Introduction

Access is opportunity. Students seeking to take the GED exam to attain their High School Equivalency diplomas have typically faced at least some barriers to education. Among the most critical of these barriers is cost. Access to high quality materials to navigate the GED is an imperative step for students seeking to complete this rigorous, five-part exam. Open Educational Resources (OERs) are free, openly accessible materials that students and instructors can use, copy, and even redistribute. OERs are an important breakthrough in education, reducing the cost of higher education by millions while challenging the economic power of established publishers.

How to Use This Textbook

Open ELA is a complete course for the Reading and Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science portions of the GED exam. It also includes GED Study Guides and lessons contextualized to college and career exploration and readiness. There are six units covered in Open ELA:

• Understanding Literature

• Intro to Communications

• Metacognitive Reading

• Film & Television Studies

• Reading for Science & Social Studies

• Journalism

Each unit includes six-eight chapters, each containing an interactive presentation, assigned readings, and two assignments. Each unit is meant to be studied over the course of eight weeks (most instructors assign two units concurrently). However, students are always welcome to navigate these materials at their own pace and in their own way. In the final unit, you will find GED study guides specific to the RLA, Social Studies, and Science exams. These are appropriate for review as you prepare to take on a specific portion of the GED.

Instructors, I recommend working through the presentations in-class with students to spark conversation and critical thinking. Students should have class time to complete the reading and assignments. Each student should select a novel for independent reading, which will correspond with Reading Zone assignments. Additionally, in-class audiobook listening sessions (chosen by students) can provide quality parallel curriculum.

Independent Learners, please keep a running journal for each course. Take notes on each chapter, and complete all assignments in your journal. It is important to have a record of your studies. This will help you navigate these courses and engage with the material. Completing as many assignments as you can is also an important part of the process. These assignments are designed to provide meaningful practice towards skills that matter in college and career settings. Follow your curiosity as you navigate these courses. Select units and assignments that you want to engage with. Everything here will build towards skills relevant to the GED Exam and for college and the workplace.

About the Author

Alexander Greengaard, MFA is an Instructor/Lecturer in the IBEST Program at Pima Community College. He works with students who have faced barriers to education and fights to break those barriers through integrated education and training initiatives, partnerships between basic education and college trade certification programs, and developing open educational materials. Alexander is also the founder of Troubadour, an arts education organization that provides theatre programs to economically marginalized families.