(National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, 1996). © Copyright 1997

American Classical League All rights reserved

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Permission is routinely granted for educational and classroom use contigent upon appropriate credit being given to the American Classical League.

by the language profession in developing foreign language standards. The standards include suggestions from the volunteer reviewers and

language educators in the field. While four national modern language groups wrote the proposal and the Federal government funded it, the

project was very much a product of the entire language profession. From the beginning those who formed the policy for the project and those

who crafted the standards considered classical languages to be part of the effort. The following statement comes from the “Statement of Philosophy”

communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and abroad. This imperative envisions a future in which ALL students will develop

and maintain proficiency in English and at least one other language, modern or classical.” Classicists held positions on the board of directors

and the task force of the project.

curriculum for all students and languages. While broad goals establish the framework for the language program, content standards describe

what students need to know and do in a language. The language profession believes the standards are world class, yet realistic and

attainable by most students. Language educators realize that the generic standards will have to be made language specific. The ACL/APA Task

Force on Standards for Classical Language Learning has in this document adapted the standards to the learning of classical languages.

With this publication in hand, curriculum specialists and school classicists can begin the process of translating the standards into curriculum.

These voluntary standards for classical language learning provide the impetus for the development of state foreign language frameworks and

local curriculum guides. The task force believes the standards for classical language learning will become an especially valuable resource

for states and local schools that do not have specialists in classics or funds to devote to Latin and Greek for curriculum development. It is clear that

the standards. Finally, the standards should promote articulation in classical language programs from school to school and school to college.

has proposed standards; now we trust that classicists will review and revise them, and then promote, implement, and assess them, fully

realizing that the standards will never be set in concrete.

education. We are traditional, the inheritors of Periclean Athens of the 5th century B.C. and of Augustan Rome at beginning of the first millennium

of this era; but we are innovative, timely and practical, prepared to enter a new millennium. Our appeal does not depend on political or

economic interests, but rather on educational beliefs that do not go out of style.

There are an estimated half million students in Latin classes in the United States today. Ancient Greek is standard in leading colleges and universities

in the country; the more recent addition of courses in classical civilization, etymology, and mythology has increased the vitality of

Greek and Latin as staples in the college curriculum. Continuing interest in Greco-Roman culture is paralleled by the continued vigor of Latin

language study, in part, from the recognition that the study of Latin can be a very effective aid in improving language skills in English and in the

subsequent learning of other foreign languages. As a corollary of Latin's resurgence, there is a growing need for a new generation of Latin

teachers.

The persistent popularity of Latin in the last two decades has also brought forth a spirited array of creative, exciting, and more effective

teaching materials. Latin classrooms are increasingly lively and engaging. Students learn to read with an emphasis on authentic materials from

the ancient world: its literature, graffiti, coins, and inscriptions. Students make connections from their reading to the other subjects they are

studying in school and to the communities that surround them. They examine the products and practices of ancient peoples in the light of their

own experiences and are challenged to make comparisons.

Latin has come to the elementary and middle schools. Latin is, in fact, for all students. Thousands of young people from inner-city schools, often

in impoverished areas, have boosted their chances for academic success through model Latin programs, such as those begun in the 1960s and

1970s in Washington, D.C., Detroit, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. The continuing development of innovative programs, materials, and methods

ensures the survival of classical language programs in the next century—and millennium.

their institutions. The ancient Greeks and Romans, breaking barriers of time and place, have communicated their message through the ages and

continue to communicate to the modern world; we, in turn, communicate more clearly to each other in word, in practice, and in product as a result

of that contact.

culture, connections, comparisons, and communities. Each goal is one strand in a fabric that must be woven into curriculum development

at the state, district, and local levels.

are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive. Intermediate and advanced students are expected to exhibit the progress indicators of the lower

levels as well as the progress indicators of their own level. What is a beginning, intermediate, or advanced student? If Latin or

Greek is taught continuously from the early grades, it would be reasonable to assume that a beginning student might demonstrate progress

indicated by the beginning sample progress indicators by grade 6 or 8. Students who study Latin or Greek every day in grades 7 and 8 should

be able to demonstrate the beginning progress indicators by the end of grade 8. Level I high school students may demonstrate beginning status

by the end of their Level I course. Intermediate students may demonstrate their progress at the end of a Level III course. Advanced students

may demonstrate their progress at the end of an Advanced Placement Course. Such designations as Level I, II, and III place learning in a timeframe

and organize it into courses that standards of excellence seek to avoid. Course and curricula are products of the district and school. In

the scheme presented here, the progress of students in terms of standards of excellence, or proficiency, is the factor to be measured, not time.

we expect our students to know and be able to do; it is our message to legislators, educators, boards of education, communities, parents, and

students; it is a guide for state curriculum frameworks; at the district level it is a guide for curriculum development. It is important to understand

that this document is not meant to be a classroom tool. It is not a curriculum for a Latin or Greek course; it is not a guide for daily lesson planning.

frameworks provide a curricular and programmatic context. District curriculum guides further define course content in a coordinated sequence. Lesson plans translate

curriculum into meaningful and creative activities for the individual classroom.

Foreign                Classical                

Language            Language       

Standards           Standards     

the sounds of commerce, the speeches of politicians, the noise of gossip. The recitation of poetry published the sounds of an active literature. To

hear these sounds, to imitate those cadences in the classroom, to practice writing words and ideas in the ancient language enhance the ability to

read. The second standard of the communication goal emphasizes the importance of oral skills, listening, and writing as tools to improve

reading.

• Students read words, phrases, and simple sentences and associate them with pictures, and/or other words, phrases and simple sentences.

• Students demonstrate reading comprehension by answering simple questions in Latin, Greek, or English about short passages of Latin or Greek.

• Students demonstrate a knowledge of vocabulary, basic inflectional systems, and syntax appropriate to their reading level.

• Students read and understand passages of Latin or Greek composed for acquisition of content and language skills.

• Students read and understand, with appropriate assistance, passages of Latin or Greek adapted from the original authors.

• Students read and understand short unadapted passages of Latin or Greek when provided with appropriate assistance.

• Students demonstrate reading comprehension by interpreting the meaning of passages they read.

• Students recognize some figures of speech and features of style of the authors they read.

• Students demonstrate a knowledge of vocabulary, inflectional systems, and syntax appropriate to their reading level.

• Students read and understand prose and poetry of selected authors with appropriate assistance.

• Students interpret the meaning of the passages they read.

• Students recognize, explain, and interpret content and features of style and meter of the authors they read.

• Students demonstrate a knowledge of vocabulary, inflectional systems, and syntax appropriate to the authors they read.

• Students recognize and reproduce the sounds of Latin or Greek.

• Students respond appropriately to simple questions, statements, commands, or non-verbal stimuli.

• Students sing songs in Latin or Greek.

• Students write simple phrases and sentences in Latin or Greek.

• Students read Latin or Greek aloud with accurate pronunciation, meaningful phrase grouping,

and appropriate voice inflection, by imitating the models they have heard.

• Students respond appropriately to questions, statements, commands, or other stimuli.

• Students write phrases and sentences in Latin or Greek.

• Students read Latin or Greek prose and poetry aloud with attention to such features as metrical structure, meaningful phrase grouping, and

appropriate voice inflection.

• Students respond appropriately to more complex spoken and written Latin or Greek.

• Students write passages of connected sentences in Latin or Greek.

an understanding of their culture. The focus in Goal 2 is on the ability of students to hear (i.e., read) and see (in physical remains) the message of

the Greeks or Romans. Their daily life, education, politics, history, philosophy, and religious practices tell students about their perspectives,

revealed both in their literary products and in remaining artifacts.  Literature, as well as non-literary writing, is key to an understanding of

culture; it is a product of the culture and a primary source for understanding ancient practices.

• Students demonstrate a basic knowledge of the daily life of the ancient Greeks or Romans.

• Students demonstrate knowledge of some famous Greeks or Romans and of selected facts of history and geography of the ancient world.

• Students demonstrate a knowledge of the daily life and thought of the ancient Greeks or Romans, gained in part from the Latin or Greek texts

they read, and apply that knowledge to an understanding of Greek or Roman culture.

• Students demonstrate a knowledge of the people and facts of Greek or Roman history and political life, gained in part from the Latin or Greek

texts they read, and relate that knowledge to an understanding of Greek or Roman perspectives.

• Students demonstrate a broad knowledge of Greek or Roman history, customs, and private and political life, gained from their reading of

Latin or Greek authors, and use that knowledge in analyzing Greek or Roman culture.

• Students demonstrate knowledge of philosophy, religion, and the arts of the ancient Greeks or Romans, gained from their reading of Latin or

Greek authors, and relate that knowledge to an understanding of Greek or Roman perspectives.

• Students identify the principal Greek or Roman deities and heroes by their names, deeds, and spheres of influence.

• Students recognize basic architectural features and art forms of the Greeks or Romans.

• Students relate their reading of selected texts, literary and non-literary, adapted and unadapted, to an understanding of Greek or Roman culture.

• Students demonstrate a knowledge of architectural styles, art forms, and artifacts of the Greeks or Romans and use them in analyzing Greek

or Roman culture.

• Students demonstrate knowledge of an author, a genre, and/or a literary period gained from authentic materials and unadapted texts

in Latin or Greek and apply it to an understanding of Greek or Roman culture.

• Students demonstrate a knowledge of archaeological evidence, art forms, and artifacts of the Greeks or Romans and use it in analyzing

Greek or Roman culture.

core subject areas: English, mathematics, science, social studies and foreign languages. It also provides opportunities for interdisciplinary

experiences in all areas of the curriculum. In addition, students use their knowledge of Greek or Latin to acquire new information as they read

authentic works which may also relate to other subject areas.

• Students use their knowledge of Latin or Greek in understanding a specialized vocabulary in such fields as government and politics.

• Students recognize and use Roman numerals and the vocabulary associated with counting.

• Students recognize and make connections with Latin or Greek terminology in the sciences and technology.

• Students recognize and make connections with Latin or Greek terminology in the social sciences and history.

• Students demonstrate in their written and spoken vocabulary a knowledge of philosophical, legal, artistic, and musical terms associated

with Latin or Greek.

• Students demonstrate their knowledge of Latin or Greek terminology in the social sciences and history.

• Students acquire information about the Greco-Roman world by reading passages of Latin or Greek with a culturally authentic setting.

• Students recognize plots and themes of Greco-Roman myths in the literature of other cultures.

• Students demonstrate a knowledge of the geography of the ancient world and connect it to the modern world.

• Students acquire information about the Greco-Roman world by reading adapted or selected Latin or Greek sources.

• Students connect their knowledge of ancient history and social and political systems to events and systems in the modern world.

• Students connect their knowledge of the Latin or Greek language to their knowledge of literature and artistic achievement.

• Students acquire information about the Greco-Roman world by reading Latin or Greek literary and non-literary sources.

• Students transfer their knowledge of Latin or Greek literature to their understanding of world literature.

• Students demonstrate their knowledge of the influence of Greco-Roman mythology, history, social and political systems, and artistic

achievements on world cultures.

Greek language, students develop a greater understanding of the structure and vocabulary of English. By examining and analyzing the public

and private lives of the ancient Greeks and Romans, students acquire a perspective from which to examine and analyze their own culture more

objectively.

• Students demonstrate a basic knowledge of Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes by recognizing them in English words of Latin

or Greek origin.

• Students understand some Latin or Greek phrases, mottoes, and abbreviations used in English.

• Students demonstrate an understanding of basic language patterns of English as they relate to the structure of Latin or Greek.

• Students demonstrate the relationship of Latin or Greek words to their derivatives and cognates in English.

• Students demonstrate an increased use of English words from or related to Latin or Greek.

• Students compare and contrast the language patterns and grammar of Latin or Greek to the structure and grammar of English.

• Students demonstrate the relationship of Latin or Greek words to their derivatives and cognates in English and apply some principles of

word building and word transfer.

• Students demonstrate an enhanced ability to read, write, understand, and speak English based on the vocabulary and grammar of Latin or

Greek.

• Students look at the architectural features of the buildings around them and recognize the Greco-Roman elements in them.

• Students compare and contrast aspects of their own public and private lives to those of the Greeks or Romans.

• Students compare the themes and heroes of classical mythology to the themes and heroes of their own folklore and culture.

• Students identify elements in their own art and literature that have their basis in the Greco-Roman world.

• Students reflect on classical influence on the political institutions, law, and history of their own culture.

• Students recognize in their reading of modern stories and literature the influence of the myths and literature of the ancient world.

• Students recognize the influence of Greco-Roman history, private and public life, art, and architecture on their own world and make comparisons

and draw conclusions based on that knowledge.

• Students compare and contrast elements of the literature, mythology, and philosophy of their own world with those of the ancient world.

to later life. Knowledge of Latin or Greek enables students to develop a full understanding and appreciation of classical influences in today’s

world as they encounter new language learning situations and other cultures. Students understand the link between classical languages and

certain professional fields through their specialized terminology. Understanding Greco-Roman culture provides students with a basis for interpreting

events of the modern world. The tools of technology and telecommunication provide links to the resources of the worldwide classical community.

• Students present and exchange information about their language experience to others in the school and in the community.

• Students recognize the influence of Latin or Greek on the specialized language of various professional fields and recognize its use in the media.

• Students combine the tools of technology with their classical language skills to communicate with other students in a global community.

• Students interact with community members who are involved in a variety of careers to understand how they have used their study of

classical languages.

• Students use their knowledge of Latin or Greek in communicating within the student and adult community of classical language learners.

• Students use their knowledge of Latin or Greek in learning other languages.

• Students recognize from their study of Greco-Roman culture that cultural diversity has been an integral feature of society from antiquity.

• Students share with others in schools and communities their understanding of cultural differences in the Greco-Roman world.

• Students compare the issues that reveal cultural differences in the ancient world with similar issues in modern cultures.

• Students combine the tools of technology with their knowledge of Greco-Roman culture to share cultural experiences.

• Students participate in the community of classical scholars in cultural events, contests, lectures, and scholarship.

• Students show evidence of connecting the past to the present by applying their knowledge of ancient cultures to their own thoughts

and actions.

separation, however, is nearly impossible, and, in fact, Goal 1 - Communication (i.e., the language strand) and Goal 2 - Culture (i.e., the cultural

strand) are woven through Goals 3, 4, and 5. In each case the language strand is the first standard (i.e., Standard 3.1, 4.1, and 5.1), and the cultural

strand is the second standard (i.e., Standard 3.2, 4.2, and 5.2).

This document leads naturally to the next step: curriculum development, which weaves together discrete elements, such as vocabulary,

grammar, and derivation, as well as literature, mythology, and daily life, into a fabric of creative design that fosters learning and works in the

classroom.

The scenarios that follow are snapshots of classroom lessons and activities that integrate the separate strands of communication, culture, connections,

comparisons, and communities. They are the final product in the process of translating standards to the classroom. They give life to the standards.

and classroom scenarios a firm fabric of curriculum development needs to be woven. The standards are basic; the scenarios present a product in

is already a part of current practice.  The following collection of 15 scenarios represents a selected sample of

scenes from today's Latin and Greek classrooms throughout the nation. Limited space and a desire to represent the diversity of exemplary

programs has prevented the inclusion of all of the many samples received from teaching colleagues. The scenarios are based in real classrooms; the

descriptions have been edited and reworked to illustrate the document.

a suburban public school, are making a presentation to their classmates, in a 90-minute blockscheduled

class. One, using a laser pointer, highlights details in a slide of a Greek vase, which

depicts a scene of Aeneas escaping from Troy with his father and his small son. He tells what is

known of the artist and identifies the figures in the painting, pointing out the attributes of the

divinities and the hero. His partner gives some background on the technique of Athenian black

figure vases. Next, both recall with the class the details of the story and ask how this episode relates

to the major themes of the epic. Then they give the class a handout they have prepared with the

special attention to the Greek vase. They invite the class to make a close comparison between the

words of Vergil's text and the artistic depiction on the slide, asking which is more detailed and

what significant differences there are.

After their ten-minute presentation, the next team explains its slide until all nine have been

presented. At the next class meeting, Ms. Gushman invites discussion comparing the different

media, the different approaches to the conceptualization of the scenes, and their relative effectiveness.

Students are encouraged to choose their favorites and justify their preferences.

Each team was responsible for one slide, which they researched by using the following tools

in their media center:

1. Slides (provided by the teacher) and slide viewers

2. The Paratext Vergil Reference CD-ROM, containing the Latin text, notes and translation;

a manual of mythology; quotations; word lists; search capabilities

The students spend one 90-minute block period in the media center, a week to meet on their own

with their teams and prepare the presentation on their assigned slide, another block period in the

presentations, and about twenty minutes in a wrap-up discussion.

Reflection

1.1 Students read passages from the Aeneid depicted in the art works.

2.2 Students examine products of ancient artists and note how these artists interpreted the scenes from the Aeneid that they are

currently reading .

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

2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives

of Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the products

of the Greeks or Romans.

3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other

disciplines through their study of classical languages.

5.1 Students use their knowledge of Latin or Greek in a multilingual

world.

3.1 Students use knowledge of the Aeneid to understand the works of art, and vice versa.

5.1 Students use the tools of technology to participate in the community of classical scholars to gain and share knowledge.

This assignment proves especially valuable for its interdisciplinary nature, allowing

students to research art techniques and topics in the history of art. Besides introducing students

words is required for their correlations.

Using CD-ROM and Internet technology provides a valuable tool for future academic and

personal projects. Further use of this sort of technology is applicable to archaeological, geographical,

historical or political topics related to many Latin texts. Classical literature has inspired

countless art works. A natural follow-up to this activity would be a visit to an art gallery to view

ancient (and/or modern) sculpture or painting on ancient themes.

parts from previous games they have played.  Students share what they already know about

teacher fills in further information about this unusual dog. Students then look at a constellation

Pompeii. The class learns the location of the mosaic, its purpose, and the meaning of the Latin

phrase in the design. In the course of discussing the phrase, students will notice the difference in

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

1.2 Students use orally, listen to, and write Latin or Greek as part of the language learning process.

2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives of Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the products

of the Greeks or Romans.

3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through their study of classical languages.

4.1 Students recognize and use elements of the Latin or Greek language to increase knowledge of their own language.

4.2 Students compare and contrast their own culture with that of the Greek or Roman world.

according to Mrs. Gascoyne. "But that doesn't make sense," says Sara. Mrs. Gascoyne asks Sara

to tell the class that she sees the dog. Sara says, "I see the dog." Then Mrs. Gascoyne asks her to

tell the class that the dog sees her. "The dog sees me," says Sara. "Sara, why did you call yourself

students get it.

Students talk about how people today would call public attention to the presence of a watch

dog by putting a sign in the window. The next day the class reviews the lesson by listing on chart

in small groups, students fashion mobiles that illustrate the vocabulary and phrases learned in the

lesson. They end the lesson by singing a bilingual song about their dog named B-I-N-G-O. But,

Reflection

1.1 Students read and understand Latin words and phrases that include canis, the Latin word for dog.

1.2 Students hear, pronounce, sing, and write the Latin words and phrases that include canis and words for numbers and body

parts.

2.2 Students expand their knowledge of mythology through the story of Cerberus and understand how Roman houses might be

guarded by watch dogs and how people were warned of their presence; they see the Cave canem mosaic from Pompeii.

3.1 Students learn about the use of the Latin word canis in scientific names and constellations.

4.1 Students recognize and use English words that are related by derivation to the Latin word canis .

4.2 Students compare and contrast the use of watchdogs and how attention is directed to their presence today even as it was in

ancient Roman times.

Third graders are eager to learn and share what they know. The theme that they are

studying runs through all their subject areas. In this class Latin is the medium for learning about

animals, a part of the current interdisciplinary theme for the whole school. The content of the Latin

class merges into the regular third grade classroom lessons in science and language arts.

The lesson builds on previously learned vocabulary and language structures and from the

content of the world that inner city children bring to school. Students are encouraged to talk and

share and to discover things on their own—to search for the stars, to make sense out of a language

that uses two forms of the word for the same thing, to meet a dog with three heads, to make a mobile

and feel the Latin words in their fingers, to sing an old song with new words.

classical geography in the early weeks of their Latin I class. Mrs. Bower first points out the

major cities, provinces, rivers, lakes, seas, and other geographical features on a wall map of the

Roman world at the time of Trajan. She identifies each one in complete Latin sentences, which the

students repeat after her. Students earn points by giving answers in Latin to a series of questions

After this oral exercise the teacher leads a discussion in English on Carthage and the

effect which its location had on Rome. This leads to a review of the students’ prior knowledge

of Hannibal and his trek across the Alps, which the students located earlier in

the lesson. The teacher adds a mythological dimension to this discussion by narrating

briefly the story of Dido and Aeneas. Students then receive blank maps and a

list of the locations just discussed in class. They proceed to locate and write a short sentence in

Latin about each item. The students then read each other’s work.

Reflection

1.1 Students read each other’s short Latin sentences about geographical locations.

1.2 Students listen to Latin questions on geographical locations and respond to them in Latin.

2.2 Students learn classical geography and relate that knowledge to history and myth.

3.2 Students connect their knowledge of classical geography to that of the modern world.

4.1 Students understand noun/adjective and subject/verb agreement in both Latin and English.

4.2 Students compare the nomenclature of classical geography to that of North America.

5.2 Students compare the geographical interdependence of the ancient world to modern examples.

This activity could be used throughout the year and in successive courses at increasing

levels of complexity. It may be especially suitable for introducing new units or new authors.

Students learn correct pronunciation and noun/adjective and subject/verb agreement as well as

geography and reinforce their knowledge through speaking and writing Latin. They also point

out obvious similarities in the nomenclature of classical and modern geography and thus build a

storehouse of geographical and linguistic information. In addition to assessing the students’ work

in the Latin discussion session, a written or oral test on the entire map lesson might be given the

following day.

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

1.2 Students use orally, listen to, and write Latin or Greek as part of the language learning process.

2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives of Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the products

of the Greeks or Romans.

3.2 Students expand their knowledge through the reading of Latin or Greek and the study of ancient culture.

4.1 Students recognize and use elements of the Latin or Greek language to increase knowledge of their own language.

4.2 Students compare and contrast their own culture with that of the Greco-Roman world.

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

town in Connecticut, students learn the Greek alphabet. They are learning the words for the

letters by chanting them after the teacher who has grouped the alphabet into six groups of

four letters: alpha, beta, gamma, delta . . .  epsilon, zeta, eta, theta . . .iota, kappa, lambda,

mu . . . etc.). The students learn the chant quickly and echo back and forth in the fashion

of a football cheer. The teacher turns to the board and writes each letter, first upper case,

then lower case, as the students slowly prompt him with their chant, to accommodate the teacher's writing on the board. Students then see, in

Greek, some words that have been taken from the Greek into Latin and then English. Examples

of the etymology of the words, and they use a Greek/English dictionary to discover meanings and

changes that occur in the transformation from Greek to English. They keep a notebook to record

what they have found. Then they practice their own skill by writing sample Greek alphabets as

they quietly chant to themselves and check the letters with the sample on the board. In subsequent

translate into English, and discuss. In a subsequent class, the students review and practice

counting in Latin from one through ten. They write the words and Roman numerals, write the

corresponding numbers in Greek, and compare them. The teacher explains that in antiquity, and

to some extent in modern times, the Greeks used the letters of the alphabet as numbers. The

students discover and discuss other ways in which Greek and Latin number words and symbols

are used today in mathematics and sciences.

Reflection

1.1 Students begin to read words and sentences of ancient Greek.

1.2 Students learn the Greek writing system.

3.1 Students learn that some languages use different alphabets, and they observe the use of Greek and Latin in mathematics and

science.

4.1 Students practice the Greek alphabet with English derivatives, and they observe interconnections of Greek, Latin, and English.

This lesson, with variations, can be carried out in one class period or several as a filler and

a break from the regular routine. The lesson uses an oral technique as an introduction to writing

and provides a quick way to learn the alphabet with a rousing drill. The lesson opens the door to

reading short phrases of authentic ancient Greek. At more advanced levels the students could be

given Greek phrases and sentences which parallel passages from the Latin authors they are

a separate class next year).

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

1.2 Students use orally, listen to, and write Latin or Greek as

part of the language learning process.

3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other

disciplines through their study of classical languages.

4.1 Students recognize and use elements of the Latin or

Greek language to increase knowledge of their own

language.

Each pair has been allotted an ailment. The patients must be able to explain and write what their

of time, go through the proper motions of healing, using simple phrases in Greek. At the end of

each three-minute scenario, the doctor must either pronounce the patient cured or recommend

a visit to Asklepios at Epidauros, again in Greek. Both patient and doctor will also

give a list of Greek words they have used which have English derivatives.

While half of the class is engaged in this activity, the other half of the class is preparing

Epidauros is described. A simplified dialogue based on the original has been provided

by the teacher. Students who do not have the dialogue of a character will form the chorus

and recite the unadapted original.

This activity requires two class periods as well as some homework. Students are provided

with a translation of the play, which they read in preparation, along with scenarios from an

dialogues to the class. As a follow-up, slides of Epidauros, Cos, and Pergamum, and artifacts

relating to Greek medical practice, are shown. In addition, students discuss the topic of comedy

and its role in Greek society, along with the questions that this activity inevitably raises: Why was

healing considered an appropriate topic for comedy, and how do you, living in the world of

visiting a healing sanctuary?

Reflection

1.1 Students read and interpret modified texts on Greek medicine.

1.2 Students recite and comprehend medical findings.

2.1 Students investigate the details of Greek medicine.

2.2 Students discuss the attitude of the Greeks to medical science.

4.1 Students relate Greek medical terminology to such terminolgy in English.

Cooperative learning and presenting its results in a culturally "authentic" format involve

students in the feel of Greek medicine and comedy. A similar dialogue activity could be used in

a discussion among Athenian generals to decide how to pursue the war with the Persians, or to

create a conversation between Pericles and other generals about the relative strengths of Athens

and Sparta.

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

1.2 Students use orally, listen to, and write Latin or Greek as

part of the language learning process.

2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives

of Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the practices

of the Greeks or Romans.

2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives

of Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the products

of the Greeks or Romans.

4.1 Students recognize and use elements of the Latin or Greek

language to increase knowledge of their own language.

translating the passage, they write about 15 sentences from Latin into English and 10 sentences

from English into Latin with vocabulary previously learned but with syntax based in part on the

Latin narrative. This lesson is part of a carefully coordinated progression to the reading of Caesar

in the fourth term. Quantity of vocabulary is considered less important than its being well

understood, not only semantically but syntactically. Each of the few new vocabulary

items allows a review of basic paradigms:

students with a new option in syntax, the relative adjective clause, which they compare

Students consult their teacher’s own handbook on the World Wide Web as a resource for

constructing their sentences: Some Rules of the Road for the Art of Translating Latin (<http://

academy.exeter.edu:80/~awooley>).

Reflection

1.1. Students read and understand an adapted passage of Latin, demonstrating a knowledge of vocabulary, basic inflectional

systems, and syntax.

1.2 Students read a passage of Latin aloud with accurate pronunciation and phrase grouping, and they write sentences in Latin

reflecting the syntax learned from their reading.

2.1 Students read and analyze a passage of Latin that narrates a famous Greek myth.

4.1 Students compare the Latin and English use of the verb and the construction of complex sentences in both languages.

This is a comprehensive presentation of Latin verb syntax. Students learn how the verb’s

primacy binds it to all the other words in the sentence or clause. The sentences for translation (in

both directions) give practice in the linking verb, intransitive action verbs, transitive verbs, verbs

complemented with dative, genitive, or ablative, and verbs with accusative direct object and

objective complement.

The lesson has six steps: 1) Reading aloud a Latin text; 2) translating Latin sentences; 3)

writing Latin sentences; 4) reviewing previous vocabulary, grammar and syntax; 5) analyzing

new syntax; 6) reviewing the initial text. This general approach could be applied to many lessons

at any level.

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

1.2. Students use orally, listen to, and write Latin or Greek as

part of the language learning process.

2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives

of Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the practices

of the Greeks or Romans.

4.1 Students recognize and use elements of the Latin or Greek

language to increase knowledge of their own language.

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

2.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the perspectives

of Greek or Roman culture as revealed in the products

of the Greeks or Romans.

3.2 Students expand their knowledge through the reading of

Latin or Greek and the study of ancient culture.

4.2 Students compare and contrast their own culture with that

of the Greco-Roman world.

5.2 Students use their knowledge of Latin or Greek in a

multilingual world.