We developed this Natural Hazards book to fill the void we found and contribute a Canadian version to the public. We both feel that Open Education Resources (OER) are an excellent way to share the body of knowledge and work of those in the Physical Geography discipline. Each chapter in this book started with a chapter drawn from another OER and then edited to our own material we have used while teaching our classes in Natural Hazards for over 15 years. We will use the feedback from our students in 2021 and 2022 classes to finalize this book too.

This course was designed to provide supplemental material to accompany "Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics," edited by George Matthews (2019). This textbook is available for free online and has also been uploaded to the OERTX Repository. Links to the relevant chapters have been provided at the start of each module. Please feel free to use as much of this supplemental material as you would like and to edit it as you see fit.

Within the Instructor Resources, we have included PowerPoints and study guides over each chapter.

In each module, we have created Pages covering the main topics from the chapter, along with a summary of the chapter. Each Page consists of a few slides from the relevant PowerPoint. These slides are embedded as JPEGS, and alt-text is provided for the visually impaired. The slides were embedded in this way to make the content from the PowerPoints more manageable for students and so that the slides would be more accessible on mobile devices.

Along with these Pages, we have also provided podcasts and videos in each module and in the Additional Resources that emphasize connections to the empirical sciences, such as moral psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology.

Each module contains a quiz. These quizzes draw randomly from pools of questions covering the chapter and the additional podcasts and videos. These quizzes were intended to be completed before class discussion, and they have been set to allow unlimited attempts until the due date.

Finally, each module also contains a dilemma for class discussion and a suggested active learning activity.

For additional assessment, we have provided a set of scaffolded writing assignments with accompanying rubrics, designed to help students learn how to write a philosophy paper. We have also included a model for a service-learning project.

If you have any questions about this material, please feel free to reach out to us. The PowerPoints, Pages, and Quizzes for each chapter were written by Dr. Jeremy Byrd (jeremy.byrd@tccd.edu), with the exception of those in the module over Chapter 7, which were written by Dr. Jeffrey Herr (jeffrey.herr@tccd.edu). Dr. Herr also wrote the dilemmas and the active learning activities for each module. The scaffolded writing assignments and rubrics were designed by Dr. Byrd, while Dr. Herr put together the service-learning project.

Explore how a capacitor works! Change the size of the plates and add a dielectric to see how it affects capacitance. Change the voltage and see charges built up on the plates. Shows the electric field in the capacitor. Measure voltage and electric field.

Summary: Cavitation is the transition of a fluid into vapour due to local reduction of pressure which is generated by high local flow velocities. The transition of a fluid into vapour also occurs during cooking of water by an increase of the local temperature. The term cavitation is generally reserved for conditions in which the temperature of the bulk fluid is not changed. Although cavitation can occur in many situations this course focuses on ship hydrodynamics and ship propellers. The course is divided into five main groups: physics, types and effects of cavitation as well as calculations and test facilities and techniques. Some of these topics are illustrated with the use of videos. (Study goals:) 1. Reproduce the main lines in a selection of the latest developments in the field of propulsion and resistance hydrodynamics, where the current selection of propulsion and resistance topics includes unsteady hydrodynamics of the flow over a foil, cavitation forms, problems and tools for analysis and design, propulsion systems in a service environment and ship drag reduction by air lubrication. 2. Analyse a hydrodynamic problem in the propulsion and resistance area, into well defined sub problems that can be analysed with state of the art knowledge and tools 3. Select the appropriate theory or tool (either numerical or experimental) for an analysis of the identified problem. 4. Reproduce and present to an audience, the main lines in a contemporary publication from the field of Propulsion and Resistance hydrodynamics. 5. Understand, interpret and react to questions from the audience and the lecturer and in doing so, stimulate the scientific debate.

Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a course in first-year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these content areas in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom. Clinical correlates and additional application of content is intended to be provided in the classroom experience. The text assumes that the students will have completed medical school prerequisites (including the MCAT) in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of biology and chemistry that are essential to understand the content presented here. This resource should be assistive to the learner later in medical school and for exam preparation given the material is presented in a succinct manner, with a focus on high-yield concepts.

The 276-page text was created specifically for use by pre-clinical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and was based on faculty experience and peer review to guide development and hone important topics.

Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest at: https://bit.ly/interest-preclinical.

Instructors and subject matter experts interested in and sharing their original course materials relevant to pre-clinical education are requested to join the instructor portal at https://www.oercommons.org/groups/pre-clinical-resources/10133.

The Changing Story gives you assignments, resources, and examples to use in your teaching and learning. It will also help you think of ways digital stories can be used in your teaching, and help students harness the power of visual storytelling.

As Texas modernized, it became more and more like the rest of the United States, with large metropolises and metroplex, technological and medical industries, and more. Few Texans remained in rural areas, fewer still had jobs directly related to agriculture. National issues like immigration had a profound effect on Texas politically, socially, and economically. 

This resource has been created for my students enrolled in my Fundamentals of Biology course at West Hills Community College in Lemoore, CA.

By Jennifer Lansford, Duke University.  Adolescence is a period that begins with puberty and ends with the transition to adulthood (approximately ages 10–20). Physical changes associated with puberty are triggered by hormones. Cognitive changes include improvements in complex and abstract thought, as well as development that happens at different rates in distinct parts of the brain and increases adolescents’ propensity for risky behavior because increases in sensation-seeking and reward motivation precede increases in cognitive control. Adolescents’ relationships with parents go through a period of redefinition in which adolescents become more autonomous, and aspects of parenting, such as distal monitoring and psychological control, become more salient. Peer relationships are important sources of support and companionship during adolescence yet can also promote problem behaviors. Same-sex peer groups evolve into mixed-sex peer groups, and adolescents’ romantic relationships tend to emerge from these groups. Identity formation occurs as adolescents explore and commit to different roles and ideological positions. 

By Robert G. Franklin and Leslie Zebrowitz, Anderson University, Brandeis University. More attractive people elicit more positive first impressions. This effect is called the attractiveness halo, and it is shown when judging those with more attractive faces, bodies, or voices. Moreover, it yields significant social outcomes, including advantages to attractive people in domains as far-reaching as romance, friendships, family relations, education, work, and criminal justice. Physical qualities that increase attractiveness include youthfulness, symmetry, averageness, masculinity in men, and femininity in women. Positive expressions and behaviors also raise evaluations of a person’s attractiveness. Cultural, cognitive, evolutionary, and overgeneralization explanations have been offered to explain why we find certain people attractive. Whereas the evolutionary explanation predicts that the impressions associated with the halo effect will be accurate, the other explanations do not. Although the research evidence does show some accuracy, it is too weak to satisfactorily account for the positive responses shown to more attractive people.

By Sue Carter and Stephen Porges, University of North Carolina, Northeastern University - Boston.  Love is deeply biological. It pervades every aspect of our lives and has inspired countless works of art. Love also has a profound effect on our mental and physical state. A “broken heart” or a failed relationship can have disastrous effects; bereavement disrupts human physiology and may even precipitate death. Without loving relationships, humans fail to flourish, even if all of their other basic needs are met. As such, love is clearly not “just” an emotion; it is a biological process that is both dynamic and bidirectional in several dimensions. Social interactions between individuals, for example, trigger cognitive and physiological processes that influence emotional and mental states. In turn, these changes influence future social interactions. Carter, S. & Porges, S. (2021). Biochemistry of love. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers.

By Ian Weaver, Dalhousie University. Early life experiences exert a profound and long-lasting influence on physical and mental health throughout life. The efforts to identify the primary causes of this have significantly benefited from studies of the epigenome—a dynamic layer of information associated with DNA that differs between individuals and can be altered through various experiences and environments. The epigenome has been heralded as a key “missing piece” of the etiological puzzle for understanding how development of psychological disorders may be influenced by the surrounding environment, in concordance with the genome. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the initiation, maintenance, and heritability of epigenetic states is thus an important aspect of research in current biology, particularly in the study of learning and memory, emotion, and social behavior in humans. Moreover, epigenetics in psychology provides a framework for understanding how the expression of genes is influenced by experiences and the environment to produce individual differences in behavior, cognition, personality, and mental health. In this module, we survey recent developments revealing epigenetic aspects of mental health and review some of the challenges of epigenetic approaches in psychology to help explain how nurture shapes nature.

By David M. Buss, University of Texas at Austin.  Evolution or change over time occurs through the processes of natural and sexual selection. In response to problems in our environment, we adapt both physically and psychologically to ensure our survival and reproduction. Sexual selection theory describes how evolution has shaped us to provide a mating advantage rather than just a survival advantage and occurs through two distinct pathways: intrasexual competition and intersexual selection. Gene selection theory, the modern explanation behind evolutionary biology, occurs through the desire for gene replication. Evolutionary psychology connects evolutionary principles with modern psychology and focuses primarily on psychological adaptations: changes in the way we think in order to improve our survival. Two major evolutionary psychological theories are described: Sexual strategies theory describes the psychology of human mating strategies and the ways in which women and men differ in those strategies. Error management theory describes the evolution of biases in the way we think about everything.  Buss, D. M. (2021). Evolutionary theories in psychology. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers.

By Don Lucas and Jennifer Fox, Northwest Vista College. It’s natural to be curious about anatomy and physiology. Being knowledgeable about anatomy and physiology increases our potential for pleasure, physical and psychological health, and life satisfaction. Beyond personal curiosity, thoughtful discussions about anatomy and physiology with sexual partners reduces the potential for miscommunication, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and sexual dysfunctions. Lastly, and most importantly, an appreciation of both the biological and psychological motivating forces behind sexual curiosity, desire, and the capacities of our brains can enhance the health of relationships.

By Yoshihisa Kashima, University of Melbourne. Humans have the capacity to use complex language, far more than any other species on Earth. We cooperate with each other to use language for communication; language is often used to communicate about and even construct and maintain our social world. Language use and human sociality are inseparable parts of Homo sapiens as a biological species.

By Anda Gershon and Renee Thompson, Stanford University, Washington University in St. Louis. Everyone feels down or euphoric from time to time, but this is different from having a mood disorder such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Mood disorders are extended periods of depressed, euphoric, or irritable moods that in combination with other symptoms cause the person significant distress and interfere with his or her daily life, often resulting in social and occupational difficulties. In this module, we describe major mood disorders, including their symptom presentations, general prevalence rates, and how and why the rates of these disorders tend to vary by age, gender, and race. In addition, biological and environmental risk factors that have been implicated in the development and course of mood disorders, such as heritability and stressful life events, are reviewed. Finally, we provide an overview of treatments for mood disorders, covering treatments with demonstrated effectiveness, as well as new treatment options showing promise.

By Adam John Privitera, Chemeketa Community College. The topics of sensation and perception are among the oldest and most important in all of psychology. People are equipped with senses such as sight, hearing and taste that help us to take in the world around us. Amazingly, our senses have the ability to convert real-world information into electrical information that can be processed by the brain. The way we interpret this information-- our perceptions-- is what leads to our experiences of the world. In this module, you will learn about the biological processes of sensation and how these can be combined to create perceptions.

By Tiffany A. Ito and Jennifer T. Kubota, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Delaware.This module provides an overview of the new field of social neuroscience, which combines the use of neuroscience methods and theories to understand how other people influence our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The module reviews research measuring neural and hormonal responses to understand how we make judgments about other people and react to stress. Through these examples, it illustrates how social neuroscience addresses three different questions: (1) how our understanding of social behavior can be expanded when we consider neural and physiological responses, (2) what the actual biological systems are that implement social behavior (e.g., what specific brain areas are associated with specific social tasks), and (3) how biological systems are impacted by social processes.