation for all self-reported height __________mm
16. Calculate standard deviation for all in the lab measured heights __________ cm
17. Calculate difference in means from questions #13 and #14 __________mm
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.002319
|
09-7-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-the-metric-system-and-applications-of-fundamental-statistics/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/biological-classification-primate-osteology-and-osteo-patterns-of-locomotion/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on the Biological Classification, Primate Osteology and Osteo-Patterns of Locomotion
Your Name ___________________________
1. Activity pattern (hint: focus on the eye orbits) Nocturnal Diurnal
2. This is a cranium of a New World Monkey (hint: focus on dentition) Yes No
3. The cranium belongs to a (hint: focus on sagittal and occipital crests) Male Female
4. Dental comb Yes No
5. Dental formula (Mandibular) ___________________
6. Dental formula (Maxillary) ___________________
7. Sagittal crest Yes No
8. Occipital crest Yes No
9. Prehensile Tail is present only in some __________ World Monkeys
10. Relatively long rostrum Haplorrhines Strepsirrhines
11. Plates separating eye orbits from the temporal fossa found in Haplorrhines Strepsirrhines
Please use osteometric board to measure and then calculate the Intemembral Index in order to assign/identify the locomotion pattern of the skeleton you are measuring.
You MUST show your work/calculations.
12. Intermembral index __________________________ locomotion pattern _________
13. Intermembral index ___________________________locomotion pattern _________
14. Intermembral index __________________________ locomotion pattern _________
15. Position of the foramen magnum suggests locomotion pattern _________
16. Based on the tarsal phalanges you are looking at locomotion pattern _________
17. Ape Yes No
18. New World Monkey Yes No
19. The Intermembral index of Vertical Jumpers should be between 80-100 Yes No
20. The Intermembral index of Bipeds and Modified Brachiators is between 100-150 Yes No
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.012679
|
09-7-2023
|
{
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"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/biological-classification-primate-osteology-and-osteo-patterns-of-locomotion/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/observation-behavior-and-morphology-of-living-non-human-primates/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Observation, Behavior and Morphology of Living Non-Human Primates
General format notes and expectations:
3 pages minimum 5 pages max (double spaced) your appendices are not included in the number of pages allowed.
**PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS PAGE MUST ALSO BE INCLUDED. EVERYTHING MUST BE TYPED, EXCEPT YOUR DRAWINGS OR APPENDICES.
ONLY hard copies of your report are acceptable. Digital submissions will not be accepted.
TITLE PAGE (one page)
Title of Report, Date/Place of Observation and Your Name
SECTION I: INTRODUCTION
A brief introduction of TWO NON HUMAN PRIMATES you have decided to study (examples: Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Bonobo, Lemur..etc)
SECTION II: METHODS AND MATERIALS
1) A list of all equipment and materials you used
2) Include the exact procedures you used, as well as information about the Zoo/Wild Animal Park setting that you observed
SECTION III: BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1) Classification of the Primate species you observed
(by C. Linnaeus, you must correctly list 13 levels starting with the Kingdom and finalizing with the Specie and please remember that you MUST follow 4 writing/presenting rules of Taxonomy)
2) Description of the individual animals you studied
3) Summary research concerning the species you observed, geographic origin, diet, social organization, etc.
SECTION IV: RESULTS
1) Describe the results of your observations.
2) Also include summaries concerning the main observation categories we discussed, including:
- Dominance Hierarchies (who was in charge, and how they enforced it)
- Communication Methods (who was saying what to who)
- Aggressive and Affiliative Strategies (who fought with who, or made nice to who)
- Reproductive Strategies (who was going out with who)
- Mother and Infant Relationships (who was a good mother, and how she did it)
- Pay attention to their anatomy and locomotion patterns
SECTION V: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Tell me what the results you described above mean about the species you observed. Tell me what life is like for the animals you studied, and what goes on in a typical day for them. Summarize the important points of your report.
APPENDIX
Include copies of your ZOO or Wild Animal Ticket, data checklists, and any photos, drawings, or notes you want to include. Also, please do not forget to attach this general format note pages to your submitted report.
Have fun working on this.
|
pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:54.024879
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/observation-behavior-and-morphology-of-living-non-human-primates/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/86/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Cellular and Population Genetics: Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium
Your Name _______________________
This lab exercise requires that we count certain Mendelian traits among students present in the lab. Your professor will explain each trait being addressed and will then ask students to identify if they are dominant or recessive for that specific trait. The collected traits will then be plugged into the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium formula in order to calculate frequency of Homozygous dominant, Heterozygous and Homozygous recessive individuals in the same.
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 100
| Q | Trait observed | Homozygous dominant [p2] | Heterozygous [2pq] | Homozygous recessive [q2] | Number of responders |
| 1. | Ear wax | ||||
| 2. | Widows peak | ||||
| 3. | Hair whirl | ||||
| 4. | Ear lobe | ||||
| 5. | Cleft chin | ||||
| 6. | Freckles |
Show your calculations below
| #1 | |
| #2 | |
| #3 | |
| #4 | |
| #5 | |
| #6 |
7. DNA duplication
TAT GCA CTA ATA TAT GCA [triplets]
____ ____ ____ ____ _____ ____ [triplets]
Protein synthesis, please continue from the line you have created by copying 1st DNA strand above. You will need to continue from the 2nd line [question # 7] and convert it into codons [question #8] and anti-codons [question #9].
8. ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ ____ [codons]
9. ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ ____ [ anti – codons]
10. Please circle appropriate answers.
A color-blind man has a son with a color-blind female. Will their son be colorblind? YES NO
What is a chance that their son will not be colorblind? __________ % Please explain: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.039379
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/86/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-the-early-hominins-and-the-genus-homo/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on the Early Hominins and the Genus Homo
Your Name ___________________________________________
- Sagittal crest Yes No
- Occipital torus Yes No
- Sagittal crest and Occipital torus Yes No
- Sagittal keel Yes No
- Occipital bun Yes No
- Sagittal keel and Occipital bun Yes No
- Dental Formula _______________________________
- Dental Formula _______________________________
- Please Identify: Male Female (hint: based on sagittal crest only)
- Please identify: Male Female (hint: based on sagittal and occipital features)
- Locomotion pattern Bipedal Brachiator Quadruped (hint: foramen magnum)
- Locomotion pattern Bipedal Brachiator Quadruped (hint: foramen magnum)
- Strongest olfactory senses 1 2 3
- Please identify Homo Australopithecus
- Please identify Human Non-Human
- Please identify Paranthropus Gracile Australopithecus
- Occipital bun present Yes No
- Largest brain 1 2 3
- Chin present Yes No
- Please identify if you are looking at Genus Homo (hint: based on craniofacial morphology and dental formula) Yes No
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.050694
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-the-early-hominins-and-the-genus-homo/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-human-osteology-i/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Human Osteology I
Your Name ______________________________
Your professor will assign you a group of peers, skeletal remains (box) and the position.
Please circle the anatomical position assigned to you.
- Please carefully layout skeletal remains assigned to your group in either supine position prone position
2. Please carefully complete the check list below, assuming that you have a complete human skeleton.
| BOX # | Left | Right | Total number | Missing skeletal element(s) and number(s) – if applicable |
| Mandible | ||||
| Cranium | ||||
| Hyoid | ||||
| Clavicle | ||||
| Scapula | ||||
| Sternal body | ||||
| Xiphoid | ||||
| Manubrium | ||||
| Ribs | ||||
| Humerus | ||||
| Radius | ||||
| Ulna | ||||
| Carpals | ||||
| Metacarpals | ||||
| Carpal Phalanges | ||||
| Cervical Vert. | ||||
| Thoracic Vert. | ||||
| Lumbar Vert. | ||||
| Sacrum | ||||
| Coccygeal Vert. | ||||
| Ilium | ||||
| Ishium | ||||
| Pubis | ||||
| Femur | ||||
| Tibia | ||||
| Fibula | ||||
| Tarsals | ||||
| Metatarsals | ||||
| Tarsal Phalanges | ||||
| Maxillary Incisors | ||||
| Maxillary Canines | ||||
| Maxillary Pre Molars | ||||
| Maxillary Molars | ||||
| Mandibular Incisors | ||||
| Mandibular Canines | ||||
| Mandibular Pre Molars | ||||
| Mandibular Molars |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.072642
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-human-osteology-i/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-human-osteology-ii/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Human Osteology II
Your Name _____________________________
Please be aware that correct spelling is important.
- Identify the bone _______________________________
- Side it Right Left N/A
- The bone is marked at its Proximal end Distal end
- This bone is classified as Long Irregular Flat Sesamoid Short
- Please identify Human Non-Human
- Identify the bone ________________________________
- Side it Right Left N/A
- The bone is marked at its ___ end Proximal Distal Posterior Anterior
- This bone is classified as Long Irregular Flat Sesamoid Short
- Please identify Human Non-Human
- Identify the bone ________________________________
- Side it Right Left N/A
- The bone is marked at its ___ end Superior Inferior Posterior Anterior
- This bone is classified as Long Irregular Flat Sesamoid Short
- Please identify Human Non-Human
- Minimal Number of Individuals (MNI) 1 2 3 4 5 6
- The bones are classified as Long Irregular Flat Sesamoid Short
- Minimal Number of Individuals (MNI) 1 2 3 4 5 6
- The bones are classified as Long Irregular Flat Sesamoid Short
- Please identify if all of the bones are Human Non-Human
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.085527
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-human-osteology-ii/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-growth-and-development/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Growth and Development
Your Name ____________________________________
- Identify dentition Deciduous Permanent
- Identify dentition Deciduous Permanent
- Visible presence of 3rd Molars Deciduous Permanent
- Deciduous dental formula _________________
- Permanent dental formula _________________
- Assess age based on the mandible _________________
- Assess age based on the maxilla _________________
- Fused Yes No
- Incomplete fusion Yes No
- Fully fused Yes No
- Remains older than 7 weeks of embryonic (intra-uterine) development Yes No
- Identify skeletal remains Fetus Neonate Infant Early Childhood Juvenile
- Identify skeletal remains Fetus Neonate Infant Early Childhood Juvenile
Use Radiographic (X-Ray) images presented by your instructor to identify skeletal age.
- Figure 1 ______________
- Figure 2 ______________
- Figure 3 ______________
- Figure 4 ______________
- Growth and Development in process Yes No
- Growth and Development in process Yes No
- Growth and Development completed Yes No
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.101070
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-growth-and-development/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-anthroposcopy-human-skeletal-variation-non-metric-traits/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Anthroposcopy – Human Skeletal Variation- Non-Metric Traits
Your Name ____________________________________
Please use information presented during lecture to identify ancestry and stature of the remains numbered in each of working station.
- Please identify sex Male Female
- Please identify sex Male Female
- Please identify ancestry C N M
Which cranial feature you have chosen ____________________________
- Please identify ancestry C N M
Which cranial feature you have chosen ____________________________
- Please identify ancestry C N M
Which cranial feature you have chosen ____________________________
- Based on dental remains prested which individual is the oldest A B C
- Based on the complete cranial skeleton which individual is the oldest A B C
- Based on the Radiographs the tallest individual is A B C
- Which one of the three individuals is the tallest A B C
- Which one of the three individuals is the tallest A B C
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.117209
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-anthroposcopy-human-skeletal-variation-non-metric-traits/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-anthropometry-estimation-of-ancestry-and-sex/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Anthropometry – Estimation of Ancestry and Sex
Your Name ____________________________________
Your final calculated score must be clearly visible. I strongly suggest that you draw a small box around it, after which you should circle your final answer(s).
Please calculate ANCESTRY from provided remains and circle your answers. PLEASE SHOW YOUR WORK.
- __________________________________________________________ N M C
- __________________________________________________________ N M C
- __________________________________________________________ N M C
- __________________________________________________________ N M C
- __________________________________________________________ N M C
Please use provided osteological material to estimate SEX of the individual; PLEASE SHOW YOUR WORK.
6. M F _______________________________________________________________
7. M F _______________________________________________________________
8. M F _______________________________________________________________
9. M F _______________________________________________________________
10. M F _______________________________________________________________
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.130867
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-anthropometry-estimation-of-ancestry-and-sex/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-anthropometry-estimation-of-age-and-stature/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Anthropometry – Estimation of Age and Stature
Your Name ____________________________________
Do not forget to show your work and include standard deviation and or range, if applicable.
Please use provided osteological material to estimate Anthroposcopic AGE of the individual.
- ________________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________________
Use provided osteological remains and laboratory equipment presented to estimate stature. Your final calculated score must be outlined and legable.
- Estimate stature __________________________________________________________(m).
- Estimate stature _________________________________________________________(cm)
- Estimate stature _________________________________________________________(mm)
- Estimate stature _________________________________________________________(cm)
- Estimate stature _________________________________________________________(mm)
- Estimate stature __________________________________________________________(m).
- Estimate stature _________________________________________________________(cm)
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.141867
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-anthropometry-estimation-of-age-and-stature/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-skeletal-pathologies/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Laboratory on Skeletal Pathologies
Your Name ____________________________________
Please take a look at the skeletal remains selected and numbered by your professor and identify
- Please Identify Osteoblastic Osteoclastic
- Metabolic Disorder of Bone A B
- Osteophytes – Degrative Joint Disease Yes No
- Pseudarthrosis present Yes No
- Type of trauma Artificial Deformation Trephination Projectile
- Type of trauma Blunt Sharp Projectile
- Timing of trauma Premortem Perimortem Postmortem
- Healing time Hours Months Years
- Trauma caused by Infection Projectile Blunt force
- Primary Bone Callus present Yes No
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.152504
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/laboratory-on-skeletal-pathologies/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/human-skeleton-a-case-study/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Human Skeleton: A Case Study
Your Name ____________________________________
Here please write your BOX #
1. Lay out osteological remains
2. Inventory (please see the table below)
3. All Human Yes No
4. Ancestry: N M C
5. Sex: F M
6. Age:
7. Stature (cm):
8. Any pathologies present? If your answer is yes please list one or two (be as specific as possible
|
|
|
|
| Left | Right | Number | Missing | |
| Mandible | ||||
| Cranium | ||||
| Hyoid | ||||
| Clavicle | ||||
| Scapula | ||||
| Sternal body | ||||
| Xiphoid | ||||
| Manubrium | ||||
| Ribs | ||||
| Humerus | ||||
| Radius | ||||
| Ulna | ||||
| Carpals | ||||
| Metacarpals | ||||
| Carpal Phalanges | ||||
| Cervical Vert. | ||||
| Thoracic Vert. | ||||
| Lumbar Vert. | ||||
| Sacrum | ||||
| Coccygeal Vert. | ||||
| Ilium | ||||
| Ishium | ||||
| Pubis | ||||
| Femur | ||||
| Tibia | ||||
| Fibula | ||||
| Tarsals | ||||
| Metatarsals | ||||
| Tarsal Phalanges | ||||
| Maxillary Incisors | ||||
| Maxillary Canines | ||||
| Maxillary Premolars | ||||
| Maxillary Molars | ||||
| Mandibular Incisors | ||||
| Mandibular Canines | ||||
| Mandibular Premolars | ||||
| Mandibular Molars |
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.179976
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/human-skeleton-a-case-study/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/final-exam-closing-remarks/
|
Laboratory Excercises
Final Exam – Closing Remarks
You have almost completed a semester long laboratory course in Biological Anthropology.
Your professor will now inform you on details concerning your final exam.
For your final exam please come in rested, refreshed, hydrated, caffeinated (that is if you consume this addictive beverage) and on time.
Do not forget to bring your Lab Notes, gloves and a calculator with you.
The final exam time/date and location is available to you in your syllabus.
If you are reading this you made it!
It was a pleasure having you in the Lab. and I sincerely hope that you enjoyed learning about this fascinating subject.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.191913
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/final-exam-closing-remarks/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/chapter-1/
|
Preparation for Laboratory
1 Preparation for Laboratory on the Metric System and Applications of Fundamental Statistics
Key Terms
Please identify terms below before our lab meeting.
- Metric system
- Meter (m)
- Centimeters (cm)
- Milometers (m)
- Kilograms (kg)
- Grams (gr)
- Mean
- Range
- Variation
- Standard Deviation
- Height (Stature)
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.203263
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/chapter-1/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-lab-on-biological-classification-primate-osteology-and-osteo-patterns-of-locomotion/
|
Preparation for Laboratory
2 Preparation for Laboratory on Biological Classification, Primate Osteology and Osteo-Patterns of Locomotion
Key Takeaways
For the upcoming lab please consult a textbook assigned by your Biological Anthropology (theory course) professor to review and or read ahead of time about:
- Suborder Strepsirrhini
- Suborder Haplorrhini
- Infraorder Platyrrhini
- Infraorder Catarrhini
- Locomotion patterns
- Dental specialization
- Dental formula
- Activity patterns
- Generalized vs. Specialized
- Sexual dimorphism
- Monomorphism
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.215256
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-lab-on-biological-classification-primate-osteology-and-osteo-patterns-of-locomotion/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-observation-behavior-and-morphology-of-living-non-human-primates/
|
Preparation for Laboratory
3 Preparation for Laboratory on Observation, Behavior and Morphology of Living Non-Human Primates
-
Key Takeaways
Please feel free to consult your textbook from Biological Anthropology Theory course
- Linnaeus Taxonomy
- Dominance Hierarchies
- Communication Methods
- Aggressive and Affiliative Strategies
- Reproductive Strategies
- Mother and Infant Relationship(s)
- Pay close attention to their anatomy and locomotion patterns
- Mammalia
- Primate
- Prosimii
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.227188
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-observation-behavior-and-morphology-of-living-non-human-primates/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-laboratory-on-cellular-and-population-genetics-hardy-weinberg-equilibrium/
|
Preparation for Laboratory
4 Preparation for Laboratory on Cellular and Population Genetics (Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium)
Key Takeaways
- Principles of Inheritance
- Gregor Mendel 1st and 2nd Law
- The Law of Segregation
- The Law of Independent Assortment
- Predicting genotypes and phenotypes (Punnet square)
- The difference between Dominant, Recessive and Co-Dominant traits
- Pedigree analysis for Mendelian traits and Sex-Linked traits
- ABO Blood types and Rh factor
- The Hardy – Weinberg Equilibrium formula and its usage
- The principles of evolutionary change
- Genetic drift: Gene flow: Founder effect
- Eukaryotic cell – DNA and RNA
- Mitosis
- Meiosis
- Protein Synthesis
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.238504
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-laboratory-on-cellular-and-population-genetics-hardy-weinberg-equilibrium/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-laboratory-on-early-hominini-and-genus-homo/
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Preparation for Laboratory
5 Preparation for Laboratory on Early Hominini and Genus Homo
Key Takeaways
- Ardipithecines
- Australopithecines
- Homo
- Gracile
- Paranthropus
- Homo erectus
- Homo floresiensis
- Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
- Homo sapiens
- Endocranial cast
- Zygomatics
- Muscles of mastication: Masseter and Temporalis
- Temporal fossa
- Maxillary prognatism
- Sagittal crest
- Sagittal keel
- Occipital torus
- Occipital bun
- Supraorbital torus
- Dental formula
- Rib cage
- Locomotion patterns
- Bipedalism
- Mandibular morphology
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:54.249455
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09-7-2023
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{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-laboratory-on-early-hominini-and-genus-homo/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-labpratory-on-human-osteology-i-and-ii/
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Preparation for Laboratory
6 Preparation for Laboratory on Human Osteology I and II
Key Takeaways
- Non-human primate skeleton(s)
- Morphological changes in the skeleton associated with the locomotion pattern(s)
- Anatomical terminology
- Directional terminology
- Reference planes
- Layout of Human skeleton
- Supine
- Prone
- Comingled
- Scattered
- Human skeleton
- Number of bones in a typical adult human skeleton
- Groups of bones
- Types of bones
- Cranial skeleton
- Vertebra
- Postcranial skeleton
- Axial skeleton
- Adult Human Dental formula
- Minimal Number of Individuals (MNI)
- Proximal
- Diaphyseal
- Distal
- Malleolar
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pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:54.260784
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09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-labpratory-on-human-osteology-i-and-ii/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-laboratory-on-growth-and-development/
|
Preparation for Laboratory
7 Preparation for Laboratory on Growth and Development
Key Takeaways
- Skeleton
- Osteoblastic activity
- Osteoclastic activity
- Osteogenesis/ossification
- Deciduous Dentition
- Permanent Dentition
- 3rd Molars
- Fetus
- Neonate
- Infant
- Juvenile
- Adult
- Epiphyseal
- Hormones
- Radiographs
|
pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:54.272102
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09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-laboratory-on-growth-and-development/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-lab-on-anthroposcopy-non-metric-traits-estimation-of-biological-profile/
|
Preparation for Laboratory
8 Preparation for Lab on Anthroposcopy – Non Metric Traits – Estimation of Biological Profile
Key Takeaways
- Ancestry
- Sex
- Stature
- Age at Death
- Secular Trends
- Populational Variations
- Life styles
- Diet
- Cline(s)
- Environmental Adaptations
- Culture Induced Factors
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.282716
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-lab-on-anthroposcopy-non-metric-traits-estimation-of-biological-profile/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-the-laboratory-on-anthropometry/
|
Primary Navigation
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Book Contents Navigation
Preface for Professors
Special thanks
For Professors - Suggestions for setting up Laboratory excercises
Student guidelines for the work in the Biological Anthropology Laboratory
Laboratory on the Metric System and Applications of Fundamental Statistics
Laboratory on the Biological Classification, Primate Osteology and Osteo-Patterns of Locomotion
Laboratory on Observation, Behavior and Morphology of Living Non-Human Primates
Laboratory on Cellular and Population Genetics: Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium
Laboratory on the Early Hominins and the Genus Homo
Laboratory on Human Osteology I
Laboratory on Human Osteology II
Laboratory on Growth and Development
Laboratory on Anthroposcopy – Human Skeletal Variation- Non-Metric Traits
Laboratory on Anthropometry – Estimation of Ancestry and Sex
Laboratory on Anthropometry – Estimation of Age and Stature
Laboratory on Skeletal Pathologies
Human Skeleton: A Case Study
Final Exam - Closing Remarks
1. Preparation for Laboratory on the Metric System and Applications of Fundamental Statistics
2. Preparation for Laboratory on Biological Classification, Primate Osteology and Osteo-Patterns of Locomotion
3. Preparation for Laboratory on Observation, Behavior and Morphology of Living Non-Human Primates
4. Preparation for Laboratory on Cellular and Population Genetics (Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium)
5. Preparation for Laboratory on Early Hominini and Genus Homo
6. Preparation for Laboratory on Human Osteology I and II
7. Preparation for Laboratory on Growth and Development
8. Preparation for Lab on Anthroposcopy – Non Metric Traits - Estimation of Biological Profile
9. Preparation for the Laboratory on Anthropometry
10. Preparation for the Laboratory on Skeletal Pathologies
11. Preparation for Pre-Final Exam Laboratory on Human Skeleton: A Case Study
Preparation for Laboratory
Key Takeaways
Previous/next navigation
Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK Copyright © 2022 by Maria Jelaca, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
|
pressbooks
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2025-03-22T05:08:54.304927
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-the-laboratory-on-anthropometry/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-the-laboratory-on-skeletal-pathologies/
|
Preparation for Laboratory
10 Preparation for the Laboratory on Skeletal Pathologies
Key Takeaways
- Premortem
- Perimortem
- Postmortem
- Healing
- Types of Trauma
- Osteoblastic activity
- Osteoclastic activity
- Fractures
- Infectious Diseases
- Neoplastic Diseases
- Metabolic Diseases
- Congenital Conditions
- Modifications
- Occupational Markers
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.315660
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-the-laboratory-on-skeletal-pathologies/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-pre-final-exam-laboratory-on-human-skeleton-a-case-study/
|
Preparation for Laboratory
11 Preparation for Pre-Final Exam Laboratory on Human Skeleton: A Case Study
Key Takeaways
In this laboratory you are expected to select methodologies of your choice, work systematically and fast while utilizing up to this point in the course covered topics and its applications.
- Human Osteology
- Non-Human Primate Osteology
- Bipedalism
- Anthropometry
- Anthroposcopy
- Skeletal pathology
- Skeletal growth
- Biological profile
- Laboratory equipment
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.326059
|
09-7-2023
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/chapter/preparation-for-pre-final-exam-laboratory-on-human-skeleton-a-case-study/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.pub/biologicalanthropologylabbasicworkbook/front-matter/preface/",
"title": "Biological Anthropology Laboratory BASIC WORKBOOK",
"author": "mariajelaca",
"institution": "Southwestern College",
"subject": "Anthropology, Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution, Human biology, Archaeology,"
}
|
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/chapter/module-1/
|
Module 1: What’s the problem?
Module 1.0: Overview
Let’s get started. Module 1 consists of 3 sub-modules that cover the following topics:
- Core concepts of climate science
- Global context
- Greenhouse effect, global trend on GHG concentrations, global temperature trend
- Difference between weather, natural climate variability, climate change
- Weather, natural climate variability, & climate change each represent different time scales, from immediate short-term days and weeks, to years, to multiple-decades
- BC trends and scenarios
- Using climate change information in applications
- Sources of climate and climate change information
- Importance of tracking changes in water, snow and ice
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.335025
|
07-29-2022
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/chapter/module-1/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/front-matter/introduction/",
"title": "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals",
"author": "Stewart Cohen",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Climate change"
}
|
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/chapter/module-1-1-climate-trends/
|
Module 1: What’s the problem?
Module 1.1: Climate trends
Module 1.1 begins with a video-lecture on climate trends where Denise and I explore some of the fundamental concepts of climate science and an overview of how climate change is impacting Canada.
By the end of this module, you will be able to identify and understand the core climate science science concepts, including the differences between adaptation and mitigation and how they overlap, the difference between weather and climate, and some of the current trends in what we are seeing, globally and regionally.
Video attribution: “Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals – Module 1.1 – Climate Trends” by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
From the CBC podcast, here is an audio clip which features Trevor Murdock, a climate scientist with the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium in Victoria, BC. In this clip, Trevor describes how climate change is affecting BC. The clips starts at 05:00 Stop listening at 9:55 and return to this screen.
Podcast attribution: This podcast is © CBC/Radio-Canada 2021. All rights reserved. You may also find and listen to this podcast on their website.
Discussion
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.344981
|
07-29-2022
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/chapter/module-1-1-climate-trends/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/front-matter/introduction/",
"title": "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals",
"author": "Stewart Cohen",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Climate change"
}
|
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/chapter/module-1-2-climate-change-scenarios/
|
Module 1: What’s the problem?
Module 1.2: Climate change scenarios
This next video lecture focuses on climate modelling and change scenarios. As with Module 1.1, view the video lecture below.
Video attribution: “Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals – Module 1.2: Climate change scenarios” by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
Now Listen to the following excerpt from the CBC podcast 2050: Degrees of Change. Johanna Wagstaffe, Prof. Simon Donner, UBC, and Trevor Murdock, PCIC, on greenhouse gasses affecting the climate: (14:53) Stop listening at 17:10 and return to this screen.
https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/episode-1-b-c-in-2050/id1243639929?i=1000386306761
Podcast attribution: This podcast is © CBC/Radio-Canada 2021. All rights reserved. You may also find and listen to this podcast on their website.
Discussion
Review a news article and comment on its accuracy or find and share a recent example or news article about the development / use of climate models.
|
pressbooks
|
2025-03-22T05:08:54.354612
|
07-29-2022
|
{
"license": "Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
"url": "https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/chapter/module-1-2-climate-change-scenarios/",
"book_url": "https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/climatechangeadaptationfundamentals/front-matter/introduction/",
"title": "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals",
"author": "Stewart Cohen",
"institution": "",
"subject": "Climate change"
}
|
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