LATIN 301
“A Good Pilot Is Always Learning”
INSTRUCTOR
Tom Winter
Office: 233 Andrews Hall. Phone: 472-4480
Research interests: Ancient Science & Technology, literary archaeology, computer-assisted study of Latin.
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 1:30, and by appointment.
E-mail: Or at home:
PRE-REQUISITE
Latin 102 or equivalent, or better. Your first assignment is to write me a note listing all previous experience with the Latin Language. I will keep this through the semester and when I figure the semester grade.
TEXT
Phormio, A Comedy by Terence, edited by Elaine M. Coury. Everything is included: Vocabulary, Notes, Text, plus photographic reproduction of the actual manuscript!
Note: Few things take one into the ancient Roman culture better than reading what made the Romans laugh. One has got to do COMEDY to see the Romans (and the Greeks, since these plays are all adapted from Greek New Comedy!) mimicking life with art. Further, there is nothing better for giving one a handle on real “you-and-me Latin” than comedy. Further, Terence was always admired among the later Romans for the purity of his Latin. This is “the gold standard.”
METHOD
First, motivation, second, a diagnostic to see what Latin the students still need, then readings and drills and quizzes as prescribed from the initial and on-going diagnostics.
GOAL
From no matter what starting-point, you will be reading Latin --and maybe even talking like Terence-- by semester’s end!
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Especially in a Language class, absenteeism is self-penalizing. Therefore, I used to feel that the only thing I had to do about absenteeism was discourage it. Times change. I will take roll every class day, and will have, at semester’s end, a complete attendance record. No benefits, of doubt or anything else, for those with large gaps in attendance. Remember, three absences represents one week lost out of the 15-week term.
assignments:
Daily preparation of the specified target Latin. Take-home drills as needed.
EXAM POLICY
A quiz every week, with a comprehensive final exam.
Quizzes will be scored on a percentage: number of Latin words aptly handled/total number of Latin words.
Keep everything! If there is a discrepancy, and you don’t have the documents, my record is the record. Nowadays, my record book is on Blackboard, and you can see it.
On the premise that the exam is the final measure of the skill you have attained from the term, your semester grade will not be lower than the exam grade. In short, an A on my final is an A for the course.
If the semester track record is better than the exam score, I will weigh the semester cumulative average at 70%, exam score at 30%.
I will use this scale:
95 and up: A+
92,4,5: A
90 and 91: A-
87-89: B+
82-86: B
80 and 81: B-
The rest of the letter grades will follow the pattern for the 80s: 72-76 is the plain C, and so forth.
IMPORTANT FALL DATES
LABOR DAY SEPTEMBER 3
FALL BREAK OCTOBER 22, 23
THANKSGIVINGNOVEMBER 22-25
CLASSES END DECEMBER 14
EXAM
Latin 301 3:30 p.m. Thurs, Dec. 20
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the instructor for a confidential discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. It is the policy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to provide flexible and individualized accommodation to students with documented disabilities that may affect their ability to fully participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. To receive accommodation services, students must be registered with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office, 132 Canfield Administration, 472-3787 voice or TTY.