Latin 1A
California State
University, Sacramento
Course Description
1A. Elementary Latin. Focuses on the development of the ability to read and write Latin. Included in the reading materials are short passages about Roman life. From these passages the student can gain insight into the elements of Roman culture and history which have affected modern civilization, patterns of human relationships, and important historical events.Prerequisite: none
[4] credits
Why Take This Class? Why Take Latin?
Requirements
There are no prerequisites for Latin 1A, but I do expect you to be in class each day and to be willing to do homework. There will be an assignment every day. For more details, see the syllabus below. I recommend that you have a SacLink account for electronic mail and Internet services. Although a home computer with a high speed modem running a web browser would be beneficial, students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.
Syllabus
Textbooks:
- ECCE ROMANI I
- Workbooks for ECCE ROMANI IA and 1B
This is one of the more difficult classes at CSUS: you cannot fall behind, you must do the homework every day. All the following policies are designed to encourage you to keep up. See the week-by-week schedule below; be aware that unexpected events may cause the schedule to change slightly.
Tests: There will be frequent quizzes (almost every chapter) and a final exam. The quizzes are all announced and there are no makeups. Part of any quiz may be take-home. The quizzes and exams count 50% of your grade.
Homework: I assign written homework each day. I collect each day's assignment the next class day. You get one point each day for doing the assignment for that day, for a total of about 40 points per semester. 36-40 points = A; 31-35 points = B; 26-30 = C; 21-25 points = D. Homework will be 40% of your grade.
Workbook: Do three exercises per Chapter in the Workbook. I will collect the Workbooks once per week, and you get one point per Chapter for doing the exercises, total 21 points. The Workbook is 10% of your grade.
Attendance: As you see from the previous paragraph, tests, homework, and Workbook constitute 100% of your grade. I do not count attendance apart from the homework. But you will not succeed without attending class.
Homework: [Workbook] You must do three exercises in the Workbook for each Chapter&emdash;you pick the three. For example, the Workbook for Chapter 4 contains 6 exercises (4a-4f). You choose three to complete. (Occasionally I will assign a particular exercise from the Workbook; this will count as one of the three.) I take up the Workbooks every Tuesday and return them on Wednesday. [Text] I take up homework assigned from the textbook, but I do not grade it. I simply want to make sure that everyone understands the material in each chapter well enough to be able to continue with the next chapter. In fact we will usually go over all the homework in detail in class. If for some reason you do not finish your homework for the day, do not skip class, because if you do you will then miss the explanations of the day's work and the drill, and you will be even further behind than you were before. Instead, complete the homework by the next class period. [Computer] For Latin drill programs, including some for Ecce Romani specifically, see http://www.abney.homestead.com/ecce1.html and http://www.abney.homestead.com/ecce2.html also www.magisterhoran.com/EcceRomaniLatinCourse.html. Many pages of practice material for our textbook are available on the web - just search "Ecce Romani". For a web site written entirely in Latin, including a long contribution by me, see http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/retiarius/
Objectives: By the end of the semester, you will know
1. About 650 Latin words and their English cognates;
2. Beginning Latin Grammar: four cases, the present,
imperfect, and perfect tenses, the use of prepositions, and
other matters;
3. Many facts about Roman life and civilization and the
influence of that civilization on the modern world.
Successful Student Characteristics
Discipline to complete projects by deadlines; motivation to study, write, and participate fully in class activities; and time to devote approximately 10 hours a week to a 4-credit course. If you are taking 20+ units and are trying "to fit this class in," forget it. Take an easier class.
Instructor
Mark Riley's Web page and
e-mail mtriley@csus.edu
Week-by Week program; the semester has 15 weeks, 4 class sessions during most weeks; campus furloughs may affect the schedule:
Week 1 - Latin 1A begins Aug. 31, 2009: Chapters 1-2; quiz Thursday, Sept 4 (the 4th day of class!) on Chapters 1 and 2.
Week 2 - Sept 7: Chapters 3-4; quiz Thursday on Chapters 3 and 4.
Week 3 - Sept 14: Chapter 5; quiz on Chapter 5; begin Chapter 6.
Week 4 - Sept 21: Chapter 6 and 7; Review I, Chapters 1-7.
Week 5 - Sept. 28: major quiz Monday on Review I; Chapter 8; begin Chapter 9.
Week 6 - Oct 5: Chapter 9; quiz on Chapter 9; Chapter 10.
Week 7 - Oct 12: finish Chapter 10; quiz on Chapter 10; Chapter 11.
Week 8 - Oct 19: quiz on Chapter 11; Chapter 12; Review II; major quiz on Review II.
Week 9 - Oct 26: Chapter 13; Chapter 14; quiz on Chapters 13/14 together.
Week 10 - Nov 2: Chapter 15; Chapter 16; quiz on Chapters 15/16 together.
Week 11 - Nov 9 (Wednesday Nov. 11 is Veterans Day - the University is closed that day): Chapter 17; Review III; major quiz on Review III.
Week 12 - Nov 16: Chapter 18; quiz on Chapter 18 (adjectives).
Week 13 - Nov 23: Thanksgiving week: Chapter 19; quiz on Chapter 19. No class Thursday.
Week 14 - Nov. 30: Chapter 20 (perfect tense of verbs); quiz on Chapter 20.
Week 15 -Dec 7: Chapter 21; Review IV. Dec. 10 is the last day of Latin 1A.
Final exam: Wed., Dec. 16, 12:45-2:45 unless changed by the University.
Page updated:8-11-09