Title: Aenēās ad Īnferōs (Aeneas goes to the Underworld) and Teaching the Pluperfect and Future Perfect Tenses

Overall Background: This lesson is designed for an 8^th grader in the 2^nd semester. This lesson plan covers one chapter and is designed to span seven days of 45-minute periods. The nature of this subject matter requires a flow and sequencing of teaching and activities throughout the chapter, not rigid in a daily pattern but flexible to flow from one day to the next to allow for maximum student comprehension. Some concepts will take longer than others for students to absorb and may need to be repeated or practiced more than others. The abundance of activities will allow the teacher to offer at least one activity that is appealing and engaging to each student. All activities will not always be completed by each student– student interest and progress will dictate completion of activities.

The daily goal will be to present/practice oral/aural activities that weave in and out of the grammatical and linguistic framework to create and sustain enthusiasm and attention.

Literary Background: This will be the 5^th in a series of readings on the Aeneid. This stage of Latin is still highly adapted from the original and represents the high points of Book 6.

Students will be acquainted with the genre, characters and plot from previous readings and study of the Aeneid in translation.

Grammatical Background: Students will have already learned 4 active verb tenses and 3 passive tenses as well as 3 noun declensions and 2 adjective declensions. All of these will be reviewed and reinforced throughout the linguistic activities in the chapter. Students will already be well-versed in grammatical jargon.

This chapter/unit will contribute to student knowledge in preparation for 2 National Tests:

National Standards for Classical Language Learning (aligned with State Standards)

COMMUNICATION Goal 1: Communicate in a classical language.

Standard 1.1 Students read, understand, and interpret Latin or Greek.

Translating the passage and sentences into English;

Reading the character letters that fellow students have written in Latin.

Standard 1.2 Students use orally, listen to, and write Latin or Greek as part of the

language learning process.

Listening to and singing chorally the Latin Verb Rock songs for the 2 new tenses;

Listening to the unadapted, original passage recited in Dactylic Hexameter.

Listening to teacher correctly pronounce passage; then taking turns reading aloud in Latin;

Making their own recordings of the Latin passage on cassette or CD.

Translating the textbook sentences into Latin.

Writing a letter in simple Latin to one of the characters in the Aeneid from another character.

CULTURE Goal 2: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Greco-Roman Culture

Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives of

Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the practices of the Greeks or Romans.

Discussion of classical ideas of the afterlife as Aeneas visits the Underworld

Standard 2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives of

Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the products of the Greeks or Romans.

The production of epic poetry in the classical world, i.e, The epic poem, The Aeneid.

CONNECTIONS Goal 3: Connect with Other Disciplines and Expand Knowledge

Standard 3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines

through their study of classical languages.

Map study of the classical world in the context of Aeneas’ fictional journey

Study of English derivatives and Latin prefixes to enhance Language Arts.

View many types of artwork depicting the Aeneid in sequence leading up to our passage.

Goal 4 COMPARISONS: Develop Insight into Own Language and Culture

Standard 4.1 Students recognize and use elements of the Latin or Greek language

to increase knowledge of their own language.

Compare and contrast the use of tenses in Latin and English grammar.

Use knowledge of Latin prefixes and root words to understand difficult English words.

Standard 4.2 Students compare and contrast their own culture with that of the

Greco-Roman world.

Discussion of afterlife in the classical world vs modern religions – concepts of Heaven, Purgatory,

Hell and how those relate to the classical world (Tartaros, Elysium) and the story of Aeneas.

Disussion of ‘pietas’: what it meant for Aeneas and what it might mean today. Has the definition changed?

What moral obligations does one have to those who love or depend upon them?

Goal 5 COMMUNITIES: Participate in Wider Communities of Language and Culture

Standard 5.2 Students use their knowledge of Greco-Roman culture in a world of diverse cultures.

Discussion of superstitions and prophecies in the classical world compared with those in the modern world.

Objectives: The Student will

Materials: The Day number indicates first day each material is needed.

Day 1: Grammatical introduction and activities

Day 2: Vocabulary/derivative introduction; Cultural discussion of the Aeneid previous to viewing of power point on Aeneid; Literary discussion previous to listening to recitations of Latin in dactylic hexameter

Day 3: Review/expansion of vocabulary work; Map work following Aeneas’ path through the Mediterranean (use transparencies over maps); review of Day 1 grammar; Beginning of passage recitation and translation.

Day 4: Finish translation and review passage work using SmartBoard, discussion woven throughout; Vocabulary bingo and treats!.

Day 6: Share character letters; Computer lab work in QUIA and other elements found on my website

Blooms Taxonomy Code listed in activities

Gardener

Activities: Day 1 in 7 day sequence: (I include here only the FIRST DAY of this chapter.)

1. I stand at the door and greet students in Latin inviting students to greet teacher in Latin. Increasingly longer phrases and more difficult language will be used for more accomplished students while shorter, simpler phrases are used for lower-achieving students. This activity invites all to speak successfully in Latin without them realizing that I am differentiating the difficulty and length of my greeting. This activity sets the tone for the class and gets students thinking in Latin and of Latin words from the first seconds of class. Students retrieve texts from closet, take out individual white boards and sit. B-K, B-C, B-App; G-Ling, G-Inter

2. Prior Knowledge Activities: I will begin by writing on the board a verb and inviting students to form the verb in the four active tenses already learned. (Most Latin Grammar aspects have ‘graphic organizers’ of their own to help students remember and distinguish linguistic patterns. This pattern will already be familiar to students.) Using the format for forming verb patterns, I will draw this diagram on the board, asking volunteers to label (orally) the diagram correctly (this will include names of the four tenses already known). Students will write on their boards the requested forms. This activity will help students remember the patterns and forms. Students will hold up boards for me to see (so I can quickly discern major problems). Student volunteers will recite their lists and I will correct any mistakes by modeling the correct forms on my diagram and reciting them. We will do this one more time on the board, then I will give a verb and ask student volunteers to do the process orally without writing. We will also review the translations of these tenses. B-K, B-C; G-Ling, G-Log, G-Inter, G-Intra

3. Grammar Introduction: I will draw a new diagram with blanks for the new tenses and ask students to do the same. I will write up the new tenses showing the pattern that must be used to create the new tenses. (Note: the book that I chose for student use generally necessitates the behaviorist approach rather than the constructivist. I try to balance whenever possible.) I will ask students to draw a conclusion about the stem that I have used to make these new tenses, what other tense uses it and why these three tenses are listed together in sequence. We will work with several known verbs then I will begin to use new vocabulary words (formed the same, just new words). I will recite the endings clearly to them and ask them chorally to recite. After several times, I will ask individual students to do this, creating the recording in their minds (hopefully). I will write the respective translations and talk about ‘theoretical time’ of verbs. B-K, B-C, B-An; G-Ling, G-Log, G-Sp, G-Inter

4. Grammar Rocks! I will have ready in my computer (with speakers connected) the CD cued to the 2 cuts (5 and 6) I will play for them. At this time, I will quickly distribute handouts which accompany the CD that have all of the words as well as exercises. Once I have played the first song, I will model correct pronunciation, ask them to do it with me, then put the music back on and let them sing to the music. I will have them sing twice. I will repeat the process with the next song. (These 2 tenses are usually taught together because of their similarities.) If they are enjoying the process, I will divide the class in two and have them take separate parts. The accompanying brief exercises will be their homework for the evening. G-Ling, G-M.

5. I will hand out notes for the chapter on the most important information for students to take home , look over and use to complete homework.

6. Depending on how much time is left, we will practice verbs using an oral game called “Verbal Gymnastics.” This game appeals greatly to the more linguistically gifted students because it is a very challenging and fast-paced mental game.

Measurable Assessment Goals (No formal assessment until end of chapter-Day 7)

Grammatical: 1. Observation of student answers and student boards during verb exercises.

By the end of the practice students need to have 100% accuracy on their boards. This should not be a

problem since teacher has listed all of the individual parts of the words on the board and students need

It is easy to hear students who are not pronouncing correctly. Pronunciation must be modeled over and over.

I must circulate room to make sure everyone is participating. 100 % participation equals proficiency for this activity

The homework is an easy, gradable way to assess whether the student understands where to find the appropriate

forms and if he has used those forms correctly. Each student will grade his own paper and hand in.

Students at the highest level should get at least 9 out of 10 correct and students at the lowest level should get at

All Students: All students will be supported through participation in guided translation/reading. 5 Different levels of Blooms Taxonomy will be used. Six different multiple intelligences will be reached in this lesson. All students will be encouraged to participate to their fullest degree.

Students with language processing difficulties: Students who are unable to translate completely on their own will receive help from the teacher during oral translations. Lists of prior vocabulary learned will be provided to students with weak vocabulary memory. These students will be instructed to do only a couple of the sentences as long as they attempt to do them correctly OR teacher may ask them to write basic analysis of a sentence instead of a full translation. Quality is better than quantity!

Students who are gifted: Students will have an opportunity to do further research on the Aeneid via the internet, do advanced QUIA games, read the next segment of the Aeneid in the text or read sections of the Aeneid in translation for a greater understanding of the work. There are many supplemental materials in the room for them to use. Gifted students should not be penalized by finishing tasks early. Certain challenging games also appeal to more gifted students.