Offered: Full Year 2012-2013
Prerequisite: None for this course

dux femina facti – “A woman was the leader of the expedition” – Vergil, Aeneid 1.364

Latin I is intended for students who have not previously studied Latin. The content of the course will focus upon reading Latin, as well as developing writing, listening, and speaking skills as aids to internalizing Latin. Students will learn the first three declensions of nouns and adjectives, the four verb conjugations in the active voice and all tenses, some uses of the infinitive, as well as demonstratives, pronouns, and numerals. Upon completion of this course, students should have acquired proper pronunciation, essential grammar and vocabulary to be able to understand and read short passages, the ability to engage in simple verbal exchanges, a greater knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar, and be ready to continue with Latin II. Learning Latin is also about discovering connections and relationships between ancient and contemporary languages, cultures, and influential ideas. As students collaborate in learning Latin, they will learn about Roman family life, the legendary heroes, myths and gods, and Roman perspectives on life. Students will take quizzes and have tests, but they will also create scrapbooks, write poems, songs, play games, and work together on short research projects to further understand how their developing knowledge of Roman culture applies to their own lives. Students will learn to recognize the legacy of this remarkable civilization and begin to understand their intellectual and cultural heritage.

The benefits of taking Latin I: Students will learn to …

• Read, understand, and comprehend Latin as a form of communication
• Develop oral, listening, and writing skills as tools in the learning process
• Acquire knowledge and understanding of Roman culture as revealed through its language, customs, and creations
• Apply their knowledge of ancient Rome to the real world of today to understand how Roman civilization has influenced world culture and languages
• Develop insight into your own language and culture through understanding the legacy of Rome