Seventh Grade Latin and Ancient Greek Syllabus 2014-15
Class Overview:
This course is for seventh graders whose performance in class and on standardized tests has
shown that they need enrichment in the vocabulary and grammar parts of Birchwood’s language
arts curriculum.
The class meets twice a week, with 80% of the time dedicated to Latin and 20% dedicated to
Ancient Greek. The Latin textbook is the first book in the high school series Ecce Romani. For
Greek they study Eucleides’ World, a book designed for use in conjunction with Ecce Romani.
Students cover about half of Ecce Romani during the first year of Latin at Birchwood, finishing
the book by the end of their second year. Over the past six years, many Birchwood graduates
have placed out of a year of high school Latin.
In each chapter of Ecce Romani, students first read, in Latin, part of the story of an ancient
Roman family, the Corneliuses. Then they learn elements of Latin grammar and get an
introduction to an aspect of Roman culture: history, myth, daily life, or word study (the influence
of Latin on English words). In addition to the exercises in the book, they play games that
reinforce all of the above, including a Roman version of the quiz show ‘Jeopardy.’
From Eucleides’ World students first learn the Greek alphabet (this task is spread over six short
chapters). Then, they read short Greek passages in each chapter describing the life of Eucleides,
a Greek slave of the Cornelius family. Taken together, the two textbooks give students a basic
foundation in Classical language studies. Students also practice for the National Latin Exam,
which takes place in March. Students spend half an hour two nights per week on Latin or Greek
homework. The grade for the course each quarter is determined by class participation, written
homework assignments, weekly quizzes, and a cumulative quarter exam.
First Quarter:
Latin: review of general grammatical ideas and terminology from prior grammar work in
language arts. The aim is to build a solid foundation of concepts, forms, and vocabulary.
Chapters 1 - 4
Greek: alphabet uppercase and lowercase, decoding words, recognition of cognates.
Second Quarter:
Latin: special emphasis on the formation of the Latin verb system; ideally, this enables students
to understand rather than simply memorize new word forms. Chapters 5 - 7
Greek: EW chapters 1 - 6
Third Quarter:
Latin: special emphasis on the grammar of all Latin noun cases. Chapters 8 - 12
Greek: EW chapters 7 - 9
Fourth Quarter:
Latin: extending the verb system, neuter nouns, and individual attention to study skills and
planning optional summer work to ensure rapid progress in eighth grade Latin in the fall.
Chapters 13 - 17.Greek: EW chapters 10 - 12