First Form Latin class update - January 27

In today's class we discussed predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives.  Linking verbs do not take direct objects - what they do is to link together a noun and a noun or a noun and an adjective.  Like:
(predicate nominative): The farmer is a poet: Agricola est poeta. 
(predicate adjective): The horses are bad: Equi sunt mali.

We also learned to count to ten - and we learned the first ten ordinal numbers.  The ordinals function in the same manner as 1st and 2nd declension adjectives.

The students will also need to be sure that they know their Roman numerals:
I = one
II=two
III=three
IV=four
V=five
VI = six
VII= seven
VIII= eight
IX =nine
X = ten
XX = twenty
L = fifty
C = one hundred
D = five hundred
M = one thousand

Homework:
1.  Remember to check assignments - and be sure that you are ready to present your project on the assigned date.  Beginning next week, no late projects will be accepted unless the student has a note from a parent regarding illness.
2. Read the text book pages 50-51
3. Workbook for lesson 19 - 99-103
4. Make note cards for each number - different ones for the cardinals and the ordinals.  Find a derivative for each word.
5. Projects: Feb 3: Grace - The Titans and the gods and Sarah - Prometheus; Feb 10 - Adam - Pandora's Box

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First Form Latin class update - January 23

In today's class we learned about 1st and 2nd declension adjectives.  In Latin, adjectives have to agree with their noun in case, number, and gender.  The students need to make sure it meets all three of these requirements - especially in dealing with those first declension masculine nouns like poet, farmer, and sailor.

Homework:
1. Read the text book - pages 48-49
2. Workbook pages for lesson 18 - 94-98
3. Notecards + derivatives
4. Projects: January 30 - Leah - Titans and the gods; February 6 - Stephen - Prometheus

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Geography class update - January 23

Today we had a fantastic speaker - Mr Michael Carnell - who shared stories, pictures, and candy from Canada. 

Homework:
1. Complete the handout with the questions regarding the Canadian chapter.
2.  Complete the current event for Canada - be sure to bring in a copy of the article that you are summarizing.
3.  Write a thank you note to Mr Carnell.

Second Form Latin class update - January 23

In today's lesson we learned about third conjugation -io verbs.  These verbs in form look just like the 4th conjugation that we learned last week - but do belong to the third conjugation.  The students need to be sure that they know to which conjugation each verb belongs.  Grammatically, there are no new forms to learn this week!

Homework:
1. Reread the lesson from this week - pages 46-47
2. Workbook pages for lesson 15 - pages 89-94
3. notecards and derivatives
4. Upcoming projects: Anna - Feb 13 - Marc Anthony and Cleopatra

Mythology class update - January 23

In today's class we reviewed the Odyssey and then picked up with the story of Circe.  After Odysseus and his men left Circe, they went to the underworld to get advise from Tiresias, then they encountered the Sires, Scylla, and Charybdis.

Homework:
1. Continue to work on your OMG projects.  I am estimating the due date as the beginning of March - with a more specific date to come in the next week or two.
2.  The students have a group Odyssey project.  They are working in 2 groups of three - they need to exchange phone numbers and emails.  The students may work on the project here at LAC during study hall, meet at the library, or if meeting is not an option, there is a lot that can be accomplished via gmail chat or even skype.  This project is due on February 20th.
3.  When we begin our study of the Vikings in March, we will be reading the book "Summerland" by Michael Chabon.  You may want to purchase a copy or you may get it from the library. 
4.  We will probably start watching "O Brother Where Art Thou" in class next week (if not next week, then for sure the following week).  Feel free to bring in snacks!
5.  Don't forget to register for the Viking feast.  Fees must be turned in by February 15th.

First Form Latin class update - January 16

In today's class we reviewed the 1st and 2nd declension forms that we have been working on in this unit.  The students need to spend some time going over their nouns - and being sure that they can decline them as well as knowing their meanings.

As part of our review, we played a game of Latin pictionary and the students had the opportunity to earn some bonus points on our next quiz!

Homework:
1. Read lesson XVII on pages 46-47
2. Do the workbook pages for this lesson - pages 88-93
3. Review vocabulary and grammar!
4.  Projects: January 30 - Leah - The Titans and the gods; Feb 6 - Stephen - Prometheus; Feb 10 - Sallie - Pandora's Box.

Geography class update - January 16

This class requires that students attend two cultural events over the span of the school year. Many cultural festivals are in the fall so I have been working on other options that the students might consider.  There is Chinese New Year coming up at the beginning of February so you might find some celebrations for that to join in.  Here are two easy and inexpensive options:
1. Watch either the opening or closing ceremonies for the Winter Olympics.  Accompany this with an ethnic meal that might be new to you (meaning pizza or pasta are not good choices!).
2.  The Amazing Race begins its next season in February.  You may watch the race and have it count as BOTH of your cultural options by watching each week and bringing to class a piece of paper listing the country (countries) visited and at least two cultural things that you learned.  This must be turned in each week until the end of the show or the end of the school year - whichever happens first.

Please let me know if you need additional cultural event ideas.

In class today we finished our chapter on the United States and began our coverage of Canada.  Next week we'll have a guest speaker from Canada.

Homework is the handout given in class plus the current event.

Projects for this unit are due on February 6 and the test will be on February 13.

Mythology class update - January 16

Today we finished the Calypso play and read about Polyphemus and the island of the Cyclops.  The story of "The Odyssey" begins in media res - with a grown up Telemachus looking for his father.  It is not chronological.  We learned of Odysseus' adventures with the lotus eaters, Polyphemus, the gift of the winds from Aeolus, and the encounter with the Laestrygonians.  Next week we will begin with Circe the sorceress.

Don't forget about our next field trip - the Viking Feast.  I need registration fees by February 15th and the feast is on Saturday March 1st (same location of Trinity Lutheran as our Roman banquet).  Please let me know if you have any questions or are unable to attend.  If your student is unable to attend we can talk about other options.

Homework:
1. "Iliad" essays are due Friday, January 17th via email by 8pm. 
2. Continue to work on your OMG project
3.  Next week I will give the Odyssey project handout.  This is to be done in groups of 2 or 3 so start thinking about who you would like to work with!

Second Form Latin class update - January 16

In today's class we went over the translation sentences from the workbook review - the students are doing a good job of learning to do this!

In today's lesson, we learned how to form the present system of fourth conjugation verbs.  This conjugation does not have the irregularities found in third conjugation (yippee!).

Homework:
1.  Reread the chapter - pages 44-45
2.  Workbook pages for lesson 14 - pages 83-88
3.  Create notecards for the new vocabulary words plus find another derivative for each (except for nescio).

First Form Latin update - January 13

In a language, vocabulary is cumulative and all vocabulary should be studied/reviewed each week.  The students really need to spend some time going over all the nouns that we have learned.

Today's lesson focused on 1st and 2nd declension adjectives.  We did not have any new endings to learn, but there was a grammar lesson.  In Latin, adjectives must agree with the noun that they modify in case, number, and gender.  Where this gets tricky is in our three masculine nouns of the first declension.  The endings for these nouns look feminine yet they are masculine.  So when paired with an adjective, the endings are different: agricola bonus.

There is no class next week because of the MLK holiday.  Today's lesson was to be a review of 1st and 2nd declension nouns - but we moved ahead to cover the new grammar that would have been presented next week.  The students will still need to do the review lesson during their break.

Homework for this week:
1. Reread the text book pages 48-49
2. Workbook for lesson 18 - pages 94-98
3. Make note cards for your new vocabulary words.  Find additional derivatives for each word.

Homework for next week:
1.  Read lesson 17 - pages 46-47
2. Workbook pages for lesson 17
3. Projects: January 27 - Grace - The Titans and the gods; February 3 - Sarah - Prometheus

We will not have a quiz over lesson 17.  When you return to class on January 27, the quiz will cover the grammar of lesson 18.  Make sure you are studying/reviewing all your vocabulary and grammar!

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First Form Latin class update - January 9

Today we spent a bit of time in review - it's amazing how much was forgotten over the break!  The students need to go back and look at their previous chapters about nouns so that they might refresh their memories.

Our new topic today was neuter nouns of the second declension.  The endings are almost identical to those of masculine 2nd declension nouns.  The students also practiced declining their vocabulary plus other words for practice.  We made a game of guessing the non vocab words to see if they could figure it out based on derivatives.

Homework:

• Read the text book - pages 44-45
• Workbook for lesson 16 - pages 84-87  (you may skip questions 9 and 10 on page 84 as this follows a different pronunciation guide that what we are using)
• Make note cards for your new vocabulary words.  
• Find an additional derivative for the words in the vocabulary list that already list a derivative.
• Projects: Jan 13/16 - Caleb S and Ted - Circus Maximus and Chariot racing; Jan 27/30 - Leah and Grace - The Titans and the gods.

Geography class update - January 9

Today we began our unit covering the United States.  We talked about the different regions of the US and their main economic activities.  The students also picked their next project topics (also choosing whether they would cover the US or Canada).

Homework:

• Geography coloring book - pages 7-11
• Be sure to review your maps - please let me know if you'd like to see a list of all the items that need to be labeled on your maps.  I can also email a pdf of the US map for additional practice.
• Extra credit for this unit: memorize the 50 states and capitals and be able to label them on a map.  If you would like to take a test of this, please let me know.  It would be given on a mutually agreeable date.  This is an all or nothing project.  The students will receive an extra 25 points to add to their test grades if it's completed perfectly.  

Mythology class update - January 9

Welcome back!

Today we begin with reviewing the "Rage of Achilles" and "The Cursed House of Atreus."  The students may want to re-read their Iliad plays and review their notes in preparation for the quiz over the Iliad next week.

We then plunged right in to our section on the Odyssey.  We read the first two stories about Telemachus looking for his father and about Odysseus being held by the sea nymph Calypso.

Homework:
1.  Please let me know if you have a preference for meeting at my home to watch "O Brother Where Art Thou" after we finish the Odyssey - would Friday, January 31 work for you?
2.  Keep working on your OMG project
3.  Your Iliad essays are now due on Friday, January 17th via email by 8pm.  I am still willing to offer commentary on essay outlines.
4. No discussion questions this week.

First Form Latin class update - January 6

Today we spent a bit of time in review - it's amazing how much was forgotten over the break!  The students need to go back and look at their previous chapters about nouns so that they might refresh their memories.

Our new topic today was neuter nouns of the second declension.  The endings are almost identical to those of masculine 2nd declension nouns.  The students also practiced declining their vocabulary plus other words for practice.  We made a game of guessing the non vocab words to see if they could figure it out based on derivatives.

Homework:

• Read the text book - pages 44-45
• Workbook for lesson 16 - pages 84-87  (you may skip questions 9 and 10 on page 84 as this follows a different pronunciation guide that what we are using)
• Make note cards for your new vocabulary words.  
• Find an additional derivative for the words in the vocabulary list that already list a derivative.
• Projects: Jan 13/16 - Caleb S and Ted - Circus Maximus and Chariot racing; Jan 27/30 - Leah and Grace - The Titans and the gods.

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