AP Course Outline
A.P. LATIN KEARSARGE RHS
MAGISTER IACOBUS MILLIKEN
COURSE OUTLINE 2020-21
OBJECTIVES:
-to read and to translate as literally as possible from Latin into English the assigned passages from Caesar’s De Bello Gallico and Vergil’s Aeneid.
-to examine the historical, social, cultural, and political context of Caesar’s De Bello Gallico and Vergil’s Aeneid.
-to write analyses and critical interpretations of the required passages with appropriate references to the author’s use of stylistic and rhetorical techniques (anaphora, tricolon crescens, chiasmus, etc.) , and in relation to the historical, social, cultural, and political context of Caesar’s De Bello Gallico and Vergil’s Aeneid.
-to read sight passages in Latin to prepare for the multiple-choice section of the A.P. Exam.
-to analyze and discuss structure and to demonstrate an awareness of distinctive features of Caesar’s prose and of Vergil’s epic poetry.
-to read, examine, and practice written critical interpretation of assigned passages of both works in English.
-to discuss particular motifs or general themes not only suggested by passages but also relevant to other selections.
-to scan dactylic hexameter meter, and to become familiar with its sound (as recreated by Stephen Daitz).
-to demonstrate a knowledge of vocabulary, inflectional systems, and syntax and to relate knowledge of Latin words to English derivatives and cognates.
STANDARDS/COURSE SKILLS:
-1. Grammar & Linguistics (30%)
-2. Translation & Interpretation (30%)
-3. Culture & Connections (20%)
-4. Speaking & Recitation (20%)
Units: We are separating the course content into 8 units, 2 per quarter:
Unit 1 (1st quarter) – Vergil’s Aeneid, Book I
In Latin: Book I, lines 1-209, 418-440, 494-578
In English translation: remaining portions of Book I
Unit 2 (1st quarter) - Caesar’s De Bello Gallico, Books 1 & 6
In Latin: Book I, chapters 1-7; Book VI, chapters 13-20
In English translation: remaining portions of Book I
Unit 3 (2nd quarter) - Vergil’s Aeneid, Book II
In Latin: Book II, lines 40-56, 201-249, 268-297, 559-620
In English translation: remaining portions of Book II
Unit 4 (2nd quarter) - Caesar’s De Bello Gallico, Book 4
In Latin: Book IV, chapters 24-35; 1st line Book 36
Unit 5 (3rd quarter) - Vergil’s Aeneid, Book IV
In Latin: Book IV, 160-218, 259-361, 659-705
In English translation: remaining portions of Book IV
Unit 6 (3rd quarter) - Caesar’s De Bello Gallico, Book 5 (part 1)
In Latin: Book V, chapters 24-37
Unit 7 (4th quarter) - Caesar’s De Bello Gallico, Book 5 (part 2), Book 6, Book 7
In Latin: Book VI, chapters 38-48
In English translation: remaining portions of Books VI & VII
Unit 8 (4th quarter) - Vergil’s Aeneid, Books VI, VIII, XXII
In Latin: Book VI, 295-332, 384-425, 450-476, 847-899
In English translation: remaining portions of Book VI, VIII, XXII
Summative Assessments: There will be 8 summative assessments over the course of the year, following each unit.
Formative Assessments: there will be daily formative assessments on the current work. These may include student recitation, vocabulary/comprehension checks, short essays on the current material, or sight translation exercises..
Participation & preparation: active and regular participation is essential for success in this class. Students are expected to be prepared and to participate daily..
Academic honesty: A large part of this class will be conducted via electronic means. There are many short cuts available on the internet (Google Translate, published translations, etc.); it is inappropriate (i.e., academic dishonesty) to use these unless they are explicitly permitted for a particular activity or assignment.
Midterm & Final Exams: in addition to material covered in Latin readings each semester, the midterm and final exams will include questions on the historical/political and cultural/social context of Caesar’s De Bello Gallico and Vergil’s Aeneid, as well as questions on the portions of those works which the students are to have read in translation, and to have discussed in their term papers.
VARIA:
Readings in Translation: translation readings are assigned throughout the year, and are included in the assessments for each block.
Essays/Papers: there will be short literary essays at regular intervals (at least one per block) on questions taken from AP tests, or modeled on AP questions. Students will rely on the text and editors’ notes. Once each quarter students will prepare a formal paper (graded as a test) which will include a detailed discussion of historical/political and cultural/social aspects of both works. The quarterly papers will include discussion of the portions of De Bello Gallico and the Aeneid not directly covered in class, which the students are to have read in translation.
Sight Translation: there will be twice-weekly (Tueday & Thursday) sight translation exercises in class, drawn from or modeled on the multiple-choice section of the AP test. During the first semester we will emphasize non-syllabus passages from Caesar and Vergil, during the second semester other authors (e.g., Sallust and Ovid).
Reading Aloud: Students will read aloud from the text on a regular basis to gain appreciation of Latin as a living language. Students will combine oral recitation with practice in scanning dactylic hexameter.
A.P. Examination: All A.P. students are required to take the Advanced Placement Latin Examination in the spring.
Class materials:
1)Textbooks:
- Vergil's Aeneid: Selected Readings from Books 1, 2, 4, and 6
by Barbara Weiden Boyd
-Caesar: Selections From His Commentarii De Bello Gallico
by Hans-Friedrich Mueller
2) Translation: there are numerous English translations of both Vergil and Caesar available for the readings in translation. See me if you have questions on a particular translation. You may also read online at:
Vergil: https://goo.gl/JZdlZ1
Caesar: https://goo.gl/mb9fG7
3) Ancillary:
-Daitz, Stephen. The Pronunciation and Reading of Classical Latin: A Practical Guide.
-Selected journal articles and critical commentary (student research).