How Latin Supports
the Common Core
Amy Mullay
Latin Teacher
North Hunterdon H.S.
Annandale, NJ
To show how Latin inherently supports the
Common Core/ELA standards
 To give examples of activities that easily
inculcate the skills assessed by PARCC
 To brainstorm and share activities that
support the standards
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Goals
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PARCC was adopted by 18 states and District
of Columbia
Common Core has been adopted by 45 states
and the District of Columbia
Provides a common set of standards
Keys in on measuring student progress and
growth
PARCC/Common Core State
Standards
If you are in one of the Common Core
states, you may have the ELA standards as
part of your evaluation or district goals.
 If you are in one of the PARCC states, the
students will be tested next year on these
standards –
 How can we assist the students in
attaining these skills?
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How it affects us as Latin Teachers?
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Latin programs that have an AP class already
practice many of the ELA skills because they
are necessary to complete the tasks of the AP
exam.
Because of the nature of the language and its
acquisition, many of the ELA standards are
fundamental to Latin.
It can be as simple as having our students
answer in complete sentences in Latin I or as
complex as an analytical essay in AP.
Why it isn’t as scary as it sounds?
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The Common Core/ELA standards have separate
standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and
Listening, and Language.
The Common Core has suggested that students
read more informational texts – 70% should be
non-fiction/informational and 30% should be
fictional –
The Aeneid is part of the fictional component but
De Bello Gallico could be considered
informational to some degree
The Reading, Writing and Language standards
are already part of Latin programs.
Reading, Writing, and Language

Read closely to determine what the text says
explicitly and to make logical inferences from it;
cite specific textual evidence when writing or
speaking to support conclusions drawn from the
text.
Translation at any level can assist with close
reading
Comprehension questions which require
textual support can support conclusions drawn
Reading – Standard 1

Determine central ideas or themes of a text and
analyze their development; summarize key
supporting details and ideas
In upper levels, any extended text can be used –
Cicero’s In Catilinam
This coincides with the AP Latin Curriculum
Framework’s 7 themes -
Reading – Standard 2

Analyze how and why individuals, events, or
ideas develop and interact over the course of a
text
AP – Aeneas’ development as a leader
 Interaction of Aeneas with Venus, Dido,
etc
 Interaction of Caesar with his generals
 Ecce Romani – related stories
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Reading – Standard 3

Interpret words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including determining
technical, connotative, and figurative
meanings, and analyze how specific word
choices shape meaning or tone
Reading – Standard 4

Assess how point of view or purpose
shapes the content and style of a text
AP – Vergil’s purpose
 Caesar’s point of view
 Cicero’s diction
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Reading – Standard 6
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Analyze how two or more texts address
similar themes or topics in order to build
knowledge or to compare the approaches
the authors take
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AP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reading – Standard 9

Read and comprehend complex literary
and informational texts independently and
proficiently
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Any text – any level can have
comprehension questions which facilitate
this
Reading – Standard 10
Write arguments to support claims in an
analysis of substantive topics or texts
using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence
 Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research
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AP comparative essay
Writing – Standards 1 and 9
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Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details,
and well-structured even sequences

Story writing in Latin I, II or III
Writing – Standard 3
Conventions of Standard English
 Demonstrate command of the conventions
of standard English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking
 Demonstrate command of the conventions
of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing
Language – Standards 1 & 2
Knowledge of Language

Apply knowledge of language to
understand how language functions in
different contexts, to make effective
choices for meaning or style, and to
comprehend more fully when reading or
listening.
Language – Standard 3
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
•
Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words
and phrases by using context clues,
analyzing meaningful word parts, and
consulting general and specialized
reference materials, as appropriate.
Language – Standard 4
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Demonstrate understanding of figurative
language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
Language – Standard 5

Acquire and use accurately a range of
general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases sufficient for reading,
writing, speaking and listening;
demonstrate independence in gathering
vocabulary knowledge when encountering
an unknown term important to
comprehension or expression
Language – Standard 6
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Showing how Latin supports the Common
Core ELA standards is an excellent way to
justify keeping Latin programs in schools
when it could possibly be cut
Conclusion
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http://www.parcconline.org/about-parcc
http://www.corestandards.org/
Alignment of the National Standards for Learning
Languages with the Common Core State Standards http://www.actfl.org/news/reports/alignment-the-nationalstandards-learning-languages-the-common-core-statestandards
AP Latin Curriculum Framework
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/A
P_LatinCED_Effective_Fall_2012_lkd.pdf
Resources