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The aims of Latin teaching in Years 7 to 9
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We aim to increase linguistic awareness and ability by studying a language which is very different from modern ones, yet not totally alien for most pupils, to foster consciousness of cultural variety and development by study of an ancient culture over a relatively short timespan, to promote knowledge of a world which is a source of many and varied elements of the contemporary world, particularly in Europe and Spain, to develop a critical approach to learning about the past, understanding the importance of evidence and its evaluation.
Those pupils who continue to study Latin in Year 10 should have acquired a sound basis in the language and a good knowledge of the Roman world. The GCSE course is a continuation of the Years 7 to 9 work, and depends heavily on it.
The general purposes of Latin
- To improve pupils' understanding and use of their own language(s), both the grammar and the vocabulary;
- To train pupils' minds to be precise both in analysis of language and in application;
- To help them learn other languages, both related to and not related to Latin;
- To understand and question critically their cultural environment;
- To have a fuller and richer knowledge of the history and culture of a major European civilisation;
- To be familiar with and to appreciate surviving features of that civilisation - physical remains, works of art and literature;
- To encourage pupils to appreciate non-vocational studies.
Subject special skills
- To understand a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar grammatical concepts; to learn accidence; to learn vocabulary;
- To use written language carefully;
- To understand and appreciate the way people lived in the past;
- To make comparisons with the pupils' own experience;
- To develop an understanding of sources of knowledge;
- To appreciate their limitations.
The Course
From Years 7 to 9 the Cambridge Latin Course is used, starting with Unit I in Year 7, doing Unit II in Year 8, and reaching the end of Unit III by the end of Year 9. The stages (1 to 28) are followed in order, with occasional omissions of exercises, extra languages exercises and worksheets on Roman life being added, and additional related work being done on Greek mythology, the Greek alphabet and Roman history. In Year 9 a classical play is put on in many years, and this is rehearsed partly in lesson time. A small amount of work - drawing, word-processing, databases and spreadsheets, which involves learning new IT skills in many cases may be done on computers. A small number of videos may be watched. A trip for Year 7 generally goes to Mérida in May.
Lessons will often be used for covering work from more than one element of the programme of study.
Year 7
- Autumn Term
- Stages 1 to 5: Language
- Pronunciation and writing of Latin
- Basic grammar of nouns - Subjects and Objects and Singular and Plural, different declensions
- Present tenses of verbs
- Vocabulary; links with English and Spanish
- Greek words in Latin and English
- Stages 1 to 5: Roman world
- Pompeii, houses, daily life, town life, drama
- Also mythology: Hercules, Perseus, Jason, Proserpina et al.
- Spring/Summer
- Stages 6 - 12: Language
- Stages 6 - 12: Roman world
- Slavery, burial practices, amphitheatre shows, baths, schools, writing materials, local politics (the Stage 12 work on the eruption is left until the start of Year 8)
Year 8
- Autumn
- Stages 13 - 15: Language
- Full revision of verbs, then nouns.
- Mixed conjugation
- Infinitive with volo and possum
- Basic work on Adjectives
- Relative Pronoun
- General work on Clauses
- Questions
- At start of year: Work on eruption of Vesuvius and the archaeology of Pompeii and Herculaneum
- Stages 13 - 15: Roman world
- Farming in Roman Britain, and slavery
- Houses in Britain at this time
- The history of the early years of the Roman occupation of Britain
- Cogidubnus, a client-king
- Spring/Summer
- Stages 16 - 20: Language
- Pluperfect Tense
- Genitive Case
- The endings of the main declensions including the Ablative Case
- Neuter nouns
- Dative verbs
- hic haec hoc and is ea id
- Imperative
- Vocative case
- Present Participle
- Stages 16 - 20: Roman world
- Fishbourne Palace
- Egypt and Alexandria in Roman times
- Glass-making
- Isis-worship
- Greek science and medicine
- The Ancient Greek alphabet
Year 9
- Autumn
- Stages 21 - 24: Language
- Revision of nouns and verbs
- Perfect Participles (Active and Passive)
- Concept of Active and Passive verbs
- Adverb formation
- Uses of the Genitive Case
- cum (when) and the Imperfect and Pluperfect Subjunctives
- Stages 21 - 24: Roman world
- Roman Bath
- Religion, including curses
- Travel, in particular by road
- Spring/Summer
- Stages 25 - 28: Language
- Indirect questions
- Purpose Clauses with ut
- Result Clauses
- Impersonal verbs
- Intransitive Gerundives of Obligation
- Instrumental Ablative
- Time expressions
- Prepositions
- Stages 25 - 28: Roman world
- The Roman army
- Agricola, a (military) governor of Britain
- Military tombstones
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