LATIN 4 HONORS SYLLABUS
COURSE DETAILS
Course Code: 363400HW
Subject: Latin 4 Honors
Required Prerequisites: C or higher in Latin 3 Honors
Suggested Prerequisites: C or higher in Latin 3 Honors
Duration: 28 – 32 weeks
Course Availability: A listing of when this course is offered in the current school year can be found on the VirtualSC
Current Course Offerings page (launches in a new window).
Class Times: Students are expected to work on their own to meet the deadlines posted in the course pacing guide.
Students should expect to spend 7-9 hours a week working on this course. There will be meetings every stage at a
day and time agreed on by the class. While these meetings are not mandatory, they are highly recommended for
student success.
Course Materials: A list of websites and online textbooks used in this course can be found here: Latin 4 Honors
Course Links List (launches in a new window). Students will need to be able to access all of these links to access all
course materials.
Final Exam: Students in this course take a VirtualSC final exam. Details on scheduling and taking final exams can be
found on the Final Exam Page (launches in a new window) of the VirtualSC webpage.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is a reading course. We will spend most of our time reading the Latin authors Caesar, Catullus, Tacitus,
Suetonius, Vergil, Lucilius, and Juvenal. Prior knowledge of Latin grammar and syntax basic Roman historical
periods is assumed and we will discuss these in greater depth.
The curriculum used in this course is guided by the South Carolina Standard for World Language Proficiency
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COURSE POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS
QUIZZES AND TESTS
Last revised 8/24/15
Quizzes and tests are scheduled regularly and all assessments will focus on the reading or writing of Latin. All tests
will be based on Latin passages addressed in the units, and will cover historical background, grammar, syntax,
literary and rhetorical devices, and the ability to read Latin.
PARTICIPATION
Learning Latin requires diligence: memorization, daily practice, and a clear understanding of the grammar and
syntax are required. Learning Latin online requires even more diligence; by no means should this course be
expected to be easier than a brick-and-mortar Latin course.
Participation in the course will be assessed by student presence on the discussion boards.
It is vital that students participate regularly in order not to fall behind in the course. Instruction in every lesson is
delivered via podcast and/or video. Students will need to participate in a discussion forum thread after listening to
each podcast and reading the required material, before the specified ending point for that lesson. Here, students
will be able to ask questions and discuss the lesson material or other matters pertaining to the course content.
Participation will be graded in these, so posts should be substantive, relate to the instructional material, readings,
focus topics, and other students’ posts, and comments must be civil and to the point. Questions about
administrative matters or problems should be directed to the instructor privately, preferably via the VirtualSC
Dashboard or Skype.
INTERPRETIVE READING AND PRESENTATIONAL S PEAKING AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
N.B.: All assignments for the course are listed under the lessons. Due dates are clearly marked. It is the student’s
responsibility to keep up with this work.
In this class, students will have regular assignments. These are designed to solidify student knowledge of Latin, and
are absolutely necessary for success in the course. All work, including discussions, is due by the date specified in
the stages. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED without a legitimate excuse, such as illness, confirmed by a parent.
Presentational speaking and writing of Latin are weighted more heavily than other work and require that students
send the instructor drafts before posting work. These due dates are posted in the course. The instructor needs
time to correct work and get it back to each student in time for the student to post it for public view. Replies to
other students (interpersonal communication) are designed to be spontaneous and therefore do not need to be
checked with the instructor. A microphone is REQUIRED for presentational speaking.
If a student feels that he/she cannot complete an assignment for any reason, s/he should contact the instructor
BEFORE the due date to discuss options. Students should be aware that per VirtualSC policy, “technology excuses”
will not be accepted for late work. All students must use the appropriate software applications programs (such as
MS Word) as discussed in the VirtualSC Orientation for submitting assignments. If a student’s computer is not
working or an internet connection is unavailable, it is his or her responsibility to find an alternative method for
turning in work.
NOTEBOOKS
It is highly recommended that students keep a Latin notebook in which they keep the syllabus, notes on the course
podcasts and videos and all downloadable materials. A good notebook will be vital for college entrance exams.
Last revised 8/24/15
Students will be sent a full list of assignments and their due dates at the beginning of the course. A sample pacing
guide for this course can be found in the VirtualSC Course Catalog (launches in a new window).
VIRTUALSC DETAILS
TECHNOLOGY
VirtualSC strives to provide adequate technical support to all of our students. As on online program, VirtualSC
cannot provide support for any hardware (computers, tablets or mobile devices) that students use to access their
courses. A list of technical requirements for devices can be found on the Virtual SC Tech Help page (launches in a
new window).
A troubleshooting guide for students is provided on the Virtual SC Tech Help page (launches in a new window). A
list of video tutorials can be found on the Student Tutorials page (launches in a new window).
Students who need individual technical support during registration and before their courses start should contact
the VirtualSC Help Center (launches in a new window) or call Student Services directly at (803) 734-8039. Students
who are actively enrolled in courses should contact their teachers for course-specific technical support.
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS
VirtualSC is committed to continually enhancing the accessibility of our courses. Our courses are regularly
monitored by internal staff to check for accessibility risks. We are working to ensure that all required videos in our
courses contain captions and/or transcripts. The program strives to ensure that all newly developed and revised
courses include structural styling to indicate headings, lists, and tables to assist in page comprehension for screen
readers.
The program continues to strive to format our courses to be compliant with the recommendations on the Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 (launches in a new window).
To ensure that students with special needs are being adequately served by our program, students with IEPs and
504s are asked to comply with the VirtualSC IEP/504 Policy (launches in a new window).
GRADING POLICY
The final grade in this course results from the following:


Coursework: 80%
End of Course Exam: 20%
Coursework grades will be based upon the quality of the student submissions, participation in discussions, and the
ability to maintain consistent communication with the instructor.
This course uses the South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale:
Letter Grade
A
Numerical Grade
93-100
Last revised 8/24/15
Letter Grade
B
C
D
F
Numerical Grade
85-92
77-84
70-76
69-0
COMMUNICATION AND LATE WORK
Participation and communication in an online class is critical to successful completion. Although students can
access at a time that is convenient for them, they are expected to login regularly to the Student Dashboard and
their course regularly. Students should meet all deadlines per the pacing guide and notify the instructor in advance
if extenuating circumstances arise that prohibit the student from participating in the class as expected. Due dates
for assignments are clearly posted and no work will be accepted beyond the due date unless a prior extension has
been arranged. Students can communicate with their instructor through various methods as posted in the course.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
VirtualSC (VSC) takes academic integrity very seriously and expects a full commitment to it from each VSC student.
All students taking courses with VirtualSC will be expected to adhere to our Academic Integrity Policy. The full
policy, including consequences for infractions can be found on our Academic Integrity Policy Page (launches in a
new window).
Last revised 8/24/15