1) The creation and maintaining of online learning games & practice activities, interactive digital worksheets, multi-use quizzes, instructional videos, and other resources designed by me and using the Cambridge Latin Course as the basis for a detailed look at the Latin language, it's connection to English (as well as the Romance languages), and the culture & history of the ancient Romans. These will be updated regularly (usually on a weekly or biweekly basis) so students can have time to complete one section of work before worrying about what (and how much) is coming next.
2) Providing prompt grading, assessment, commenting, and general assistance with any of the digital worksheets used on the Google Classroom or Quia webpages. When an assignment is completed and turned in, I will look it over and provide detailed information and feedback on the work for students and parents to review and keep to help with future lessons.
3) Monday-Friday teacher access (via email or scheduled Google Hangouts chat) for any questions that arise during your coursework, whether it is based on the actual Latin lessons or technical help with the websites we use for class. Students and parents may send me an email at any time 24/7 and I will respond as quickly as I can during 9am-5pm Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).
4) Scheduled weekly or biweekly (really, any time that is necessary or desired) live Google Hangout sessions (if you are not familiar with this, it is like Skype or Facetime, but includes text chat and screen share features as well) at your convenience for listening to and giving assistance with recitation skills (reading the Latin texts aloud for an audience) and general questions that can assist with the course assignments.
5) Maintaining detailed records of coursework and earned grades, and working with you and your homeschool association to ensure your students are given Carnegie Unit credit for their 9 month course.
Access to the Cambridge Latin Course, 4th edition : You can purchase (A) just the physical textbook (available from any number of sources, including Amazon), (B) purchase a yearly subscription to the Cambridge Latin Course "Elevate" website (available directly from Cambridge University Press ) , or (C) a combination of both the physical textbook and the website access.
Access to Google Classroom (requires a free Gmail account) : Google Classroom will be the primary means of assigning work, turning work in to be reviewed, keeping those assignments organized, and providing general class information. It is a free service - all it requires is a free Gmail account to use. If the student is 13 or older they can make a Gmail account for themselves, otherwise a parent will have to be the primary user of the account and log in for their student. The Google Classroom website will have all links to activities, digital worksheets, quizzes, video and audio activities, etc. Students will complete the work presented on their Classroom page and turn in their work for me to review and comment on. If you are not familiar with Google Classroom, I will provide a lesson on how it works (it is very easy to use and is so helpful in keeping students organized - it make it impossible for work to get lost). You can click here to see a short video about what Google Classroom is, and click here for slightly longer video (about 5 minutes long) that gives a bit more detail on what students will see when they use Google Classroom.
Access to the Quia website : No purchase is required. I maintain a teacher account, and will create a student access account (whose username and password I will send to you and your student) that will allow students, parents, and me to keep track of how long is spent on review practices, learning games, quizzes, etc. These activities will also be posted the Google Classroom page, but Quia actually keeps track of the time spent on reviewing vocab and grammar concepts. It takes the guesswork out of making sure students are spending the time reviewing important concepts. A sample page can be found here, if you want to see what Quia looks like and the kind of learning activities it can provide.
1) Reading Comprehension (the primary focus) : Reading Latin passages (starting short and simple, gaining in length and complexity as we go along) and being able to answer different reading comprehension type questions about them. This shows that the students are synthesizing all their various lessons into an achievable goal (being able to read, understand and enjoy Latin). Reading assignments will be open note and students may use the provided dictionary links and their completed vocab lists to help them.
2) Vocabulary : Learning Latin word meanings to allow comprehension of Latin reading passages and learning about English words that come from Latin root words (called "derivative words"). Any quizzes will be timed and students should not use their notes or dictionaries (to show their mastery of the vocabulary lessons), but other assignments (such as filling out vocabulary lists) will not be timed and will be open note.
3) Grammar : Understanding and practicing with the basic mechanics of the language, both the similarities and differences between Latin and English, and using this toward being able to help with reading comprehension. Quizzes will be timed, but will also be open note. Other assignments (completing digital worksheets for example) will NOT be timed and will also be open note. I will provide feedback and assistance on all grammar assignments toward the goal of having the student demonstrate mastery of each grammar topic.
4) Practice & Review Activities on Covered Topics : Students need to spend practicing with vocabulary and grammar concepts that we have learned and worked with in the various chapters of the Cambridge series. Students are expected to spend AT LEAST about 15 - 30 minutes a day on the interactive practice activities and games. This is a very easy yet important category - it reinforces all of the basic concepts they have learned along and along as they continue to move into new material. Students can't forget the lessons of chapter 4 just because they are now working in chapter 10! Language learning is cumulative in nature!
5) Recitation : Reading and speaking out loud from texts you have worked with in class. You will have the text in front of you as you read aloud. I will provide audio samples of me reading the texts - students will listen to them and practice reading aloud themselves. On a set schedule, students will then read aloud to me from the prepared text. I will give them feedback on notes on their recitations to consider for their next reading.
6) Culture and History of the Romans and their Latin Language: readings (in English) and videos used to augment our language lessons. Language and culture are bound together in such a way that learning a language apart from the culture from which it comes fruitless endeavor. We will concentrate mostly on how the Romans lived their lives, the scope of the areas and cultures where they spread their culture and language, and how it still influences us today in the modern world. We will look mostly at how everyday Romans lived their lives, but will also cover some broad ranges of traditional Roman history (The Roman Republic, the Rise of the Caesars, The Coming of Christianity and its influences, etc.).
1. Pronunciation of Classical Latin and reading texts aloud
2. Vocabulary (Latin terms and their links to English)
3. Simple sentences (introduction to clauses)
4. Noun & adjective cases and the 1st three declensions - changing their suffixes to show their different functions
a. Nominative case (subjects) b. Accusative case (direct objects & prepositional phrases) c. Dative case (indirect objects)
5. Masculine and Feminine nouns and adjectives
6. Verb Conjugations (1st, 2nd and 3rd conjugations) - introduction to changing suffixes to show verb subject and tense
7. Compound sentences (......and/or……)
8. Present tense, Perfect Past & Imperfect Past tenses
9. Culture & History of the Romans and their connections to Christianity and the Modern World
10. Learning about Roman daily life as seen in the city of Pompeii
1. Perfect Participles (Active and Passive) and Participle Phrases
2. Complex sentences ( temporal clauses)
3. Turning verbs into nouns & nouns into verbs
4. Turning nouns into adjectives and adjectives into nouns
4. Subjunctive Mood of verbs
5. Indirect Questions and Indirect Commands
6. Purpose and Result Clause
7. Different types of Ablatives (manner, agent, means) and the Ablative Absolute
8. Culture & History of the Romans and their connections to Christianity and the Modern World
9. Travel & communication in the Roman Empire, The Roman military
Details Coming Soon