LATIN I
Room 201, Period 1
Andrew Burrow, Instructor
Office Hours, M–F 7:35–7:55 Room 303
[email protected], 205-414-3800 ext. 7600
http://www.mtnbrook.k12.al.us/Domain/1258
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Level I Latin course provides students the opportunity to begin the study of the Latin language and introduces them to
Roman culture and its influence on the cultures of the Western world. Basic pronunciation, spelling, and translation are
included in the course, while an emphasis is placed on reading, grammar, and culture.
COURSE CONTENT
General Knowledge:
History of the language; understanding and pronunciation of consonants, vowels, diphthongs, and digraphs
Grammar:
Verbs: conjugations, voices, moods, tenses, persons, and numbers
Nouns: declensions, cases, genders, numbers; basic syntax
Adjectives: 1st & 2nd, 3rd declension adjectives; degrees; SAP; pronominal adjectives; ordinal numbers
Adverbs: those formed from 1st & 2nd and 3rd declension adjectives; degrees
Pronouns: personal, relative, possessive, reflexive, interrogative, indefinite, demonstrative
Participles: voice, tense, formations
Vocabulary:
Strong working vocabulary of basic Latin words and particles (prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, enclitics, etc.);
basic spoken phrases, derivatives, expressions, mottoes, abbreviations, etc.
Culture:
Geography: Rome and other cities around the ancient Mediterranean; geographical features
History: basic terms and general information associated with the major epochs of Roman history: Monarchy, Republic,
and Empire
Mythology: Basic traits, relationships, and stories of Olympian gods and other mythical gods/creatures/monsters
Roman Life: Basic knowledge of the Romans’ calendar, daily religious practices, government structure, social
organization, food customs, clothing options, architecture, entertainment, and recreation
COURSE MATERIALS
Textbooks
Primary text: Ullman, B.L. and Charles Henderson. Latin for Americans: Latin 1. New York: Glencoe, 2007.
Supplementary texts: AMSCO workbook for first year Latin; New College Latin & English Dictionary
Course Calendars
A course calendar will be provided to each student during the first week of school; this calendar can also be found on the
course website. The course calendar contains the dates for all quizzes and tests. At times, changes may be necessary for the
benefit of the students; changes will always be announced in class and the online calendar updated promptly.
Homework Calendars
Homework will be assigned for each night except before quizzes and tests. Students should expect to spend 20-30 minutes
each evening on Latin. The purpose of each homework assignment will be explained; no busy work will be assigned.
Homework will be announced in class, but can also be found on the course website. If homework is not announced for any
reason, students are responsible for finding the assignment on the course website and completing it.
Course Materials
Students will need (1) a 1” binder with college ruled paper, (2) tab dividers for the binder (5 tabs), (3) 500 3x5 index cards,
(4) 2 index card holder boxes, (5) blue or black pens, (6) red pens, (7) pencils, and (8) 1 box of colored pencils.
Student Binders
Every student will be responsible for keeping all of his or her work in a 1” binder. Binders must be organized and the five
sections labeled as follows: Practice (for homework and classwork), Notes (for notes and handouts), Assessments (for
returned assessments), Culture (for notes on culture), and Other (for special handouts, notes, etc.)
GRADING
Philosophy and Assessments:
A student’s grade is an indicator primarily of how well (s)he understands the material and secondarily of how faithful (s)he is to
those important tasks that enable success. The following five categories are meant to be a communication tool, each indicating
a student’s progress in a different area. If a student’s grade falls below a C, parents will be contacted.
• Tests (45%)
Tests are the assessments that indicate a student’s overall understanding of the course content. They are different
from quizzes because they cover a larger amount of material and assess information on a global scale. In the analogy
of the forest and the trees, tests are the forest.
Each test will have five sections: (1) vocabulary, (2) grammar rules, (3) translation and reading, (4) grammar in
context, and (5) culture. Mr. Burrow will help each student track his or her progress so that areas of needed
improvement can be easily recognized and addressed.
Students will never have to worry about what material or passages will be on a test. A study guide will be provided at
least one week in advance, and the day before the test will always have time devoted to last-minute questions. Also,
before the first test, an example test will be provided to introduce questions types.
• Quizzes (25%)
Quizzes are the assessments that indicate a student’s understanding of specific course content. Unlike tests, these are
more focused on the material being learned in specific units or lessons. Nevertheless, because learning a language is a
cumulative process, students will be assessed on previous concepts (in particular, in grammar sections). In the
analogy of the forest and the trees, quizzes are the trees.
Each quiz can have multiple sections, and each section will be carefully crafted to match the material being assessed.
Examples include: vocabulary exercises, fill-in-the-blank, true or false, sentence translation, passage translation,
grammar identification, short answer, short essay, etc. The lowest quiz for each quarter will be dropped; the quiz
will not be dropped until the end of the quarter.
• Homework (15%)
Homework is the assessment that indicates both the amount of effort a student exerts outside the classroom and how
faithful (s)he is to this important task. Unless noted, homework is individual; students are allowed to work together
on homework, but not to split up portions of the assignment. Homework will be checked daily at the start of class
and has three grades: full credit, half credit, or no credit. The homework grade is determined by a ratio
(credit#/total#) that changes over the course of the semester; therefore, each assignment has the same grading
weight. If a student misses three consecutive homework assignments, parents will be contacted.
• Investment (10%)
Investment is the assessment that indicates how faithful a student is to those important tasks (excluding homework)
that enable success. This grade is worth 10 points, with each student beginning with 8 points; by doing good tasks,
(s)he can move up to a 9/10 (do them well and often) or 10/10 (do them very well and always); by not doing good
tasks, the investment grade goes down. Discipline and respect issues are not included (see the Behavior and Class
Expectations section). Behaviors that affect the investment grade are below.
No effect on Investment Grade:
Amount of volunteering; whether answers are correct or incorrect when answering aloud
Raises Investment Grade:
Beginning of Class: Sitting in your desk and having homework out when the bell rings; reviewing your
vocabulary notecards while homework is checked
General Class Behavior: Paying attention; being attentive to the progression of the class; being quiet; asking
appropriate questions; not blurting out; accepting all work with a good spirit and a willingness to learn
Individual or Group Work Time: Using time for its intended purpose; not talking about other topics or
working on assignments for other classes
End of Class: Not packing up early; working until the bell rings
Lowers Investment Grade:
Not paying attention; when asked to answer, not knowing the question; when asked to translate, not knowing
the place to begin; blurting out without raising your hand; asking questions not relevant to the discussion;
working on assignments for other classes; side conversations
• Projects (5%)
Projects are the assessments that indicate how well a student can apply the material in additional learning structures
outside regular classroom assessments. Due dates will be provided on the course calendars. Individual rubrics will be
provided with each project.
• Bonus
Students should not expect bonus to be available for any category. Rarely, bonus may be offered for the benefit of all
students collectively. Although some students may choose not to do the bonus, bonus will never be offered on an
individual basis. Grading accommodations, when supported by a 504/IEP plan, are not considered bonus.
ASSESSMENT RETURN TIME AND INOW
• • • • Homework will be checked and gone over each day in class
Quizzes will be returned within three school days, and then gone over in class
Tests will be returned within five school days, and then gone over in class
iNow update schedule
o Tests and Quizzes will be entered on the Monday after they are returned to students
o Homework and Investment will be updated every Monday
o Projects will be entered on the day after they are returned to students
LATE/MAKE-UP WORK PROCEDURES
• Late Assignments: Late assignments will receive a zero, with the exception of vocabulary notecards; notecards can be
turned in one day late for 50% credit. If homework is not present at the time checked, it is late.
• Absences and Due Dates: If a student is absent on the day an assignment is due, it is up to the student to turn in the
assignment on the day (s)he returns to class.
• Absences and Homework: If a student is absent on a day that homework is assigned, it is up to the student to look on
the homework calendar for the assignment. It is due on the day (s)he returns to class. Exceptions are made
when new material is introduced on the day absent; I do not expect a student to learn the material with no teacher
collaboration.
• Absences and Assessments: If a student misses an assessment due to absence, it is up to the student to make
arrangements with Mr. Burrow within 3 days of returning to class. After doing so, it is up to the student to be
present and on time for the make-up assessment. Students who are not present for their make-up assessments
(without good reason) will receive a zero.
• Unfinished Assessments: Assessments will be designed for a specific amount of time. Extra time should not be
expected unless it is specifically stipulated by a 504/IEP plan. For students without accommodations, it is
necessary to understand that completing an assessment on time is largely a result of sufficient study and preparation.
In some cases, Mr. Burrow can use his judgment to allow a student extra time.
• Absent Prior to an Assignment: If a student is absent at any point after an assignment is introduced, that student is still
responsible for turning in the assignment on time unless (s)he has made prior arrangements with Mr. Burrow.
• Absent Prior to an Assessment: If a student is absent at any point prior to an assessment, that student is still required
to take the assessment with the rest of the class, unless (s)he has made prior arrangements with Mr. Burrow.
Exceptions are made when the assessment covers material that the student has not experienced in class time; I do
not expect a student to take an assessment on the material with no previous teacher collaboration.
BEHAVIOR AND CLASS EXPECTATIONS
The Spartan Code:
Spartans are kind and respectful to others; dressed appropriately; use language that is honorable and worthy of pride;
on time and ready for the task at hand; strive always for excellence through (1) superior performance in academics,
athletics, & arts; (2) excellence in character and behavior; (3) willingness to serve the community; and (4) acceptance
of personal responsibility.
Latin Class Expectations:
1. Be honest and truthful in all situations
2. Academic work is individual, unless instructed otherwise
3. Be respectful, kind, and have a positive attitude towards others
4. Be on time, in the classroom before the tardy bell (not the same as investment)
Consequences for not Meeting Class Expectations
Failure to meet class expectations or breach of the Spartan Code will be met with consequences. Mr. Burrow will determine
the consequence using his best judgment, evaluating both the seriousness and frequency of the event. All students will be
treated fairly and equally. The following are possible consequences: verbal warning, parent contact, detention, and office
visit.
PARENT AND STUDENT SIGNATURE
After both you and your parent(s) have read this syllabus, please each sign below and return to Mr. Burrow.
Student Signature:
Date:
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A Parent Signature:
Date:
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