David Owen Miller
(323) 566-0420 ext. 2102
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 3:30-4:30
Latin 1 A/B
Procedures and Syllabus
Latin 1A/B is the first of a series of courses designed to explore the language and culture of the Romans. Each year, the students address an essential question to guide our studies. This year, the essential questions will be: What is Roman? How are we still influenced by the Romans? What does it mean to read Latin? During the course of the year, we will use readings from the text, online games, grammar, history, mythology, journals, and our own experiences to answer these questions.
The purpose of this class is primarily to teach you how to think critically. In order to think about Roman culture, you must evaluate Rome’s history and social order as well as the influence of Greek mythology and customs on the daily lives of the Romans, build translation skills that reflect a creative and thoughtful response to the text, master the foundations of Latin grammar, and examine cognates in order to improve your English vocabulary.
BEHAVIOR. Students will follow these rules in order to succeed: 1. Treat others as you want to be treated. 2. Pay attention. 3. Participate.
Behavior/Cooperation/Participation: 10% Students will come to class well prepared to participate in all class activities and to interact with classmates both effectively and respectfully. In addition, students will make some positive addition to each class--a question, insight, translation--in order to acquire participation credit for the day. Any contributions will result in chances for extra credit.
Homework: 20% Students will have two types of homework for this class: reading/grammar assignments given at each class meeting and vocabulary. Vocabulary assignments will range from visual representations to puzzles/competitions to dialogues and quizzes. Reading and grammar assignments will also take on a variety of forms--including performances, presentations, games, debates, and journal assignments.
Projects/Essays: 30% Throughout the year, students will work on projects related to the unit/author being studied. For example, the students will build a model of a Roman villa.
There will be three types of essays you will write for this class: weekly/dialectical journals, short responses to the text, and one-page responses due every eight-ten weeks.
The journals are due every four weeks and should consist of observations, interpretations and reflections on how various aspects of your life reflect Roman culture.
Short answer and essay responses will focus on reading skills, on character, plot, or setting analysis and other forms of close readings of the text.
Quizzes: 15% Expect least one quiz per week on the grammar and vocabulary in the readings. And a quiz on history, mythology and daily life every two-three weeks.
Tests: 20% Cumulative tests for the grammar will occur every three-four weeks. These tests will indicate your progress as well as develop your translation/timed writing skills for AP and college. They will also give you a chance to review and to stretch your reading abilities.
Final Exam: 15% A comprehensive exam. Details to be announced.
Please feel free to ask questions during and outside of class. However, do not wait until the day of a quiz or test to tell me that you do not understand.
______
I have read and understand the policies and procedures for the Latin 1 class, and I agree to follow those policies for the school year 2016-17.
______Student Name Printed Student Signature
______Parent Name Printed Parent Signature
David Owen Miller
World Languages Department Office Hours: W & Th: 3:30-4:30
Latin I Syllabus
Texts:
Cambridge Latin Course, Units 1 and 2 Ovid’s Metamorphoses
D’Aulaire’s Mythology
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology
alia
World Language Standards covered in each unit: Content (Daily Life and Usage) 1.1; Communication (Spoken Language) 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7; Cultures 1.0, 1.2, 1.3; Structures (Grammar & Syntax) 1.0, 1.1, 1.2; Settings (Daily Life and Idioms) 1.0 & 1.2
Unit 1--What do you know about Rome? (10 Weeks)
Learn about nouns and verbs. Focus on the villa and family in ancient Rome. Gods and Goddesses. Myths about Lovers. Perform a scene from Ovid’s Metamorphosis.
Stages 1-5 in CLC, Unit 1
Activities: The Villa Project The Last Word Socratic Seminars Latin Journals Inhouse/Outhouse Visual Representations
Cumulative Activities: Grammar Test, Reflective Journals, Villa Presentations, Derivative Charts, and Certamen.
Unit 2--What was Rome?(8 weeks)
Intro to verb forms: the present, imperfect and perfect. Active Voice. Education, Theater, Gladiators.
Stages 6-10, CLC, unit 1
Activities: Poster-Making Open Minds Inhouse/Outhouse Dialectical Journals Quickwrites Debates History Presentations
Cumulative Activities: History Posters, “I Am” Poems, Noun and Verb Charts, Scenes, The Final.
Spring Semester
Unit 3--What is a Roman? (5 weeks)
Compound Sentences. Adjectives and their degrees. Infinitives. Mt. Vesuvius. How can a Roman live in England? The Republic. More myths about love and one or two about heroes.
Stages 11-13, CLC, units 1-2
Activities: Comic Books Quickwrites Visual Representations The Last Word Interpretive Essays Debates Pronouns
Cumulative Activities: Comic Books, More Derivative Posters, Test, Dialogues, and Presentations about the Republic
Unit 4--How are we still influenced by Romans? (15 weeks)
Infinitives, Pronouns, a Jambalaya of Datives, Relative Clauses, and The Pluperfect Tense, Commands and participles. Life in Roman Britain and Egypt. The great heroes and couples of Roman mythology.
CLC, unit 2 Daulaire’s Myths
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology
Activities: Inhouse/Outhouse Open Minds Debates Presentations Quickwrites
Cumulative Activities: Open Minds and Essay, Presentations on Roman Heroes, The Final.