Textbooks in this collection are open access. These items are currently being used to support higher education at Kansas State University (KSU). Faculty at K-State who would like to create or adopt an open access textbook in their course may consult our Open/Alternative Textbook Fund for more information about funding options for their works.
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Action Research
J. Spencer Clark, Suzanne Porath, Julie Thiele, and Morgan Jobe
Action research is a common journey for graduate students in education and other human science fields. This book attempts to meet the needs of graduate students, in-service teachers, and any other educators interested in action research and/or self-study. The chapters of this book draw on our collective experiences as educators in a variety of educational contexts, and our roles guiding...
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Designing Arguments for Academic, Public, and Professional Audiences
Phillip Marzluf
This college-level textbook guides students through five different types of arguments: evaluations, responses, persuasive rhetorical arguments, proposals, and practical professional development arguments. Students are introduced to rhetorical concepts and strategies to enable them to more effectively appeal to different types of audiences. Students will gain practice in audience-based reasoning, basing their reasons and evidence on the assumptions, beliefs, and values...
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Interior Materiality
Kutay Guler
The knowledge of materials and finishes is the bridge that links conceptual design to real-world application. It is among the core content of virtually all interior architecture/design curricula, moreover, access to up-to-date information on emerging technologies and trends is a key exigency for the contemporary designer. Accordingly, this book is authored to form a comprehensive resource for the “hows” and...
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Intermediarios: Introduction to Spanish<>English Community and Legal Translation and Interpreting
Laura Kanost and Julie A. Sellers
Intermediarios: Introduction to Spanish<>English Community and Legal Translation and Interpreting is intended for students who have advanced skills in both Spanish and English and a basic familiarity with translation and interpretation. Activities are based on the U.S. context. Translation activities increase in difficulty. The sequencing of interpreting activities develops skills gradually by beginning with memory exercises, then moving into class...
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Kansas State University Human Nutrition (FNDH 400) Flexbook
Brian Lindshield
The Kansas State University Human Nutrition (FNDH 400) Flexbook is a textbook for students taking Kansas State University FNDH 400 course.FNDH 400 is a 3-hour, intermediate-level, human nutrition course at Kansas State University take primarily by sophomores and juniors because it has prerequisites of a college biology and chemistry courses.
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Linguistics for Teachers of English
Carol Russell
The primary goals of this text are to acquaint prospective teachers of English with certain aspects of the history, structure, and use of the English Language. Through considering the nature of the English language; how language and culture are interconnected as well as how it is acquired and how and why it changes, readers will come to a fuller understanding...
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Principles of Biology
Robert Bear, David Rintoul, Bruce Snyder, Martha Smith-Caldas, Christopher Herren, and Eva Horne
This textbook is designed specifically for Kansas State's Biology 198 Class. The course is taught using the studio approach and based on active learning. The studio manual contains all of the learning objectives for each class period and is the record of all student activities. Hence, this textbook is more of a reference tool while the studio manual is the...
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(Re)Writing Communities and Identities
Phillip Marzluf, Anna Goins, Cindy Debes, Stacia Gray, A. Abby Knoblauch, and Cameron Grace Leader-Picone
(Re)Writing Communities and Identities enables college-level students to develop their ability to compose various informative and expressive genres, including analyses, reflections, summaries, syntheses, and informative reports. While students raise their consciousness about their writing process and audience-based informative strategies, they also familiarize themselves with important social and cultural issues related to the theme of "identities and communities."
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Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography
Colby J. Moorberg
Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography highlights freely-available online resources covering various aspects of soil and water conservation, and is designed to be a resource for conservation students and practitioners. The thirteen chapters in the annotated bibliography are grouped into four sections, including History and Fundamentals, Conservation Practices, Conservation Implementation, and Careers. Types of cited resources include extension bulletins,...
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Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition
Colby J. Moorberg and David A. Crouse
The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition is designed for students in undergraduate, introductory soil science courses, and highlights the many aspects of soil science, including: soil genesis and classification, soil physical properties, soil-water interaction, soil biology, soil chemistry, and soil fertility. The lab manual includes 15 different laboratories, each one starting with an introduction and pre-lab assignment, followed by in-lab...
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Soils Laboratory Manual: K-State Edition, Version 2.0
Colby J. Moorberg and David A. Crouse
The Soils Laboratory Manual, K-State Edition is designed for students in undergraduate, introductory soil science courses. The manual highlights the multidisciplinary aspects of soil science with laboratories focused on soil formation, classification, and mapping; soil physics, soil biology; soil chemistry; and soil fertility and management. The lab manual includes 16 different laboratories, each one starting with an introduction and pre-lab...
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Special Education in Secondary Schools
Mickey Losinski
This textbook provides information on the practice of teaching special education in the secondary schools. Research-based practices are explained for supporting student functioning in language arts, math, and other content areas. Specifically, the eight chapters address: (1) Introduction to secondary special education; (2) Curriculum-based measures to inform learning; (3) Strategies for working in a co-teaching environment; (4) Strategies for improving...
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Studying the Bible: The Tanakh and Early Christian Writings
Gregory Eiselein, Anna Goins, and Naomi J. Wood
Studying the Bible: The Tanakh and Early Christian Writings is a university-level, textbook introduction to the study of the Bible, its literary forms, and historical and cultural contexts. This textbook is a companion to the Bible courses taught in the English Department at Kansas State University, in particular ENGL 470 The Bible, though it is available for use in other...
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Teaching Low Brass
Steven Maxwell
The purpose of this textbook is to provide resourses about teaching low brass instruments to music educators and future music educators. The book was developed by the author as part of the open/alternative textbook initiative at Kansas State University. It Is the textbook used for the Kansas State University course Music 239-Low Brass Techniques and Materials.
The textbook focuses on...
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The Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology
Michael Wesch
Anthropology is the study of all humans in all times in all places. But it is so much more than that. “Anthropology requires strength, valor, and courage,” Nancy Scheper-Hughes noted. “Pierre Bourdieu called anthropology a combat sport, an extreme sport as well as a tough and rigorous discipline. … It teaches students not to be afraid of getting one’s hands...
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The Economics of Food and Agricultural Markets
Andrew Barkley
The Second Edition of Economics of Food and Agricultural Markets is written for applied intermediate microeconomics courses. The book showcases the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, agribusiness, international trade, labor markets, and natural resource sectors. The field of agricultural economics is relevant, important and interesting. The study of market...
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Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Cyber Domain
Randall K. Nichols, Hans C. Mumm, Wayne D. Lonstein, Julie J.C.H. Ryan, Candice Carter, and John-Paul Hood
Unmanned Aircraft Systems are an integral part of the US national critical infrastructure. The authors have endeavored to bring a breadth and quality of information to the reader that is unparalleled in the unclassified sphere. This textbook will fully immerse and engage the reader / student in the cyber-security considerations of this rapidly emerging technology that we know as unmanned...
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Vocal Techniques for the Instrumentalist
Amy Rosine
Vocal Techniques, the course title used at many institutions, is essentially a voice class for instrumentalists, and is a required course for instrumental music education majors seeking all-level certification. Students take at least one Vocal Techniques course to learn proper singing technique along with basic pedagogy and can include teaching techniques as they apply to adolescent singers. The focus of...
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Vocal Techniques for the Instrumentalist 2nd Edition
Amy Rosine
Vocal Techniques, the course title used at many institutions, is essentially a voice class for instrumentalists, and is often a required course for instrumental music education majors seeking all-level certification. Students take at least one Vocal Techniques course to learn proper singing technique along with basic pedagogy. Some courses include teaching techniques as they apply to adolescent singers. The focus...
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Workplace Writing: A Handbook for Common Workplace Genres and Professional Writing
Anna Goins, Cheryl Rauh, Danielle Tarner, and Daniel Von Holten
This handbook is designed for a generalized business writing course that seeks to meet the needs of a variety of student majors and career interests. In it you will find: descriptions and discussions of common genres, both routine and formal, print and electronic, and in-class activities and sample assignments. You will also find commentary on how to adapt the writing...
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Written Communication for Engineers
Marcella Reekie
This course packet seeks to develop the upper level engineering student’s sense of audience and purpose in a research-based context with workplace constraints. It requires the student to choose a technical topic of interest and research it to solve for a specific problem or to meet a typical industry need by way of several assignments: Unsolicited Research Proposal, Progress Report,...
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Your Journey to First-Year Success: A K-State First Companion Textbook
Brent Weaver, Mandi McKinley, Reagan Swank, Cydney Alexis, Tara Coleman, Jaime DeTour, Jessica Preston Kerr, Cheryl Rauh, R J. Youngblood, and Mariya Vaughan
This textbook companion is a resource to help students successfully navigate through their first year at Kansas State University. It serves as part of the K-State First mission to create an outstanding university experience for every first-year student by helping with the transition to college-level learning and college life. The textbook helps improve chances for student success by focusing on...