Harry Potter SpellsSome pictures from our Harry Potter spell casting yesterday. Students came with 3 spells in Latin and cast them upon each other, then acted out (if possible) what they had been jinxed with. Students appearing to act oddly in the pictures are probably pretending to be turned into a moist waffle, eating themselves, acting like a turtle, vomiting rainbows, etc.
Catapults + Good-Bye
Here are some pictures of our catapulting on Friday. I did a better job getting pictures of one section than the other (mea culpa), but there are some good ones here. If you want one of them, they should be posted on Smugmug soon, or email me.
Believe it or not, we have reached the end of the year, and it’s been a successful one. I’ve enjoyed working with your children, and want you and them to have an appreciation of how much they have accomplished with their consistent hard work.
FAQ: So, what did my child get out of studying this dead language? In strictly Latin terms:
More broadly: Other common side effects of studying Latin this year may include…
Thank you for your support throughout the year, and have a great summer! -Rick Beyer RISD Field Trip Pictures
Some students at Brown's Latin caroling event Monday night.
Classical Holiday Present Ideas:
This week I've started brainstorming ideas for my own kids at home, and the thought crossed my mind, that someone might want to attempt feed their child's curiosity with a book related to Latin--so here are several I like: * Mythology: If your child finished the Lightning Thief series about Greek mythology, the first book in Rick Riordan's Roman series is "The Lost Hero." There is also "Percy Jackson's Greek Gods," an illustrated account of Greek mythology told in Percy Jackson's voice. * Language origins: “Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?” There are lots of great books about language origins; someone gave me this one when I was a kid, and I've been fascinated ever since by the stories behind familiar words and phrases. * History: There are many beautiful nonfiction books of ancient history, though sadly I do find that these tend to sit in the back of my classroom unread. The students do sometimes look at ones like Horrible Histories Ruthless Romans — a playful series that emphasizes the more disgusting and violent side of history — or Asterix the Gaul — the first in a classic comic book series set in Roman history. * Historical fiction: As a child, I only read straight nonfiction to write a report for school, but I loved historical fiction:
* Latin books: There are a lot of fun books published in Latin.
Always happy to chat about other ideas based on your child's particular tastes. Many thanks, Rick Beyer We started one class by discussing how languages derive from and relate to each other with this Indo-European language tree. Can you find English in the tree?
6th Latin, Oct 1-17:
The past 2 weeks, we have put a LOT of tools into our grammar toolbox, as we have discussed the functions a noun can perform in an English or Latin sentence. This requires some abstract, rigorous analysis. It comes more naturally to some than to others, but is great mental exercise in any case. Specifically, we... * Learned 5 uses of nouns ("cases"): Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Ablative * Identified noun functions in English sentences: subjects, possessives, indirect objects, direct objects, and locations * Learned the Latin feminine noun endings * Practiced declining Latin nouns in context We also continued our Roman history movie, phrases of the day, class games, and review of vocab. Next week: * Wrap up Lesson 1; if time, begin work on adjectives. We watched a movie clip about Caesar's bridge across the Rhine River this week.
Week of Sept 24 - 28:
This week, we... * Learned Latin phrases to use in class (Mea culpa!) * Used our classroom vocab in sentences and a story * Practiced using Quizlet to review vocab * Watched a movie clip about Julius Caesar Next week: * Lesson 1 vocab * How nouns work ("cases") Week of Sept 17 - 21:
The first two weeks, we... * Picked Latin names. * Translated some Latin phrases (E pluribus unum, Cave canem, Carpe diem) * Learned Latin words for classroom objects * Learned how to make vocab flashcards * We took one classroom vocab quiz Thursday and have another on Monday (Sept 23) * We focus on PROCESS a lot at the start of the year -- having materials for class, writing homework in agenda, making and studying flashcards, coming to class ready. Next week: * Classroom phrases (continued) * More Latin vocab! * How nouns work ("cases") A Charlotte's Web / Pig Latin comic which I enjoy...
Week of May 28 - June 1:
Last week, we...
* No Latin class. (Alas!) Happy summer! Believe it or not, we have reached the end of the year, and it’s been a successful one. I’ve enjoyed working with your children, and want you and them to have an appreciation of how much they have accomplished with their consistent hard work. FAQ: So, what did my child get out of studying this dead language? In strictly Latin terms:
More broadly: Other common side effects of studying Latin this year may include…
Thank you for your support throughout the year, and have a great summer! -Rick Beyer Here's a dog tag we translated. It says, "Hold me, so I don't run away, and take me to my master" -- gives the master's name and address.
Week of May 14 - May 18:
This week, we...
A labyrinth mosaic depicting the Theseus versus the minotaur story we read this week.
Week of May 7 - May 11:
This week, we...
Here are some pictures from our trip to RISD museum on Tuesday.
Beautiful weather and the students did a nice job presenting their objects. (We divided into 3 tour groups, so I have more pictures of kids in my group.) Week of April 30 - May 4:
This week, we...
A Roman sarcophagus from the RISD Museum
showing the battle between Hector and Achilles in Homer's Iliad. Week of April 23 - April 27:
This week, we...
The cover slide from one student's presentation this week (Ella), and then some pictures of some of the kids who won awards on the National Latin Exam. All of the 6th graders who got something are there, actually.
Week of April 17 - April 20:
This week, we...
We were translating West Virginia's motto, when one of your astute children noticed it has the same "liberty cap" as Brutus' coin from a couple weeks ago. It's the red thing below, middle, that looks (to me) like a smurf cap, and was given to freed slaves as a symbol of their freedom.
Week of April 9 - April 12:
This week, we...
Here's a picture of the velarium that would have shaded the spectators in the Colosseum.
We watched part of a video about it this week. Week of April 2 - April 6:
This week, we...
Answer: Caesar's assassination on the Ides of March (March 15th) was celebrated by this coin, minted by Brutus and the assassins. Since Brutus was defeated in the civil war that followed, Caesar's allies melted down as many of these coins as they could find. As a result, these coins are worth upward of $500,000 a piece. Trivia: What famous event in Roman history was this coin minted to celebrate? (Answer below)
Week of March 26 to March 29:
This week, we...
Answer: Caesar's assassination on the Ides of March (March 15th) was celebrated by this coin, minted by Brutus and the assassins. Since Brutus was defeated in the civil war that followed, Caesar's allies melted down as many of these coins as they could find. As a result, these coins are worth upward of $500,000 a piece. Have a great break, and don't forget to celebrate the Ides of March (March 15), the anniversary of Julius Caesar's assassination.
Week of March 5 to March 9:
This week, we...
We looked at this panorama of the atrium of the Black Gate in Trier, Germany, a surviving Roman fortification.
Week of Feb 26 to March 2:
This week, we...
Next week:
FYI--This is a 40 question, multiple choice test taken by about 150,000 students around the world. It does NOT affect their Latin grade at all, but if they do well, they might win an award. It's motivational for the kids, and the testing itself is a good experience. Overall, our 7th and 8th graders do quite well; the 6th graders, who have Latin 3 times a week, are at a disadvantage--but you never know; some still do well. We discussed a map of the Roman Empire this week, in preparation for a project.
Here's a fun (according to a Latin teacher's definition of fun) website that allows you to get directions for your trip in the Roman world -- you can choose whether to go by foot, cart, horse, boat, etc., the time of year, and it will tell you the best route, and how long it will take. Week of Feb 19 to Feb 23:
This week, we... * Practiced new vocab and the Ablative of Means * Worked on Google Maps of the Roman Empire Next week: * Continue maps * Review for the National Latin Exam, which we will take the week before break. FYI--This is a 40 question, multiple choice test taken by about 150,000 students around the world. It does NOT affect their Latin grade at all, but if they do well, they might win an award. It's motivational for the kids, and the testing itself is a good experience. Overall, our 7th and 8th graders do quite well; the 6th graders, who have Latin 3 times a week, are at a disadvantage--but you never know; some usually still do well. On the left: We visited the Colosseum, via this panoramic website, this week.
On the right: Marcellus (his Latin name) was out sick, and when he printed out the homework, it came out miniature, so he had just a little homework... Week of Feb 12 to Feb 15:
This week, we... * Took a very cheap field trip to the Pantheon and the Colosseum using 360cities.net, and continued a movie about the Colosseum * Finished up Indirect objects with a quiz * Finished "Midas and the Golden Touch" * Talked about the ancient origins of Valentine's Day * Talked about water clocks and how pre-modern people kept track of time Next week: * Lesson 8: New vocab and the Ablative of Means Another mildly-competitive vocab review game of Quizlet Live...
This week we began reading a version of Midas and the Golden Touch.
Week of Feb 5 to Feb 9:
This week, we... * Talked about a Roman soldier * Practiced indirect objects * Began "Midas: The Golden Touch" * Reviewed our vocab and played a vocab review game Next week: * Finish indirect objects and "The Golden Touch." From class Friday: Roman numerals never go out of style...what number Super Bowl is it?
Week of Jan 29-Feb 2:
This week, we... * Wrapped up Lesson 6 (3 tenses of verbs) * Began Lesson 7 (indirect objects) * Watched a movie segment about Roman Emperor Nero * Translated short sentences and phrases of the day Next week: * Practice indirect objects * Read the story of King Midas and the Golden Touch Answer: LII = 52 One "Phrase of the Day" this week was "Pecunia non olet," spoken by Emperor Vespacian to his son Titus, when Titus complained that his dad was taxing ______ in order to build the Colosseum. (Answer below.)
Week of Jan 22-26:
This week, we... * Practiced verbs (3 tenses) * Read "Minerva and Arachne" (the story of the spider) * Watched part of a movie about Roman emperor Nero * Played a fiercely competitive game of Latin verb battleship Next week: * Wrap up Latin verbs * Start indirect objects Answer: Public restrooms (= "The money doesn't stink.") The phrases of the day today were "Latin that might appear on your report card."
Here's one your child might be able to read for you (answer below): Week of Jan 16-19: This week, we... * Learned new vocab * Tested ourselves on a Quizlet folder of all 200 Latin words we've seen, earning scratch 'n' sniff stickers based on how many we knew * Learned how to conjugate verbs in 3 tenses * Played Latin verb battleship * Completed a mid-year reflection / goal-setting sheet that will be quoted from on many students' report card comments Next week: * Continue practicing Latin verbs * Read the myth "Minerva and Arachne" -- the origin of the spider Answer: "With highest praise." A few pictures from a fiercely competitive vocab game before break.
The sundial motto: One of our "Phrases of the Day" this week.
See if your child can translate it for you. Week of Jan 8-Jan 12:
This week, we... * Read "The Eternal City" about the founding of Rome * Practiced using the Genitive case (possession) * Practiced reading Roman numerals on some famous objects * Took a quiz on Lesson 5 Next week: * Roman numerals (continued) * Lesson 6 -- new vocab, and 2 new tenses This is the logo of the Olympics held in Rome in...what year do the numerals say?
We talked about Roman numerals this week; maybe your child can read this for you. Week of Dec 11-Dec 15:
This week, we... * Wrapped up Lesson 4 (second declension) with a quiz * Review Olympian gods * Learned Roman numerals Next week: * Roman numerals * Review before break in hopes we'll remember it better after! The phrase of the day Friday was this quote by Julius Caesar,
which perhaps your child can translate for you. Week of Dec 4-Dec 8:
This week, we... * Reviewed the major Olympian gods and goddesses * Practiced the masculine noun endings * Read a story about Julius Caesar Next week: * Roman numbers * Wrap up masculine endings If you're interested, here's the poster advertising a fun Latin event at Brown on Monday night. A lot of the 7th and 8th grade Latin students are going, so email me or look for us there if you feel inspired. Here's the webpage.
Week of Nov 27-Dec 1:
This week, we... * Finished reviewing the major Olympian gods and goddesses * Learned the masculine noun endings * Watched a movie section about Roman aqueducts Next week: * Practice feminine and masculine nouns * Practice Olympians * Learn about the assassination of Julius Caesar Since there was only a two-day week, I'm skipping the weekly summary, and instead brainstorming...
Classical Holiday Present Ideas: This week I've started brainstorming ideas for my own kids at home, and the thought crossed my mind, that someone might want to attempt feed their child's curiosity with a book related to Latin--so here are several I like: * Mythology: Percy Jackson: "The Lost Hero" -- If your child enjoyed Percy Jackson in “The Lightning Thief,” Rick Riordan has Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology themed series. "The Lost Hero" is the first in the Roman one. If they have read all of one Riordan series, there are always new ones coming out. * Language origins: “Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?” There are lots of great books about language origins; someone gave me this one when I was a kid, and I've been fascinated ever since by the stories behind familiar words and phrases. * History: There are many beautiful nonfiction books of ancient history, though I do find that these tend to sit in the back of my classroom largely unread. The kids do sometimes look at ones like Horrible Histories Ruthless Romans — a playful series that emphasizes the more disgusting and violent side of history — or Asterix the Gaul — the first in a classic comic book series set in Roman history. * Historical fiction: As a child, I only read nonfiction to write a report for school, but I loved historical fiction: - Rosemary Sutcliff “The Eagle of the Ninth”--Rosemary Sutcliff has many outstanding books of Roman and Celtic historical fiction--this is just one; I've enjoyed all the ones I've read. - “Half a King” by Joe Abercrombie (more recently published) -- set in a Viking-inspired world -- with strong characters, lots of suspense, and plenty of action. The first in a trilogy. * Latin books: There are a lot of fun books published in Latin. Some are written as beginning readers for a current Latin student, like “Ursus et Porcus" ("The Bear and the Pig") -- An "I am reading Latin" story book. Some are actual well-known English books, translated into Latin, like “Where the Wild Things Are” or “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” or many more. While kids could not actually read “Harrius Potterus” or “Ille Hobbitus,” some I suspect would still enjoy getting a copy in Latin; they could actually read somewhat (depending on their age and the reading level of the book) the younger “Cat in the Hat” level ones. Always happy to chat about other ideas based on your child's particular tastes. Happy Thanksgiving. Rick Beyer We learned about this Olympian god today...
Can you identify this fellow with a laurel crown and a lyre? (Answer below.) Week of Nov 13-17:
This week, we... * Practiced conjugating verbs (including Verb Battleship) * Continued reviewing the Olympians gods * Read a story in Latin about Roman gods and goddesses Next week: * Finish up verbs * Review vocab * Enjoy Thanksgiving Break (This is Apollo, god of sun, music, healing, prophecy.) We're studying the Olympians, so goddess trivia:
What Roman goddess is this? Answer below... Week of Nov 6-8:
This week, we... * Reviewed Lesson 2 and took a quiz on it (nouns + adjectives) * Began Lesson 3: new vocab + conjugating verbs Next week: * Practice conjugating verbs * Olympian gods and goddesses (continued) * Continue our Roman history movie The goddess in the picture is Juno (Greek Hera). Great school spirit at Halloween. Ask your child where the word "jack o'lantern" comes from.
Week of Oct 30-Nov 3:
This week, we... * Learned the language history of some Halloween words * Practiced noun-adjective phrases * Drilled our vocab * Learned about 3 of the Olympian gods * Read a story about Roman geography * Continued our Roman history movie (aqueducts) Next week: * Quiz on Lesson 2; start Lesson 3 * Olympian gods and goddesses (continued) * Continue our Roman history movie This week we had a binder check, so everyone's binder should look exactly like this.
Week of Oct 23-27: This week, we... * Learned a new set of vocab (Lesson 2) * Learned the difference between direct objects and predicate nominatives * Reviewed all of the stories from the year so far. (We've read the first 6 in this list.) * Reviewed all of the vocab from the year so far * We have seen 140 words this year; ask your child what percent they knew in our Quizlet quiz on all-the-vocab-we've-ever-seen * Put scratch and sniff stickers on our glorious vocab sticker charts Next week: * Practice predicate nominatives * Olympian gods and goddesses * Continue our movie This week we learned about Roman roads. Here's a panorama of the Appian Way, one of the oldest Roman roads, on a site with panoramas of sites around the world.
(You can click fullscreen and then rotate and zoom.) Week of Oct 16-19: This week, we... * Finished up Lesson 1 (nouns, cases, feminine noun endings) * Took our largest quiz thus far * Watched a movie about Roman roads * Found the Latin roots in Harry Potter names and spells * Played Latin Battleship Next week: * Lesson 2 vocab quiz * How adjectives work * Continue our movie The Hogwarts motto (from Harry Potter) was one of the Phrases of the Day this week. Have your child translate it for you.
Week of Oct 10-13: This week, we... * Learned how cases work * Learned the feminine noun endings * Practiced declining Latin nouns to fit their context * Read another silly class story -- "Julia and the Catapult" * Did noun ending jumping jacks * Played "Case Caedes" * Ended class with candy trivia: What 2 months are named after Roman rulers? (answer below) Next week: * Drilling cases * Our first larger quiz to wrap up Lesson 1 (nouns) * Continue our movie Answer: July and August (Julius and Augustus Caesar) A story from class this week: The twins, Romulus and Remus, are suckled by a she-wolf. In the legend, Romulus goes on to found Rome.
Week of Oct 2-6:
This week, we... * Continued drilling how to come to class ready to learn:
* Read "A Typical Latin Class." * Continued our movie: Rome Engineering an Empire Next week: * Mastering cases * Latin feminine noun endings * Perhaps a game of mildly competitive Latin Battleship The students have done a great job so far connecting Latin words (and concepts, like gender) with English and Spanish. Friday we talked a little about language relationships, depicted in one version below.
Week of Sept 25 - 29:
Last week, we... * Practiced coming into class ready to learn. (You can ask your child what three questions they ask themselves every time they walk into class.) * Continued building a Latin vocabulary of classroom objects and phrases. Vocab is always on Quizlet and their paper flashcards. * Started reading a second classroom story using those words * Translated sentences from Latin to English and vice versa * Played a fiercely competitive game of "Caedes" (Slaughter) * Discussed Romance languages briefly * Made vocab cards for, and took, our 2nd vocab quiz Next week: * Roads and Aqueducts (in Rome: Engineering an Empire) * How nouns work ("cases") * Latin in Harry Potter You can ask your child to translate this famous sign from Pompeii for you:
Week of Sept 18 - 22:
The first two weeks, we... * Picked Latin names. * Translated some Latin phrases (E pluribus unum, Cave canem, Carpe diem) * Learned Latin words for classroom objects * Read a silly story about our class, and a dog eating an eraser * Learned how to make and study flashcards * Logged into a couple useful sites, Quizlet and Readlang * Watched movie clips about Pompeii and about Caesar's bridge across the Rhine River. Next week: * Classroom phrases (continued) * More Latin vocab! * How nouns work ("cases") * Latin in Harry Potter Charlotte's Web + Pig Latin:
Week of May 30th to June 2nd:
This week, we... * Finished reviewing everything we learned this year. * Took a Final Test (1 period long) on everything. * Watched more of our Roman history movie. Next week: * No Latin class. (Alas!) Happy summer! Believe it or not, we have reached the end of the year, and it’s been a successful one. I’ve enjoyed working with your children, and want you and them to have an appreciation of how much they have accomplished with their consistent hard work. FAQ: So, what did my child get out of studying this dead language? In strictly Latin terms:
More broadly: Other common side effects of studying Latin this year may include…
Thank you for your support throughout the year, and have a great summer! -Rick Beyer Week of May 22nd - 26th:
This week, we... * Organized and checked our flashcards from the whole year. * Finished reviewing for our final test on Tuesday. * We spent the whole week reviewing and covered (briefly) all vocab and grammar from the year. If students need to review more: - flashcards that they made - online flashcards (Quizlet) - online review games and activities (Quia) - readings from the year (Readlang) - 2 review packets that we went over in class this week They should have those sites bookmarked; they're also on the "links" tab (click above). Next week: * Test Tuesday! * Go over test and finish up our Roman history movie. Week of May 15th - 19th:
This week, we... * Went on our RISD field trip. * Wrapped up Lesson 11 -- infinitive verbs. * Began reviewing for our final test. Next week: * Review! A Greek helmet from the RISD Museum in Providence, which we'll visit Tuesday.
Week of May 8th - 12th:
This week, we... * Finished researching our items from RISD for our field trip. * Wrapped up 2nd conjugation verbs. * Began Lesson 11 -- infinitive verbs. Next week: * RISD field trip on Tuesday. Quid est? What is this? (Answer below.)
Week of May 1st - 5th:
This week, we... * Researched our items from RISD Museum for our field trip. * Practiced 2nd conjugation verbs. * Read the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. * Watched a movie about Trajan's Forum / Hadrian's Wall. * Enjoyed a visit from our grandfriends on Friday. Next week: * Finish our RISD projects. * Finish up second conjugation verbs. * Start our last chapter, on infinitive verbs. Answer: A Roman calendar. The month names are visible at top. Despite only meeting 3 times a week this year, a few 6th graders still earned awards on the National Latin Exam. Bene facto, omnes!
Week of April 24th - 28th:
This week, we... * Did a vocab check-up on the almost 400-words we've seen this year * Learned how to conjugate 2nd conjugation verbs * Took the hardest vocab quiz of the year on our Lesson 10 vocab * Presented our Slides projects on a site from the Classical world Next week: * Finish presenting our Slides projects * Pick an item to research for our RISD field trip May 16th * Drill second conjugation verbs Class has been beginning with a "Quid est?" (What is it?)
Can you guess what these are? (Answer below.) Week of April 18th - 21st:
This week, we... * Finished our Slides presentations and began presenting to the class * Finished imperative verbs (commands) * Learned a new chapter of vocabulary (Lesson 10) Next week: * Present our projects * Learn about second conjugation verbs Above: Roman earrings. This week we read the story of Perseus and Medusa.
Week of April 10th - 13th:
This week, we... * Worked on a Slides presentation to the class about our location * Practiced imperative verbs (commands) * Read the story of Perseus and Medusa Next week: * Present our projects * Wrap up Lesson 9 Sometimes we begin class with a "Quid est?" -- "What is it?" From this week, a sling bullet. Could have been hurled about a quarter mile at armor-penetrating velocities.
Week of April 3rd - 7th:
This week, we... * Worked on a Slides presentation to the class about our location * Began Lesson 9 -- new vocab and imperative verbs Next week: * Polish up our Slides projects * Read the story of Perseus and Medusa This week we looked at one of the most famous ancient coins, commemorating Caesar's assassination (and today worth about $500,000).
Can you find Brutus' name on the front? Week of March 27th - 31st:
This week, we... * Reviewed our vocab and grammar from the year * Picked a topic for a project about a location from the classical world Next 2 weeks: * Working on a Slides presentation to the class about our location * Lesson 9 -- new vocab and imperative verbs "Caesar! Beware the Ides of March!" Happy Ides of March this Wednesday.
Below, my favorite knife holder. Week of March 6th to March 10th:
This week, we... * Added to our Google Maps of the Roman Empire * Reviewed Roman geography * Took the National Latin Exam * Read a story about Julius Caesar being kidnapped, as a child, by pirates Next 2 weeks: * Spring break! So that they don't get rusty, students are encouraged to review their vocab and / or re-read / listen to some of the Latin stories we've read: * Vocab on Quizlet * Stories on Readlang Have a great break. An image from Petra, Jordan, "The Stone City," which we added to our Google Maps this week.
Week of Feb 27th to March 3rd:
This week, we... * Learned a new set of vocab * Reviewed grammar * Took last year's National Latin Exam for practice * Added to our Google Maps of the Roman Empire Next week: * More Roman geography, and taking the National Latin Exam We explored 360cities this week, a website with spectacular 360 degree panoramic photos and videos from all over the world. Visit the Pantheon, below. You can scroll and zoom in all directions.
Week of Feb 21st to Feb 24th:
This week, we... * Learned a new set of vocabulary * Learned how to express the means by which something is done * Began creating illustrated Google Maps of the Roman Empire Next week: * The Ablative of Means and our maps, continued. Valentine's Day: Yet another holiday we inherit from the Romans. The original St. Valentine was a priest executed by a Roman emperor for illegally helping Roman soldiers get married.
Week of Feb 13th to Feb 17th:
This week, we... * Reviewed our vocabulary * Finished the section of our video about the Colosseum * Wrapped up indirect objects * Read the story of King Midas and the Golden Touch Next week: * The Ablative of Means, and a map. An artist's depiction of a naval battle in the Colosseum:
Week of Feb 6th to Feb 10th:
This week, we... * Read about the Antikythera Mechanism, a Greek "computer" * Practiced using Indirect Objects * Updated our vocab sticker charts (we've seen about 300 words this year) * Chose and reflected on an item for our portfolio * Began the story of "Midas and the Golden Touch" * Watched the Colosseum flooded for naval battles Next week: * A map of the Roman Empire Roman numerals live on! Here is the logo for Super Bowl LI, which you may see this weekend. In case your Roman numerals are rusy, L = 50, I = 1, so LI = 51.
Week of Jan 30th to Feb 3rd:
This week, we... * Discussed Roman soldiers' equipment and battle tactics * Drilled verb tenses, then wrapped up Lesson 6 with a quiz * Learned a new set of vocab * Learned about Indirect Objects * Watched the Colosseum flooded for naval battles Next week: * Practicing indirect objects * A map of the Roman Empire One of our "Phrases of the Day" this week was "Pecunia non olet," spoken by Emperor Vespacian to his son Titus. Perhaps your child can explain the meaning...
Week of Jan 23rd to Jan 27th:
This week, we... * Translated 3 "Phrases of the Day" from Roman history * Continued drilling 3 verb tenses -- past, present, future * Read the story of Minerva and Arachne (the origin of the spider) Next week: * Finish up conjugating verb in 3 tenses * Start indirect objects Inauguration
...was a "phrase of the day" this week. Below, a Roman augur reads the omens in bird-flight. Week of Jan 13th to Jan 20th:
This week, we... * Learned and drilled verb tenses -- past, present, future * Cleaned up our binders * Checked how many of the 260 Latin vocab words we've seen this year each student knows. Ask your child how many they knew. Next week: * Drill verbs; read a brief version of Pandora's box; more Roman history... Here is a common Latin motto for sundials. Nisi = unless, serenas = sunny. Can you puzzle out the meaning? If not, your child should be able to help....This was a phrase of the day this week.
Week of Jan 9th to Jan 13th:
This week, we... * Wrapped up Lesson 5 with a quiz on possessives. * Wrapped up "Minor Deities" as well. * Learned about the origins of "AM" and "PM." Next week: * Beginning Lesson 6: New vocab + Conjugating verbs Week of Jan 4th to Jan 6th:
This week, we... * Only met once because of the 3 day week. * Briefly reviewed all our vocab and grammar. Next week: * Wrapping up the genitive case (possession). This week we read (in Latin) about ancient Rome.
Week of Dec 12th to Dec 16th:
This week, we... * Practiced using possessives (the genitive case) * Read a story about ancient Rome * Studied some minor Roman deities Next week: * Wrapping up the Rome translation What date from American history is written on the Statue of Liberty's tablet?
Week of Dec 5th to Dec 9th:
This week, we... * Practiced the masculine noun endings. * Read a story about Julius Caesar * Learned Roman numerals Next week: * Wrapping up Roman numerals and masculine nouns Artemis slays Actaeon on a Greek vase at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
We read a version of this story this week. Week of Nov 28th to Dec 2nd:
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This 2-day week was a no-Latin week for 6A (who meets Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), and a one-class week for 6B, who reviewed their vocab and cases after a week off, then learned their feminine endings, as well as a couple more Harry Potter "Phrases of the Day" (e.g., Draco & dementor).
Next week: The 1st Declension! (using feminine nouns in context) and finally a game of Latin Battleship. |
Another character from Harry Potter with Latin roots.
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One student asked a great question about where languages come from: "Why don't we all just speak the same language?"
We talked briefly about how some modern languages derive from Latin (Spanish, French, etc.). A fascinating topic that we'll talk about more. Here's a language tree and a TED talk on the subject, if you or your child is curious. |
Hello, parents of 6th grade Latin students!
What we are doing in Latin: Week of September 5th to 9th: 6th grade Latin met twice the first week--usually we will meet three times--so I am still working hard to learn names. We organized and labeled all of our materials, and then learned about the Latin alphabet and its pronunciation (both very similar to English) by looking at a Roman schoolchild’s graffiti of the ABC’s. Each class begins with a “Phrase of the Day,” so you can quiz your child on the meaning of “E pluribus unum,” “Cave canem,” and “Carpe diem.” Week of September 12th to 16th: Outside the Classroom Week. Week of September 19th to 23th: Latin words for classroom phrases and objects, making and using flashcards, our first Latin story. |