The study of Latin invites the IB student to appreciate and develop a deeper understanding of Western Civilization’s past, present, and, for the creative thinker, of its future. In our time, the study of Latin is even more relevant because ancient cultural ideals are the very foundation of our international academic and cultural community. According to the National Committee for Latin and Greek, the combined “civilizations of Greece and Rome link us with cultures of 57 nations on four continents.”

The Latin SL or Standard Level will build upon basic grammatical, etymological, logical, and text linguistic structures while enhancing students’ ability to read and understand the cultural ideals of antiquity through the study of various genres of Roman literature. Assessment will be expressed through the ongoing inquiry and educational conversation between teacher and students, both collaboratively and individually. Assessment will be evaluated according to IB Latin SL criteria. The four skill areas mentioned above, namely the grammatical, etymological, logical, and text linguistic thinking skills will be an integrative part of the rubrics created with students to evaluate self and others according to IB standards of excellence.

Within the study of Latin SL, students will demonstrate reading comprehension, show growth in their writing and thinking abilities in English and in Latin; furthermore, they will recite Latin poetry and prose using appropriate meter and expression. Students will research topics concerning historical, social, political, and cultural influence of the ancient world upon global issues.

Analytical and critical thought will be trained by inquiry and brainstorming, as well as proper proofs for interpretations or translations.

Individual practice and collaborative partnering are consistently provided because participation is highly valued by teacher and peers.

The classroom is organized in a multi-level approach with each student seeking their level of challenge and ability and teacher checking for understanding and appropriateness of level by written and oral questioning.

Internationalism is fostered by the multi-lingual and multi-cultural ability of the teacher and the student body, as well as by the methodology of inquiry which necessitates that awareness towards one’s own cultural and mental assumptions and paradigms be cultivated and that the comparison of paradigms and potentialities extend the student’s understanding of the relativity and uniqueness of their point of view.

In this Latin SL course, we introduce high-level concepts in English and then build Latin comprehension towards this level: Comprehension comes first, then application. Comprehension by demonstration and modeling are emphasized so the student understands grammatical and cultural paradigms in their own language before adding on the difficulty of the Latin language.

The school has individual copies of high interest textbooks available for students.

Instructional materials are sufficiently available; the Latin SL classroom features high access to Internet and digital camera and DVD/Video Viewing and Digital projection.

An international perspective is pervasive and encompasses history, politics, geography, and culture, past and present.

Topics:

Literature Topics for Latin SL:

Ovid
Roman Epic: In Latin Virgil’s Aeneid 2, 1 – 401; in English Virgil’s Aeneid 2, 402 – end
Tacitus’ Presentation of Imperial Policy: In Latin Annals XV Chapters 38 –65; in English Annals XIV and remainder of XV
Cicero’s Political Speeches: In Latin Pro Caelio sections 1 – 30; in English Pro Caelio sections 31 – end
Love Poetry: in Latin Horace’s Odes I.5, I.11, 1I22, I.23, I.25, II.4, II.12, III.9, III.26, IV.11; in Latin Catullus’ Poems 2,5,7,8,45,51,62,70,72,83,86,87,92,109; in English Ovid’s Amores I
Roman Satire: in Latin Juvenal’s Satires 4 and 5; in English Juvenal’s Satires 1 and 11

Grammar Topics:

Reviewed Material:

Verb Tense: Present – Imperfect – Future – Perfect – Pluperfect – Future Perfect

Verb Moods: Indicative – Subjunctive – Imperative

Verb Voices: Active Passive

Declension/Cases/Nouns: Nominative – Genitive – Dative – Accusative – Ablative – Vocative

Adjective Uses: Formation – Irregular – Comparative – Demonstrative – Interrogative – Indefinite

Pronoun Uses: Personal – Reflexive – Interrogative – Indefinite – Possessive – Relative

Adverb Uses: Formation – Comparative

Numbers: Cardinal – Ordinal – Formation

Preposition with Cases

Instruction Materials:

Infinitive Uses

Participial Uses

Subjunctive Uses:

With Main Clauses: Hortatory – Deliberative – Prohibitions

With Subordinate Clauses: Indefinite or General – Clauses of

Fearing – Purpose – Conditional

Optative Uses:

With Main Clauses: Expressing Wishes – Potential – Future Less Vivid

With Subordinate Clauses: Conditional – Secondary Sequence – Indirect Statements

Assessment:

External IB-Assessment: 3 hours : 100%

Paper 1 (1 hour): 40%

Translation into English of a specified part or parts of

one unprepared passage from the prescribed author (part 1).

Total length: up to 70 words.

Paper 2 (2 hours): 60%

The paper consists of two compulsory sections, each based on the

prescribed topics (part 2).

Section A: 45%

Translation into English of a specified part or parts of

one unprepared passage from the prescribed author (part 1).

Total length: up to 70 words; no dictionary allowed.

Section B: 15%

One short essay question is set on each of the five

prescribed topics. Candidates answer one question covering

one topic in Latin without the use of a dictionary.

In-Class Preparation for External IB-Assessment:

Participation:

Students will be required, daily, to translate one unprepared Latin passage and answer passage- related questions; this practice will constitute 50% of their in-class grade.

Moreover, students will be required to write a short answer to a question based on the passage-related topic of the day; this practice will constitute 50% of their in-class grade.

Written Examination: 100 % (3 hours)

Written translation (1 hour) of specified text (70 words) from

prescribed author: 40 %... Dictionary allowed

Written Translation (2 hours) of specified text (70 words) from presecribed author: 45 %... No dictionary allowed

Written Essay in Latin on Prescribed Topic: on 1 topic out of 5, half page in Semester 1, full page in Semester 2. 15 %... No dictionary allowed

Students will speak and compose in Latin daily, practicing specific grammatical structures being reviewed and instructed.

In addition, students will be required to recite/parse specific Latin texts during collaborative group or in-class transition time. At this time, students may also be asked to recite for the class and submit a written commentary on a given passage in English and Latin.

Furthermore, students will be given time to complete their Workbook Logs for Latin Grammar, Conversational Phrases, and Literature and Cultural or Historical Research Documentation.

Lastly, students must research topics, annotate sources, and create artifacts as necessary or desired and as time permits which means, only after they have completed all of the above listed preparation steps.

Resources:

Oxford Classical Texts: Virgil’s Aeneid, Tacitus’ Annales, Juvenal’s Satires

Sweet, Waldo, Virgil’s Aeneid Books I and II

Ciraolo, Stephen, Cicero: Pro Caelio

Ovid’s Amores, Metamorphoses Selections

Embers of the Ancient Flame: Latin Love Poetry Selections from Catullus, Horace, and Ovid

Ed. Mayor, J.E.B. Thirteen Satires of Juvenal

And other resources provided by the teacher concerning Roman Epic, Tacitus and Imperial Policy, Roman Love Poetry and Satire

Oxford Latin Dictionary

Cassell’s Latin Dictionary

Standards:

http://www.ibo.org

Helpful Websites:

Provo High School

An “IB World School”

1125 N. University Ave.

Provo, UT 84604

Phone: 801-373-6550

Fax: 801-374-4880

IB Coordinator:: Lori Rich

LoriR@provo.edu