Welcome to Latin Class!

Magistra Foresman [email protected] Schedule: Period 1: II H (Room 354) Period 2: III H (Room 356) Period 6: III H (Room 356) Period 7: III CCP (Room 354)

Latin III CCP Period 7, Room 354

Welcome to Latin class!

Though often termed a “dead” language, Latin is still very much a relevant world language in the modern day. Latin is the parent of modern Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian), and has grammatical ties to other modern languages (German and English). As over 1/3 of English words come from Latin, learning Latin improves students’ skills in English: SAT verbal scores, reading and writing proficiency. Latin students are a part of the global community because of the influence of the Roman language, art, architecture, mythology, history, and culture. Latin is as rigorous as modern languages in the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes. o Interpretive Mode – reading on literal, interpretive, global levels o Interpersonal Mode – cooperative work, discussions o Presentational Mode – fishbowl, projects

Students in Latin CCP courses work towards a reading knowledge of Latin: the ability to read and translate unabridged Latin texts with the aid of a dictionary and relevant grammatical reference texts. Translation is never a 1:1 ratio of Latin:English words, and in order to translate well, students of Latin need to be knowledgeable both in Latin grammar, syntax, and vocabulary as well as in Roman culture.

Students will:

 read selections from Roman authors with increasing facility

 understand and appreciate the stylistic characteristics of each author

 recognize and appreciate the use of literary devices

 participate actively in the translation and discussion of the literature in class

 write articulate and developed literary analysis of the literature

 read dactylic hexameter poetry aloud in meter

1  improve reading skills on both prose and poetry passages

 understand the historical, cultural, and political context of the late Republic and early Empire

What do I need to bring to class? Students should bring the following to class with them every day:  Pen(s) and/or pencil(s)  Folder or 3-Ringed binder (binder recommended – lots of worksheets/packets!)  Relevant daily worksheets/packets  Latin notebook or loose-leaf paper (recommended, but not required)

 Latin for Americans, Vol. 3 grammar packet is a STAY AT HOME resource! (There will be a classroom set of books & dictionaries for in-class use, as needed.)

Classroom Expectations As students of Southington High School, it is expected that Latin students will follow the Southington High School Code of Conduct and aspire to all Southington High School Learner Expectations. As part of this, Latin students should be aware of the following:

I) Students will come to class each day prepared for class, with homework completed and all necessary materials.  Magistra Foresman will also come to class prepared each day – fair’s fair!

II) Homework will be given on a daily basis. It will be graded for completion, not accuracy. Homework is due at the beginning of class.  The purpose of the homework is to practice new skills learned in class and to move forward with daily translations.  Homework also helps students self-assess their level of understanding and comfort.  Homework will be corrected in class and questions/confusions addressed at that time. (You will only know what questions you have if you do the homework first!)

III) Students who miss class are expected to make arrangements with Magistra Foresman to make up any missed work. It is YOUR responsibility – be proactive!  Magistra Foresman will keep a copy of all missed work, ready to be given upon return to class.

IV) As per the Student Handbook, cell phone and personal electronic devices use is allowed in class only when used for educational purposes, and when directed by Magistra.

2 **Academic honesty is expected and required of all students. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating are unacceptable and zeros will be given for any assignment(s) that contain plagiarism/cheating.** How will I be graded? A student’s final grade for the class for the year is calculated as:  20% - Quarter 1 Grade  20% - Quarter 2 Grade  10% - Midterm Exam Grade  20% - Quarter 3 Grade  20% - Quarter 4 Grade  10% - Final Exam Grade

Within a quarter, the student’s grade for this class will be calculated as:  50% - Interpretive Mode  30% - Presentational Mode  20% - Interpersonal Mode

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) breaks down all language usage into these three modes of communication. In order to allow for students to focus specifically on strengthening challenging skills, all graded assignments will be categorized according to these modes.  Interpretive Mode – The interpretation of the target language into one’s own. Latin students are mainly engaged in the Interpretive Mode though vocabulary acquisition and the identification of grammar and syntax rules in order to read passages in the Latin language.  Presentational Mode – The creation of one-way communication. Latin students will often write translations (whether Latin to English or English to Latin) of sentences or short passages. They may also present, either through spoken or written word, in English about Latin texts or Classical themes.  Interpersonal Mode – The active negotiation of meaning among individuals. Latin students focus mainly on discourse in English about Latin texts or Classical culture.

Overview of Graded Assignments Within each Mode, assessments and assignments will be given weight according to the importance of the assessment/assignment. Daily homework and collected classwork will have no additional weight. Vocabulary Quizzes, Skill Checks, Denarii, and Small Projects will be weighted x2. Skill Quests and Large Projects will be weighted x3.  Vocabulary Quizzes: There will be a Vocabulary Quiz every Friday. Study guides for Vocabulary Quizzes will be handed out one week prior to the quiz! If a grade received on a Vocabulary Quiz is unsatisfactory, students are allowed to retake the 3 Vocabulary Quizzes outside of class time until one week before the end of each quarter. Vocabulary Quizzes are Interpretive Mode only.

 Skill Checks: Skill checks will be given periodically as the class moves through grammar and syntax topics. Students will always be given warning before a skill check. There will be no pop skill checks! If a grade received on a Skill Check is unsatisfactory, students are allowed to retake the Skill Check outside of class time until one week before the end of each quarter. A Skill Check will only asses one of the three modes, and in the gradebook will appear as a single grade.  Small Projects: Small Projects are activities and/or projects that can be completed in one or two class periods. Generally Small Projects will be graded according to a rubric. Small Projects will generally assess only one of the three modes, and in the gradebook will appear as a single grade.  Large Projects: Large Projects are projects that take longer than two class periods to complete. Large projects may require significant preparation time outside of class in addition to the time provided in class for completion of the project. Large Projects will be graded according to a rubric, which will be provided to students as part of the instructions for their project. Large Projects may assess multiple modes; in this case, students will see separate grades in the gradebook which correspond to the different modes assessed by the project.  Skill Quests: 1 Skill Quest will be given per Marking Period. These are larger assessments, which cover multiple modes. In the gradebook, students will see a separate grade for each mode assessed by the Skill Quest.  Tesserae: In order to assess the Interpersonal Mode, students will be awarded Tesserae for working with the Latin language and Classical culture in class, either through answering questions, reading aloud, making meaningful contributions in group or pair work, or one-on-one discussions with their peers or Magistra Foresman. Students may earn more than one Tessera in class. Tesserae will be collected at the end of the week and students will be graded according to the ratio of opportunities to earn Tesserae vs the amount of Tesserae earned. o Homework Passes: Students who earn at least one Tessera in class will earn a sticker for that class. In some classes, extra opportunities may arise for multiple stickers to be earned in one class period (example: as a prize for winning a class-wide game). When a student has gained five stickers, they may submit the completed Homework Pass to Magistra Foresman for full credit on a daily homework assignment. Homework passes may be submitted retroactively, but they may not be used for small or large projects. Students may also choose to submit their unused Homework passes to increase their Tesserae total from previous weeks at the end of each quarter.

4 Latin III CCP I have read and understood the above syllabus and information. I agree to abide by the expectations.

______Student Signature Date

I have read the above syllabus and information. I understand that my child will have to follow the expectations of this course.

______Parent/Guardian Signature Date