Ancient Rome and America Exhibit, Philadelphia Spring 2010

If you will be anywhere near Philadelphia in Spring 2010, make plans to visit the National Constitution Center. As part of its focus upon "important moments and iconic figures that changed history," the National Constitution Center will be presenting an exhibit entitled Ancient Rome and America in Spring 2010. According to the Center's press release, this will be a 6,000 square foot exhibition and will include a large number of artifacts from the Republican and Imperial periods. Connections will be made between the founding fathers of the American government and the Roman Republic, as well as the continuing influence of the Romans upon our modern world.

Connect the Classics with Science!

Here's a great project for those of you who would like to show the connection between the study of Latin, Greek, and the Classics with the modern world of science! Check out this fabulous printable star wheel project from Sky and Telescope magazine!

Dickinson Summer 2010 Workshop

Summer 2009 is over and it's time to think about what you'll be doing in Summer 2010!

The Dickinson Summer 2010 Workshop

Participants will read selections from De orbe novo by the Italian humanist Peter Martyr of Angleria (1457-1526), the most important early account of Columbus' voyages to the new world. This work was originally written in Latin, and was complete by 1501. Martyr did not travel to the new world himself, but did interview Columbus and his shipmates, as well as other players in the events. His Latin is not difficult, and the spare and straightforward style of this work could best be compared among classical works to Caesar's commentaries.

Given the topic this year, a special invitation is extended to teachers and scholars interested in early contacts between Europe and the Americas who would like to read De Orbe Novo in the original.

INSTRUCTORS: Prof. Christopher Francese and Prof. Meghan Reedy, both of the Dickinson College Department of Classical Studies

TO APPLY: please contact Mrs. Barbara McDonald (see contact information at http://latincamp.wetpaint.com/) by the application deadline May 1, 2010.

FEE: The fee for 2010 is $300, due in a check made out to Dickinson College, by the fee deadline June 1, 2010. Please send it to Mrs. Barbara McDonald, Department of Classical Studies, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013. (The full cost is about twice that, but the workshop is subsidized by the Roberts Fund for Classical Studies.)

MORE INFORMATION: http://latincamp.wetpaint.com/

Colonial American Latin Curriculum

Cheever's Accidence was an elementary Latin grammar, studied by students at Boston Latin School in the early colonial period. According to John A. Nietz, in his book The Evolution of American Secondary School Textbooks, students also studied forms and syntax in more depth in Lily's Latin Grammar, practiced spoken Latin from Corderius' Colloquies and read Aesop's Fables in Latin. You can find a copy of Cheever's Accidence at the Stepping Heavenward blog.

View some sample curricula from the early American period.

The Classics Department at Holy Cross College has an extensive website, Latin in Early America, describing how the Classics were taught in the 17th and 18th centuries in America.

Free Latin for the New Millennium Webinar Coming Soon

Bolchazy-Carducci will be presenting a free Latin for the New Millennium Webinar on September 17, 6-8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, with information about both volumes of their new Latin curriculum,. which combines both a grammar-based and reading-based approach.

Memoria Press First Form Latin

Memoria Press has just published a new Latin curriculum, First Form Latin. Known for their adherence to "grammar-first" principles, this program will eventually add a DVD component as well. A follow-up volume, Second Form Latin, is planned as well. See sample pages from their student textbook and workbook as well as the teacher's manual, plus examine a sample First Form Recitation at Memoria Press.

Golden Sponge Stick Competition 2009

The prestigious Golden Sponge Stick competition, inspired by the Caroline Lawrence Roman Mysteries series, is a fiction-writing contest for primary and secondary level students (with three age categories). Each student who enters writes a short story or a mystery/detective story/thriller of 1500 words or less, set in Rome or during Roman times, which displays some historical research or knowledge of Roman daily life in the story. Previously this competition was only open to students in the United Kingdom, where the Roman Mysteries novels were originally published, but this year the contest has been opened internationally. The winning entry will receive, of course, a golden sponge-stick!

Full details about this contest, as well as writing tips, are available at Flavia Gemina's (aka Caroline Lawrence) Roman Mysteries Blog. Get those pencils sharpened!

Methodological Considerations for Learning Latin

Evan Millner, creator of the Latinum Course, a complete multi-level audio course for Classical Latin, based upon the 19th century textbook "A Practical Grammar of the Latin Language for Speaking and Writing Latin," has a few tips for those of you who wish to learn this ancient language. He's outlined some of the considerations that you need to keep in mind when studying a new language in his brief article "A Learning Methodology for Latin." He also has written a couple articles about an interesting technique, based upon an ancient Roman method, the Method of Loci, for remembering and internalizing the declensions and conjugations, important concepts of Latin grammar.

Classical Literacy Exam

News of a new competition, the Classical Literacy Exam, sponsored by the Albuquerque Academy Latin Honor Society, was recently carried in Torch, the official quarterly magazine of the National Junior Classical League. The Classical Literacy Exam is open to students everywhere and will require no specialized knowledge of the Latin language. Exam topics include Classical mythology, history, culture, some vocabulary derivatives, Latin phrases and abbreviations, and literature. The main emphasis is on Roman civilization, but there will be a few questions about Greek civilization and culture (eg. terms such as agora, Parthenon, and Acropolis on Level I and some brief philosophical references on Level II and III.)

According to Hugh Himwich, who is directing this new initiative, the guiding principle is "to include everything that an educated person should know about the Classical world, even if they unfortunately have never had a Latin class." Of course, if they have studied Latin, "the CLE will be a reward and a delight." There are three levels to the examination.

Contact the exam sponsor to be put on the mailing list to receive an application and study guide. The target for administering the exam is the first week in February (but there is some flexibility for schools that need an alternative date.) Award certificates will be sent in March as well as school book awards for outstanding participation and achievement.

Teachers will grade their own tests and send the results to the CLE headquarters.

According to the advertisement in the Torch, the cost for the exam is fifty cents per student. The format is fill-in-the-blank with the term that matches the definition. The application deadline is January 15, 2010.

The Classical Literacy Exam website is currently under construction and more information is forthcoming soon, so keep checking back for complete details to be posted in the next few weeks.

Dual Source Vocabulary Tool

For those of you interested in Latin word frequency, Laura Gibbs points out that James Dee of the University of Illinois at Chicago has created A Dual-Source Database of Word Frequencies in Latin. Many of you are aware of Gonzalez Lodge's The Vocabulary of High School Latin and Paul. B. Diederich's The Frequency of Latin Words and their Endings, two often-consulted statistical counts of Latin vocabulary and morphological end forms. Professor Dee's database combines the two and provides the result in Excel spreadsheet form and plain text.

Teaching Latin Efficiently

Thomas M. Hayes shares a fascinating article on his wiki, Ut Discamus Omnes, entitled "Skinning the Latin Cat." This is a fascinating discussion regarding the two concepts of "disambiguation" and "economy" in teaching Latin morphology, which is a very fancy way of saying "Which endings do we concentrate most of our energy teaching to our students so that they can read and understand Latin efficiently and quickly?" Hayes compares the huge collection of grammatical endings in Latin to a big hardware store full of tools, some that are more likely to be used than others. It's a fascinating article and he discusses some experimentation he has done in the classroom as well as the ramifications of an approach that considers the "bottom line" when teaching forms.

Nicole Curry Named Philadelphia Magazine's 2009 Best of Philly Schools Teacher!

Philadelphia magazine has named Phoenixville Latin Teacher Nicole Curry as its 2009 Best of Philly Schools teacher! Nicole combines a wacky sense of humor with some serious curriculum, Macte virtute esto! ("Well done! Bless you for your excellence!")

Read more about Nicole at Phillymag.com and see a picture of her dressed in a toga!

Winged Sandals Returns!

Winged Sandals, which was on hiatus for some time, appears to have returned! Winged Sandals is an educational Greek mythology website produced by ABC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in partnership with The University of Melbourne's Centre for Classics and Archaeology. Greatly missed by many Latin and Classics teachers, Winged Sandals features stories about the ancient Greek deities, online games, ideas and templates for offline activities, a "who's-who" database, historical background, animations, and downloadable "goodies" like wallpapers, e-cards, and screensavers.

Bringing Latin Home

Latin is not only enjoying a resurgence in public and private schools across the United States. Many families are choosing to teach their children Latin as a homeschooling subject. Heather Duncan, a homeschooling mom and freelance contributor to the Knoxville News Sentinel writes this week about the growing popularity of Latin among her friends. She also interviews a homeschool co-op educator who teaches nearly 100 Latin students each week! Read more in "Latin A Growing Subject At Home."

Cambridge School Classics Project Down

Latin teachers on the various lists and forums have been reporting that the free web-based Cambridge Latin Course activities on the Cambridge School Classics Project have been made "temporarily unavailable" to a lack of funding to support the site. Efforts are underway to find a solution.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for alternative, interactive websites where students can find Latin quizzes and activities, Richard Popek has compiled a significant number of activities at the Quia website, specifically keyed to Cambridge:

Unit 1: http://www.quia.com/pages/4editionunit1clc.html

Unit 2: http://www.quia.com/pages/4editionunit2clc.html

Unit 3: http://www.quia.com/pages/4editionunit3clc.html

Unit 4: http://www.quia.com/pages/4editionunit4clc.html

Also check out these additional sites:

• Quia Shared Latin Activities You can search for activities based upon specific textbooks by doing a keyword search. Nearly 3000 activities have been created!!!
• Flashcard Exchange: Latin Also tagged for search, with many textbooks represented.
• Wheelock's Latin Exercises 40 chapters worth of activities from the University of Victoria
• Magic Words Based upon vocabulary from the Cambridge Latin Course. Similar to refrigerator magnets! Located at Andrew Wilson's Classics' Pages. Also try Wordsquare Challenge. If you spend some time looking through the thousands of pages at Andrew's site, you'll find lots of cool stuff!
• Minimus Games Some Flash games based upon Barbara Bell's Minimus!
• Alvares' Experimental Javascripted Teach Yourself Some Latin Noun and verb drills, with accompanying vocabulary list, not keyed to any specific textbook in particular.
• Laura Gibbs' Latin Crosswords and Roman Sudoko Laura has too many wonderful resources to mention here, so check her Daily Roundup.
• Kentucky Educational Television Ideas for games that can be played without a computer. (Imagine!)
• Latin Per Ludos Illustra More ideas for enjoying language, without a computer!
• Ology World Mythology games and activities based upon the popular "Ology" series of books.
• Transparent Language has a few online sampler games too.
• FlashDash Latin from Classical Academic Press

Find more at the Latinteach Quizzes and Games Resource page.

Latin Teaching Methods at Montclair State University in NJ

Montclair State University's Department of Classics and General Humanities will be offering a course in Latin Teaching Methods this coming Fall 2009 semester on Thursdays from 4:00-6:30 PM on the campus in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. The course number is LATN 419-01 and the instructor is Timothy Renner. This course carries 3 undergraduate credits.

For more information, please contact Professor Renner at rennert@mail.montclair.edu or Jean Alvares, Department Chair at the Montclair State University Department of Classics.

MakeBeliefsComix and Macrons!

MakeBeliefsComix, designed by comic author Bill Zimmerman, is a fun and interactive site where people of all ages can have fun designing and creating their own comic strips! Teachers can create lesson plans in which students create their own cartoons. For those who need some inspiration to get started, Mr. Zimmerman has 21 fun suggestions for using MakeBeliefsComix in the classroom and he also maintains Bill'z Treasure Chest, a writing prompt blog.

MakeBeliefsComix is used by teachers of English as a Second Language, as well as Latin, French, Portuguese, German, Spanish, and Italian classes. There is support for special characters in these languages and the site hopes to add more languages. Many special education teachers also use the site to create stories for students on the autism spectrum, to encourage the use of language and to teach social navigation.

Latin teachers will be especially happy to know that their students can use macrons in the comics that they create!

An Important Question!

There's a wonderful entry today on Kristina Chew's We Go With Him Blog entitled "What does it take to be a(n autism) teacher?" While it's not necessarily about teaching Latin or Greek, though it does include reflections of Professor Chew's experiences as a beginning and developing Classics teacher. What does it take to ignite the learning spark in students? A very worthy question (for Latin and special education teachers and everyone else) as the school year begins!

Classis, Autumn 2009, Volume XVI, No. 3 on the Teaching of Latin

Thanks to Karen Moore's Latin Alive! blog for pointing this journal out!

The Autumn 2009 issue of Classis, the quarterly journal of the Association of Classical Christian Schools, Volume XVI, No. 3, is a special edition featuring articles focusing on the teaching of Latin.

The issue opens with an excerpt from Dorothy Sayer's "Lost Tools of Learning" followed by six articles on Latin pedagogy:

1) Latin: Training Skilled Communicators (Patch Blakey, ACCS)
2) Latin: Beyond the SAT Score (Peter H. Vande Brake, North Hills Classical Academy)
3) The Best Way to Improve Any Latin Class (Timothy L. Griffith, New St. Andrews College)
4) Latin III at Westminster Academy (Michael Johnson, Westminster Academy)
5) Interdisciplinary Measures: the Integration of Latin (Ginny Kent, Covenant Classical Christian School)
6) How 'Bout Them Apples (Eric Indgjerd, The Oaks: A Classical Christian Academy)

"The Best Way to Improve Any Latin Class" is particularly interesting: "The first and most important task of a Latin teacher is to learn Latin himself." Mr. Griffith gives suggestions for a program of study for Latin teachers which includes rigorous attention to grammar and vocabulary, daily reading, and attendance at a Conventiculum.

"How 'Bout Them Apples" sings the praises of Hans Oerberg's Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata, as a text that enables teachers to teach and students to learn "Latin Latinly in the classroom." Mr. Indgjerd sympathizes with Dorothy Sayers, who grieved that classical Latin remained puzzling even after nearly two decades of study and suggests that if she had been able to use Oerberg's method, she would have found her studies more fruitful.

(Escondido Tutorial Service has the full text of Sayer's Lost Tools of Learning online.)

Exeunt Omnes! Platinum Members Only!

Stephen Colbert presented a special report on the Colbert Report last night. It was so special, it was broadcast for "Colbert Platinum members only." All other viewers were instructed to leave the room while the segment broadcast, with the instructions "Exeunt omnes!" (A stage direction meaning "All get out," or "Everyone leaves.")

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
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Latin Gets a Brief Mention by Stephen Colbert, Again....

At the opening of the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert complimented his wildly enthusiastic audience by proclaiming that "I gotta tell you... if the Roman Empire had you people, we'd all still be speaking Latin!"

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
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Free Dickinson Workshop: Active Latin in the Classroom: Strategies for Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Students

Milena Minkova and Terence Tunberg (University of Kentucky, Lexington) will be presenting a free Latin workshop at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA on Saturday, November 7, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

"Active Latin in the Classroom: Strategies for Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Students"

"Oral and written Latin expression can enrich the experience of learning Latin for students at any level. Our goal as classical language teachers is to impart the ability to read original texts written in those languages, and we maintain that judicious use of active Latin as a complement to reading serves that goal. We are also convinced that the active use of Latin can complement a wide variety of methodologies for teaching Latin now in use, including the inductive, reading-oriented approach, as well as the analytical, grammatical approach."

The presenters will offer some background material, and will address some of the theoretical questions which arise from teaching strategies that involve the active use of Latin. Moreover, participants in the workshop will take part in an extensive range of activities involving spoken and written expression, which any teacher can employ, and which are designed for various levels of students ranging from beginners to the advanced. As the “capstone” to these activities, the presenters will show how using active Latin complements and enhances the reading of Latin texts for those students who have reached the level where they can begin to read unadapted Latin works.

Prof. Tunberg has published extensively on the history of Latin prose styles from Cicero up to and including the Renaissance. He is also keenly interested in the practice of Latin prose composition in modern Latin study and has won prizes for original Latin prose in international competitions. He founded in the mid 1990s the Conventiculum Latinum, an annual summer immersion workshop in spoken Latin held on the campus of the University of Kentucky. Today the Conventiculum Latinum draws 60-70 people each year from many parts of North America and the world, and it is the largest and longest-running seminar for active Latin in North America.

Prof. Minkova is the author of The Personal Names of the Latin Inscriptions from Bulgaria (Peter Lang 2000), among other books. With Prof. Tunberg she has written Readings and Exercises in Latin Prose Composition (Focus, 2004); Reading Livy’s Rome. Selections from Livy, Books I-VI (Bolchazy-Carducci, 2005); Mater Anserina. Poems in Latin for Children (Focus, 2006); and Latin for the New Millenium, An Entirely New Introductory Course on the Latin Language (Bolchazy-Carducci, 2009).

The workshop is free of charge, but preregistration is required. For more information, or to register, please contact Mrs. Barbara McDonald (mcdonalb@dickinson.edu). Pennsylvania Act 48 credit is available.

Two Upcoming Active Latin Webinars

Bolchazy-Carducci will be presenting two Webinars featuring Milena Minkova and Terence Tunberg in September 2009.

The first webinar is "Training Techniques for Spoken Latin Expression," webcasting on September 23, 2009 from 6-8 PM Eastern. Tunberg and Minkova maintain that active use of Latin can help all students and teachers, whether the teacher prefers a more inductive, reading-oriented approach to teaching Latin, or a more analytical and grammatical approach. Participants in this webinar will explore a range of activities involving spoken Latin designed for learners at various levels ranging from beginners to the advanced.

The second webinar is “Virtual Conventiculum," to be held September 30th, 2009, 6-8PM Eastern. This webinar is designed for people who have had some previous experience in spoken Latin and have acquired at least a moderate ability to express themselves orally in the language. Activities will be focused on enhancing vocabulary relating to various spheres of daily life, as well as discussion of short Latin texts in Latin. The Virtual Conventiculum will be conducted entirely in Latin.

Tuition for each webinar is $99.00. RSVP to 847.526.4344 or online at http://www.bolchazy.com/webinars.html.

Class-size is limited to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Latin for the New Millennium Webinar August 13th

Rose Williams will be hosting a one-hour webinar on Latin for the New Millennium, a two year introductory Latin series written by Milena Minkova and Terence Tunberg, on August 13th. Teachers who wish to find out more about Bolchazy-Carducci's new series may RSVP for the free online seminar by registering online. After registration, you should receive emailed instructions on how to join the meeting. Participants need a PC (running XP or Vista) or a Mac (with OS 10.3 or higher) as well as a high-speed internet connect (cable modem, DSL, or similar; dial-up is too slow and not recommended.)

Picturing Pompeii

Those of you who teach using the Cambridge Latin Course will love the Pompeii in Pictures website!

Minimus Webinar

Cambridge University Press has made Barbara Bell's Minimus Webinar, which was held last month, available for online viewing. You can watch it in streaming video or download it as in WMV format. Barbara talks about the impetus behind the writing of Minimus and the advent of and incredible popularity of the Minimus Latin Clubs in England. She also spends some time discussing the historically significant Vindolanda Tablets, which provided the inspiration for the setting and characters in the book.

Barbara discusses the teaching of Minimus and also tells the wonderful story of a class of students with special needs who have great success with the series!

She also answers a number of questions by viewers who participated in the webinar in July.

Phaedrus Latin Composition Contest Registration Open!

New Saint Andrew's College just announced open registration for the first Phaedrus Latin Composition Contest. The contest is open to high school students. Participating students submit a 100 to 200-word original fable, written in Latin, accompanied by an English translation. Submissions will be judged based upon accurate use of Latin vocabulary and forms of speech, creative use of subject matter and writing style. Visit the Official Phaedrus Latin Composition Contest website to find out more about entry guidelines, rules, deadlines and prizes.

Extreme Makeover at the Official Lindsey Davis Website!

The Official Lindsey Davis Website has just gone online with its new and improved design! Those of you who are fans of this historical novelist who has set many of her books in Ancient Rome will enjoy browsing all the features. It's beautifully arranged and easy to navigate!

Each of Davis' novels has its own page with covers, publication details, a plot summary, and reviews and many even include a very brief passage read by the author herself! Other sections include Lindsey's Page (an occasional blog), news, information about translations, audio,radio and film versions of the Falco novels, plus Lindsey's postbag and rants and all sorts of other fun stuff!

If you haven't read any of Lindsey Davis' novels, you'll probably want to start with Silver Pigs, the first Marcus Didius Falco book.

"Damn You, Carmina Burana!"

Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" demonstrates that any video played with "Carmina Burana" in the backround sounds menacing.

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Latin 2.0 Personal Learning Networks

As part of Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers' Summer Webinar Series for Latin Teachers, Laura Gibbs will be presenting "Latin 2.0: Personal Learning Networks" on Thursday, July 30, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Wondering what all the Web2.0 fuss is about? Curious about blogs, tweets, wikis, widgets and nings? This webinar will provide a hands-on introduction to the world of Web2.0 as it is changing the face of Classics, Latin, and Greek online. Participants will look at the the free, easy-to-use tools that allow educators to put content online without any specialized training: create a blog, build a wiki, share your photos and Powerpoints online - instantly, for free. Visit WebClassics.pbwiki.com to find out more, and help plan this webinar to make it more useful for you!

To register, please visit http://www.bolchazy.com/webinars.html. Tuition is $99.00 for the live, interactive session. If you have any questions about how webinars work, technical specs, and the like, please email Andrew Reinhard, Director of eLearning, Bolchazy Carducci.

Who Should Study Latin?

There are those who still believe that Latin is an incredibly difficult subject and only suitable for the academically talented.

However, many students with disabilities want to study Latin too and should be encouraged to try and given the tools to succeed! (Remember, everyone spoke Latin in ancient Rome, not just the intellectuals!) In the United States, everyone is entitled to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment (which is a placement made by a multidisciplinary team and could be a self-contained or mainstream classroom.) If you are a public school teacher and have a student with an individualized education plan, you have an important role that you must carry out and you are obligated to follow the provisions in that document.

Many students with learning disabilities are quite capable of learning a foreign language. Teachers may need to expand their repertoire of teaching strategies as well as learn about different types of accommodations and modifications, but of course, the result of this is a better-informed professional and a higher quality of teaching for every student.

"While beginning Latin teachers are not trained to diagnose learning disabilities, they should begin to find and use strategies that help students with common learning differences to succeed in their classes. When confronted with a particularly puzzling or unfamiliar case, the beginning Latin teacher should know where to turn (both at school and in the larger community) for assistance. Beginning teachers also need to be aware that some students' learning differences may manifest themselves for the first time when they begin to study another language. Like all teachers, they must be proficient at applying mandated accommodations for students with learning disabilities or differences." (Standards for Classical Teaching, Draft 1, page 13)

Here are some resources for teachers who want to learn more about teaching inclusively:

Latin for Students with Learning Disabilities, a detailed brochure from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.

When Dead Tongues Speak: Teaching Beginning Greek and Latin See especially Chapter 3, "Latin For Students With Severe Learning Disabilities." However, the entire book is invaluable and well worth reading! (This book is readily obtainable from the publisher as well as Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and other large bookstores)

Here's a powerful story about the example of high standards set by a Latin teacher, Garry LeGates, who happens to be blind. When he first started looking for a teaching job, he initially had a difficult time obtaining a position. He recently retired after thirty years.

Althea Ashe wrote a chapter for Latin in the 21st Century (editor, Richard A. LaFleur) entitled "Latin for Special Needs Students: Meeting the Challenge of Students with Learning Disabilities." Read an archived story about Dr. Ashe in the Athens Online from Athens Daily News. (Order Latin in the 21st Century directly from the publisher; for some reason, online bookstore prices are significantly inflated for this title. It lists for about $35 from the publisher.)

Ginny Lindzey reveals a secret about teaching Latin on her blog: "Don't believe lines like this, that it's the easiest job and all the students are highly motivated." According to Ginny, "It's a lot of work." (At the same time, she also notes "there are rewards...there are definitely rewards...")

Read this blog entry by a dad whose wife is teaching their learning disabled son Latin. He has some interesting things to say about the power of motivation. Pretty informative blog too!

Also see Ronnie Ancona's article “Latin and a Dyslexic Student: An Experience in Teaching,”Classical World 76 (1982), 33-36. (Not available online.)

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic has accessible audiobooks for students with documented visual impairment, dyslexia or learning disabilities, including a number of Latin textbooks: Ecce Romani Vols I-III (2005 and 2009 editions available); Latin for Americans, Vols 1-3; More Greek and Latin Roots: Teaching Vocabulary to Improve Reading Comprehension; Oxford Latin Course, Parts 1-3; Wheelocks Latin, 6th Ed., Revised; A Song of War Readings from Vergil's Aeneid; Cambridge Latin Course, Units 1-4; Wheelock's Latin Reader Selections from Latin Literature, 2nd Ed. There are also a number of books on Ancient Greek and Roman culture.

An excellent resource for audio books that are in the public domain (and free, with no restrictions) is Librivox, where you can find many Classically-themed materials: for example, Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens; Famous Men of Rome and Famous Men of Greece by John H. Haaren; Gibbon's History of the Decine and Fall of the Roman Empire; Bulfinch's Mythology. Plutarch's Lives and other titles of interest to Classics teachers are currently in production.

Hilary McColl maintains a comprehensive website devoted to modern foreign language learning and inclusion. Latin teachers are still likely to find much of value at her website, which explores the benefits of learning a second language and offers a number of suggestions for improving learning and teaching practices.

"Children with Autism: Strategies for Accessing the Curriculum, Modern Foreign Languages" is a document prepared by the Northwest Regional Special Education Needs Partnership in the United Kingdom.

Mobility International USA offers ideas on helping disabled students access foreign languages and also has a number of inclusive travel tips for going on overseas trips.

The Primary Latin Project Promotes Latin in Trafalgar Square

Watch Jeremy Paterson, Chair of the Primary Latin Project in England, standing upon the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, greeting American teachers, promoting Classics, and reading Latin to passersby!

What is the Fourth Plinth? Find out more!

Who Says Latin Teachers Aren't Cool?

Latin teachers are totally cool! Another video from the Conventiculum Latinum...

Conventiculum Lexingtoniense has a YouTube Channel!

If you were in Kentucky last week, you could have been speaking Latin or singing songs with dozens of your friends and colleagues at the Conventiculum Lexingtoniense!








Thanks Rogue Classicism for pointing these out!

Texas Students Advancing to National Latin Competition

Students from St. Andrew's Episcopal School and Hill Country Christian School of Austin gear up for the highly competitive national Certamen competition to be held this month in Sacramento, California.

Monty Python's Contribution to Classics Education

Apparently, the members of the Monty Python got so fed up with people uploading all their material to YouTube, they have decided to take revenge upon their fans! In response, they've created their very own Official Monty Python YouTube Channel and have placed high quality clips from their movies and television shows there, along (of course) with links for you to purchase full CDs and DVDs.

So, here you go, from the Official Monty Python YouTube Channel, every Latin teacher's favorite Monty Python clip, "Romans, Go Home!"

You've probably watched it a thousand times on YouTube before, but at least now you can do so with a clear conscience!



And as a bonus, "What Have The Romans Done For Us?"

In Memoriam Lt. Col. Virginia Sweet, Aviator and Latin Teacher

There's a wonderful story in the Albany (NY) Times-Union today about Lt. Col. Virginia Sweet, who was a pioneer in women's aviation. She was one of World War II's WASP (Women's Air Service Pilots) corps, considered to be civilian pilots at the time and finally given veteran's status in 1977. Apparently, she graduated with a degree in languages from Duke University and the Sorbonne and was a French, Spanish and Latin teacher for many years. It's a really fascinating article, definitely worth reading!

You can read the full feature story, She Left Her Heart in the P-51 at the Albany Times-Union as well as her obituary.

Latin Challenge!

The BBC Magazine has a new seven question Latin quiz online today, as part of their University Challenge series!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief!

Fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series of books will be happy to know that the first trailer for the upcoming film The Lightning Thief has been released! (The trailer's release was apparently set to coincide with the premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which opens today!)

Two Upcoming Webinars for Latin and Classics Teachers

JULY 14, 2009 BARBARA BELL

"TEACHING LATIN TO YOUNG CHILDREN" WEBINAR

Barbara Bell, the acclaimed British author of the popular children's Latin series Minimus, has been named to the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List for "those who have gone the extra mile to make a difference to the lives of people around them." Bell received her MBE for her work as "a classics teacher at Clifton High School in Bristol, who has raised the profile of the subject and increased its accessibility."

Barbara Bell will be visiting the USA in July and you have the opportunity to meet her, even if you can't make it to any of the cities that she will be visiting! Barbara will will be participating in a free online webinar on July 14th. To register, please visit Cambridge's US website for complete details on how to participate:

http://www.cambridge.org/us/education/classics/events.htm

JULY 16, 2009

ROSE WILLIAMS "MAKING ROOM FOR HISTORY IN A BUSY LATIN CLASS

Rose Williams will be leading a webinar in Bolchazy-Carducci's summer series for Latin teachers on July 16th, 6-8PM Eastern: "Making Room for History in a Busy Latin Class". Rose will give a brief overview of Roman history for use very early in the first term which can be used as an outline for the overall study of Latin. Various historical materials that can be woven into your lesson plans will be presented.

Webinar attendees may submit questions and suggestions in advance of the session, and will be asked to submit ideas for using these materials in their respective teaching situations after the seminar. Before the webinar beings, each participant should search his/her text or teaching plan for advantageous areas for integrating history materials.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to info@bolchazy.com or register online at http://www.bolchazy.com/webinars.html. There is a $99.00 charge for the two-hour,live session. By participating in this session, you may qualify for professional development credits.

Free Yourself by Reading Latin!

A wonderful op-ed piece in the New York Times today from a busy political science professor who has decided to take time out to read Vergil's Aeneid...in the original Latin! He doesn't expect to get any profound answers for the world's troubles, so just why has Alexander Motyl bought a grammar and dictionary? To find the answer, read Back to Latin!

In Memoriam Edith M.A. Kovach, Ph.D.

Edith M.A. Kovach, PhD, a teacher and professor of the Latin language for many years, passed away on July 1, 2009. Dr. Kovach made a number of important contributions to the teaching of Latin and the Classics in the United States. She will be greatly missed!

You may wish to read more about her life and many accomplishments as well as memories from her family, friends, colleagues and students.

Latin, It's Not Just for the Romans Anymore!

Most people would be surprised to know that more Latin literature was written by Europeans in the millennium after the fall of Rome (circa 476 AD) than during the preceding thousand years of Roman might! (I was!) A compelling case for The Importance of Post-Antique Latin, the Latin of Western Europe after the fall of Rome in 476 AD, is made on the Latin for the New Millennium site. (Click on "Why Learn Antique Latin?" on the splash page.) According to this article, by learning the Latin language, students not only have an insight into the ancient world, but the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Enlightenment as well!

Meet the Author of Minimus Latin in Pittsburgh in July!

A WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS
sponsored by
Excellence Through Classics: Elementary/Middle Levels -
THE AMERICAN CLASSICAL LEAGUE

in collaboration with local, state, national, and international organizations including the Pennsylvania Classical Association, The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Wayne State University, Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, and the Primary Latin Project

JULY 22 - JULY 24, 2009 - PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

SPACES STILL AVAILABLE FOR THOSE

WHO WISH TO ATTEND!

Elementary and Middle School teachers will learn creative ways to bring the ancient past into the present through history, culture, language, art, food, fashion and technology. No previous background in Classics is required. Certificates of attendance will be issued and ACT 48 Credits provided for Pennsylvania Teachers.

WEDNESDAY - July 22, 2009 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM TOUR, TEA WITH LUNCH & CLASSICS TALK Following a tour, and tea with lunch, our Guest speaker Barbara Bell, Director of the Primary Latin Project in the UK and author of Minimus: Starting Out In Latin and Minimus Secundus will speak briefly about tea customs in the UK and will present a Classics talk in the Gilfillan Farmhouse at 1950 Washington Road, (Upper St. Clair) Pittsburgh, PA 15241. Built circa 1857 in the Greek Revival Gothic Architectural style, the Gilfillan Farmhouse is an historic landmark.

THURSDAY - July 23, 2009 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM THE MUSEUM AS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESOURCE Includes multiple presenters in collaboration with the Carnegie Museum of Art at 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Highlights will include:

• Minimus: Starting Out in Latin Training Session for Teachers by Barbara Bell
• A Fashion Show of Ancient Costume by Norma Goldman, a scholar in ancient costuming and Pittsburgh native
• Hands On Technology and Archaeology with Andrew Reinhard of Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, and
• Art, Mythology, Ancient Coins by Zee Ann Poerio of Excellence Through Classics. (includes lunch in Museum Cafe.)

FRIDAY - July 24, 2009 9:00 - 2:00 PM CLASSICS WORKSHOP & BOOK FAIR

• Book talks by Barbara Bell, Norma Goldman, and James R. Clifford, Jr.
• Interactive technology presentations and classroom activities by Andrew Reinhard and Zee Ann Poerio
• Ancient Roman Military Exhibit by George Metz (Gallio Velius Marsallas) of Legion XXIV at the Barnes & Noble at 301 South Hills Village Mall, Pittsburgh, PA 15241 (Includes boxed lunch.)

Participants will receive free resources, giveaways, lesson ideas, and be eligible for door prizes at each event. Please visit the ETC website for updates and complete list of speakers. Contact Zee Ann Poerio - zee.poerio@gmail.com - for more information or to request a registration form. Registration is $25.00 for each event.

Latin, Why Bother?

Writer and blogger for the London Times Sarah Ebner ponders the usefulness of Latin and Greek studies and asks her readers if they see any point to studying the Classical languages.

There have been many comments in reply, mostly positive, including a great response from Cambridge Classics professor Mary Beard as well as a link to a past entry on her own Times blog A Don's Life.

Latin With No Dictionaries?

Many intermediate and even advancing Latin readers often find that the greatest obstacle to reading Latin in a linear word order is vocabulary. NoDictionaries.com can help! This is a specialized dictionary engine which prepares a running vocabulary list for any Latin text that you type in. It won't do all the work of reading or translating for you, but it can make the experience more pleasant by helping you reduce the amount of flipping you do through the pages of your Latin dictionary. The author of NoDictionaries.com has provided many Latin authors already prepared for you to download and read!

If you join, you can create a running vocabulary study sheet for the books or text that you are reading. (Those of you who are preparing for the Advanced Placement Caesar and Vergil exam may find this feature particularly helpful! A number of books from De Bello Gallico (no word yet if that's the selected text, though) and Vergil's Aeneid have already been processed on the site.)

Do be sure to take a look at Laura Gibb's helpful notes for using NoDictionaries.com first. She clearly explains a lot of the features in detail.

Other helpful dictionary reference tools to help save you time and read more Latin include:

The Perseus Project: Charlton T. Lewis and and Charles Short's A Latin Dictionary. This authoritative resource provides very detailed definitions and citations from Classical Latin authors showing each word used in context. Also available at the Perseus Project is Charlton T. Lewis' An Elementary Latin Dictionary, which is ironically shorter than the Lewis and Short version.

Available on the iPhone and iPod Touch App Store are two Latin dictionaries for download: Latin Dictionary and Lexidium. These are easily found if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch. Simply click on the App Store icon and do a keyword search for the titles.

More on Power, Ambition, Glory, and the Benefits of a Classical Education

Tim O'Reilly, one of the foremost technology writers of the 21st century and the originator of the term "Web 2.0," was one of the individuals interviewed in a recent Forbes Magazine special report entitled "Power, Ambition, Glory." Mr. O'Reilly received his undergraduate degree in Greek and Latin Classics and is clearly not living a life of genteel poverty, despite having majored in the so-called "dead languages!"

Mr. O'Reilly clearly feels that his Classical education has had a profound effect upon his business career and his life. Since the Forbes report included only a very brief excerpt of his answers to their questions, he has published the entire interview, "The Benefits of a Classical Education," on his blog.

Stephen Colbert Shows off his Latin pronunciation skills!!

On Monday evening's episode (June 22, 2009) of the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert interviewed Simon Schama, a professor at Columbia University and author of The American Future: A History and A History of Britain. Professor Schama quotes Cicero at the beginning of the interview, pronouncing the ancient orator's name with a "soft C" sound, prompting Mr. Colbert to correct the pronunciation with the "hard C" sound of the Classical pronunciation. Mr. Colbert also asserts that he knows who the Romans are! Enjoy!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Simon Schama
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Stephen Colbert in Iraq

Power, Ambition, Glory and a Classics Degree!

So, what are you going to do with that Classics degree? Become a best-selling author? A renowned magician? A business entrepreneur? A famous politician? A Classicist?

See Forbes Magazine Business Visionaries website for a special report regarding the new book Power, Ambition, Glory: The Stunning Parallels Between Great Leaders of the Ancient World and Today...Lessons You Can Learn by Steve Forbes and John Prevas. Featured with the two videos and articles are 14 Leaders On the Classics - including Rita Mae Brown, Garrison Keillor, Teller (one-half of "Penn and Teller"), Robert Greene, and Charles M. Geschke, among others - relating how they apply the lessons they learned from their studies of the ancient world to their lives today.

DonorsChoose.Org and Latin

DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that helps individual donors connect to public school classrooms in need of learning materials. If you watch the Colbert Report, you may have noticed that the host, Stephen Colbert, is now a celebrity spokesperson and member of the board of directors for DonorsChoose.org. Mr. Colbert's current mission is to raise money for schools with significant military dependent populations. However, any public school may propose a Donorschoose.org project. DonorsChoose.org is partnered with its corporate sponsors U.S. Cellular, Chase, and American Express.

Through the DonorsChoose.org website, philanthropists can select and contribute to a classroom project. Donors can decide what kinds of projects they would like to support (Classics, literacy education, music, mathematics, etc.) or what type of school (military population, high economic poverty, geographic location, etc.)

At this time there are several Latin language projects proposed:

• Rome and Her Kings
• Latin Connections
• Welcome to the New Latin Classroom
• LCD Projector for Latin Scholars with Special Needs

Some Advice on Teaching Caesar

Professor William Harris, late of Middlebury College, wrote a short essay Gaius Julius Caesar that is well worth spending some time reading. Professor Harris provides some background relating how he believes Caesar's Gallic Wars came to be the "sine qua non" upon which Latin studies were based in the U.S. in the 19th century. He also gives some advice regarding teaching the content of De Bello Gallico, as well as the technicalities of Caesarian grammar.

At the same site, also see A Note on Caesar as Stylist.

Like "As the World Turns," But in Latin!

This weekend a very talented group of Latin students from Santa Monica High School premiered their feature-length series "Pacifica," a four-episode soap opera written and acted entirely in Latin, at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, California. It was a sold out show! Read more about "Pacifica" and its creators in the Santa Monica Daily Press!

Caesar Tweets!

Would you believe that IVLIVSCAESAR has a Twitter stream? (Okay, it's actually Laura Gibbs of the Bestiara Latin Blog. The "tweets" are based upon Plutarch's Life of Caesar.)

Objections to Caesar from the Past

Some may question whether Caesar is too easy for the AP Latin Literature course.

Throughout the 2oth century, many second year Latin books based their content upon Caesar's Gallic Wars. It is clear that for over a century, Latin teachers and professors have dealt with the question of the place of Caesar's writings in the Latin curriculum.

As early as 1916, Josiah Bethea Game wrote in Teaching High School Latin: "Classes are often not ready for Caesar at the opening of the second year...Caesar is more difficult Latin than its place in the course of study would indicate...It really ought to be given in the third year, for it is the rock on which unnumbered thousands of faithful pupils have gone to pieces utterly." (p. 76)

Moving Caesar to Advanced Placement status may at least allow teachers to finally admit that Caesar is actually quite difficult for second year students.

Another criticism of Caesar is that his material is actually fairly dry and dull.

Game spends most of his time in the chapter discussing second year Latin on how to teach Caesar effectively, admitting that "if you work under a course of study which absolutely fixes the work in Caesar, you will of course be forced to do the best you can." He notes that students don't usually learn much about Roman civilization in a Caesar course and that it is imperative that they spend time reading something other than Caesar or they may end up "feeling that Latin is of limited value." He strongly suggests that students prepare contextual themes to present to the class in order to provide coherence to the course.

Charles Bennett (perhaps the greatest champion of the grammar-based philosophy of teaching Latin) even conceded the weaknesses of Caesar while continuing to support his placement in the curriculum.

He enumerates several objections to Caesar (and especially De Bello Gallico) in The Teaching of Latin and Greek in the Secondary School (1911): "a) Caesar is undeniably difficult...b) Caesar is not interesting," and "c) the bearing of Caesar's narrative is not obvious," (pp. 112-113) summing it all up thus: "Caesar...is regarded by many as unique in its combination of difficulty, its dullness and its dearth of information." However, Bennett ultimately concludes that there is value in reading Caesar's Latin for his "purity of diction" and "accuracy of style" (p. 114.)

Non amo te, Caesar mi...

With permission from Professor Richard A. LaFleur of the University of Georgia, this seems to sum up the reaction of many secondary school Latin teachers to the announcement that Caesar will replace Cicero, Ovid, Catullus and Horace on the AP Latin Lit exam:

"..cum apologiis Martiali carissimo nostro (not least for the metrical fudge in "Caesar"--let's just call that a "systole"):

'Non amo te, Caesar mi; nec possum dicere quare.

Hoc tantum possum dicere: non amo te!'"

Translation: "With apologies to our most dear Martial...'I do not love you, my Caesar; I can't say why. I am only able to say this: I don't love you.'"

(Based upon Martial I, 32: "Non amo te, Sabidi; nec possum dicere quare. Hoc tantum possum dicere: non amo te!")

Julius Caesar Vicit!

Venit, vidit, vicit! (He came, he saw, he conquered!)

Dust off your copies of De Bello Gallico and/or De Bello Civili! (No word yet as to which of Caesar's commentaries.)

According to a recent post to the AP-Latin discussion list, the Advanced Placement Latin Development Committee has announced its plan to create a new two-author AP poetry and prose Latin Literature course. Vergil's Aeneid will remain on the syllabus, but apparently the required number of lines will be reduced. The new prose author will be Caesar.

(The previous syllabus included the poets Ovid, Catullus, Horace and the prose author Cicero in various combinations, in addition to the Vergil exam. The Ovid/Catullus/Horace/Cicero syllabus was discontinued earlier this year.)

Caesar is generally read before Vergil, and was traditionally taught in the second semester of the second year in American high schools especially during the mid-20th century. The Classical Investigation of 1924 prescribed the Caesar-Cicero-Vergil sequence. Many 21st century Latin teachers have preferred not to teach Caesar, for various reasons and many modern textbook series generally don't include very much of his writing. (Caesar tends to show up more often in grammar-based textbook series.) Some object to his focus upon war. Others find him boring. Many believe that Caesar is especially unappealing to their female students. On the other hand, Caesar's writings are definitely easier to read than Cicero's and many introductory prose composition and English-to-Latin translation courses have been based on Caesar. Teachers who want to promote spoken Latin in the classroom may find it easier to discuss Caesar's works in Latin than Cicero's. (Caesar's commentaries resemble "blog posts" from the front, while Cicero's orations often employ many rhetorical devices within a complicated sentence structure.)

Alea iacta est! (The die is cast.) Here are some resources for the teaching of Caesar for those of you who want to get a head start.

Also, check out T.J. Howell's Caesar Classroom resource for some imaginative ideas.

Macquarie University in Australia hosts an outstanding numismatic site, The Coinage of Julius Caesar.

See previous Latinteach blog entries referring to Caesar.

Statue of Caesar Courtesy VRoma.org

Bolchazy Summer Webinar Series 2009

Bolchazy-Carducci is presenting a series of eleven Webinars by and for Latin teachers this summer. Click below to see details on how to sign up.

The Thirteenth Labor of Hercules

It's Friday!  Enjoy this "news" article about the 13th Labor of Hercules brought to you by the Onion!

Cambridge Latin Summer Workshop 2009

The theme for this summer's Cambridge Summer Workshop (July 13-16) is "Training for a Championship Season in the Latin Classroom."  The workshop will take place at the Wyndham Hotel, University Place, Pittsburgh, PA, near the University of Pittsburgh. 

Session topics include: Reading Strategies at All Levels; The Planning and Teaching of Particular Stages; Varied Assessments; Vocabulary Acquisition and Derivatives, Culture; Language Activities; and Technology in the Classroom.  There will also be optional sessions on Powerpoint and audiovisual supplements to the course.  

For more information, tuition costs, registration forms, and more visit the North American Cambridge Classics Project.

SALVI Rusticatio 2009 Scholarship Announcement

Breaking news for Latin-speakers and aspiring Latin-speakers: SALVI (Septentrionale Americanum Latinitatis Vivae Institutum) (known in English as the North American Institute for Living Latin Studies) is pleased to announce the availability of three need-based scholarships, funded by the Amy High Latin Foundation of Virginia, for its general-enrollment spoken-Latin workshop Rusticatio Virginiana Omnibus Destinata 2009. Applications for scholarships to Rusticatio Omnibus will be accepted through June 10, 2009. The SALVI Scholarship Committee chair will notify applicants of the Committee’s decision via email on June 15. Please note that scholarships cover only the Rusticatio Omnibus program fees, and do not include support for travel expenses.

To compete for a scholarship, please do the following:

1. Download an application for Rusticatio Omnibus from http://www.latin.org/rusticatio.html.  Send the completed application to SALVI, c/o Jacquelyn Myers, 1252 11th Street, #107, Santa Monica, CA, 90401. (Disregard this step if you have already submitted your Rusticatio application.)

2. Provide a personal statement of no more than 250 words in which you:

• Briefly describe your present occupation.
  
• Explain why you believe your attendance at Rusticatio Omnibus will benefit you and/or others.
  
• Explain why receiving this scholarship is necessary for you. If you are currently employed, please explain the likelihood of receiving institutional support for program fees, travel, etc., or the circumstances which might preclude such support.
  

Please send your personal statement by email to the Scholarship Committee chair, Jacquelyn Myers, at iacoba@latin.org.

Deadline for scholarship application: June 10, 2009.

Memorial Day

Christopher Francese, Associate Professor of Classical Studies at the highly-regarded Dickinson College, has a wonderful Latin Poetry Podcast that is well worth downloading from iTunes!  You can also listen online at the Dickinson College Blog. 

In March 2008, Professor Francese read an Epitaph for a Roman Soldier (CLE 537 = CIL 5.5824), which is the lament of a mother for her fallen son, a soldier who died far from home without a proper burial.  

Today, on this Memorial Day, let us all remember the American airmen, soldiers and sailors who have died for our freedom, as well as their families.