Open Educational Resources (OER): Arts and Humanities

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

World History: Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500 offers a comprehensive introduction to the history of humankind from prehistory to 1500. Authored by six USG faculty members with advanced degrees in History, this textbook offers an up-to-date original scholarship. It covers such cultures, states, and societies as Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Israel, Dynastic Egypt, India’s Classical Age, the Dynasties of China, Archaic Greece, the Roman Empire, Islam, Medieval Africa, the Americas, and the Khanates of Central Asia. It includes 350 high-quality images and maps, chronologies, and learning questions to help guide student learning. Its digital nature allows students to follow links to applicable sources and videos, expanding their educational experience beyond the textbook.

ntroduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning offers a comprehensive introduction to the world of Art. Authored by four USG faculty members with advance degrees in the arts, this textbooks offers up-to-date original scholarship. It includes over 400 high-quality images illustrating the history of art, its technical applications, and its many uses.
Combining the best elements of both a traditional textbook and a reader, it introduces such issues in art as its meaning and purpose; its meaning and purpose; its structure, material, and form; and its diverse effects on our lives. Its digital nature allows students to follow links to applicable sources and videos, expanding the students' educational experiences beyond the textbook. Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning provides a new and free alternative to traditional textbooks, making it an invaluable resource in our modern age of technology and advancement.

Richard Jewell provides this online textbook to not only "teach" students about the humanities, but to encourage students to experience the humanities through realizing its interconnectedness and embracing the humanities of different cultures and times. This online textbook takes a look at the discplines of humanities, the arts, and current perspectives including the humanities during Covid-19 and other disasters.

Wanting to learn more about the actual practice of teaching digital humanities? Feel free to download the free PDF and begin exploring the practices, principles, and politics of teaching digital humanities. Looking for an interesting conversation starter in your class? Perhaps, this is a great resource to share and dig into meaningful conversations with your students.

Introduction to works representative of a variety of music traditions. These include the repertoires of Western Europe from the Middle Ages through the present; of the United States, including art music, jazz, folk, rock, musical theater; and from at least two non-Western world areas.

For the course that this text accompanies the goals for each student are:

To gain basic exposure to the elements of music and their treatment in music
To learn historical and cultural signifiers in a diverse body of music • To approach listening to music actively/analytically and to reflect on the experience
To understand the factors that contribute to musical style in their own music and music presented in the course
To gain knowledge about differing musical aesthetics and trends
To become more knowledgeable and sensitive to varied human expression through music
If we endeavor together to reach these course goals the successful student will be able to:

Describe elements of music that s/he hears, employing correct musical terminology
Place music into an appropriate historical and cultural context
Listen critically and discuss a wide variety of musical styles
Analyze the stylistic features of a diverse group of musical styles
Identify nationalistic tendencies in musical expression
Identify musical diversity and aspects of our global society"

The Basic Elements of Music ""Explanations (suitable for any age) of the basic elements of music, with suggested activities for introducing the each concept to children at early elementary school level. The course may be used by instructors not trained in music; all necessary definitions and explanations are included."" -This teaching textbook includes -The Time Elements (Rhythm, Meter) -The Pitch Elements (Timbre, Melody, Harmony) -Combining Time and Pitch -The Textures of Music -An Introduction to Counterpoint -Form in Music This music textbook, authored by Catherine Schmidt-Jones, is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license, published by Textbook Equity without changes to the academic content. http: //textbookequity.org/category/music/

“Sound Reasoning” is a web-based, introductory music appreciation course. It offers a new approach to music appreciation for adults, focusing on style-independent concepts. While the course concentrates primarily on Western classical and modern music, the concepts that are introduced apply to music of any style or era. The goal of “Sound Reasoning” is to equip you with questions that you may ask of any piece of music, thereby creating a richer and more comprehensive understanding of music both familiar and unfamiliar. Here are some additional features of the course. 1) ”Sound Reasoning” is completely listening based. No ability to read music is required. 2) The course assumes little or no musical background. A minimum of terminology is invoked. 3) Musical examples are interpolated directly into the text. 4) The course is interactive. A “listening gallery” with exercises follows each module, so that you may practice and refine your listening skills. 5) The modules may be studied in sequence or individually. 6)You may easily print a .pdf of any module.. “Sound Reasoning” is designed as both a stand-alone, self-paced course as well as a supplement to existing university classes.

The benefits of music in our lives are increasingly acknowledged by researchers and scientist. As human beings, we have taken the existence of music for granted and rarely think critically about music and its purpose. Perhaps for this reason, such critical thinking about music is sometimes perceived as difficult. Understanding Music: Past and Present creates a roadmap from some of the earliest known origins of music to modern day. This linear approach allows the reader to trace the history and evolution of music through the ages. Understanding Music: Past and Present is designed to grow the reader's appreciation of music through improved understanding and listening skills, allowing the reader to develop his or her own informed opinions and express them. Sponsored by eCore: eCore is a collaborative program that supports online core courses for students from twenty-five University System of Georgia colleges and universities. In an effort to decrease out-of-pocket costs for students in higher education, eCore Curriculum & Instruction has made great strides over the last few years to design, develop, and adopt Open Educational Resources into the curriculum offerings. eCore partners with the University of North Georgia Press and Affordable Learning Georgia to provide no-cost and low-cost textbooks and materials to its students. OERs are currently available in most of eCore's twenty-six course offerings, with a goal to implement OERs into 100% of the course offerings.

Although it is significantly expanded from "Introduction to Music Theory", this book still covers only the bare essentials of music theory. Music is a very large subject, and the advanced theory that students will want to pursue after mastering the basics will vary greatly. A trumpet player interested in jazz, a vocalist interested in early music, a pianist interested in classical composition, and a guitarist interested in world music, will all want to delve into very different facets of music theory; although, interestingly, if they all become very well-versed in their chosen fields, they will still end up very capable of understanding each other and cooperating in musical endeavors. The final section does include a few challenges that are generally not considered "beginner level" musicianship, but are very useful in just about every field and genre of music.

Gain an understanding of the basic elements of music with this series, an introduction to music with a global perspective. Exploring the World of Music shows how elements such as melody, rhythm, and texture create an infinite variety of sounds and serve as expressions of culture. Through rare archival footage and contemporary performances, the series presents themes such as music and the environment, music as cultural memory, and how technology changes music. The featured artists perform music from around the world, including American jazz, gospel, and rock, and traditional music from Bosnia, the Caribbean, India, Ireland, Japan, and West Africa. This series is also valuable for teachers seeking to review the subject matter.

This text gives students a framework for their comparative study of religion that includes full, in-depth descriptions of each ''way of being religious.''

This text is intended to be a learning resource for classes at both high school and college program levels. It is written in a modular format to help others, like myself, who regularly rearrange their syllabus around productions and space scheduling. Highlighted terms throughout the text indicate important theatrical terminology and are included in the glossary. As the text is modular, some terms may be highlighted in several sections upon first use therein. Boxed information under "There's more to know" or "Consider this" headers provides further information and ideas that relate to the text.

Draw back the curtain on the world of theatre and learn how the magic of a great stage performance is created. Designed for theatre appreciation students and written in an engaging style, this book is an ideal introduction to all aspects of theatre. Learn about the variety of ways professional actors approach their roles. Meet the people you won't see during a performance but who are essential in bringing a production to life: writers, directors, set designers, tailors, carpenters, electricians, stagehands, light and sound technicians, riggers, ushers, supervisors, and stage managers. From casting to run-throughs to wardrobe, this book includes interviews with those involved in the creation process from beginning to end. Eye-opening details about acting techniques, directing, and production design may inspire you to audition or work behind the scenes yourself. Special topics, including Shakespeare, the American musical, and world theatre, provide examinations into unique genres, and an overview of the fascinating history of theatre provides the necessary background to understand and enjoy live performances. The expert contributors to Theatrical Worlds reveal unexpected connections between the stage and such diverse fields as languages and literature, psychology, music, science, law, journalism, and business. After reading this book you'll gain a deeper awareness of the many layers of artistry behind the wonders of theatre.