Grading Practices; Latin IV-V

Section I: Mastery:

At the end of the fourth or fifth year, the student achieves mastery when he/she knows and understands progressively accumulated vocabulary, grammar and syntax in order to render consistently proficient translations of The Aeneid. The students also must be able to know and understand the literary significance, plot, characters, figures of speech, and metrical patterns found in The Aeneid and must be able to write well developed essays which convey this understanding. The specific curricula areas are listed in Section IV.

When a Latin IV-V student has mastered the specified content skills, he/she consistently is able to communicate successfully, understand cultural knowledge and significance, connect with this expanded knowledge to other disciplines, and develop insight into Latin's effect on our own and other cultures, languages and civilizations.

Section II: Goals:

• Reading, understanding, and interpreting advanced Latin literature, particularly The Aeneid by Vergil using oral, aural, and written Latin as a part of the learning process;

• Gaining knowledge and understanding of Vergil=s life, times, literary history, and literary stylistic devices such as figures of speech and metrical patterns.

• Reinforcing and connecting to knowledge in other disciplines through the study of classical language and through the reading of Latin and the study of ancient culture;

• Developing insight into and increased knowledge of the student=s own language and culture through comparisons to classical language and culture;

• Participating in a global, multi-lingual world through knowledge of classical language and culture.

 

Section III: Assessment Tools:

• Traditional quizzes, tests

• Advanced Placement practice essay tests

• Translations

• Performance assessments (students will apply content knowledge by demonstrating understanding via individual and group projects, exhibits, and performances)

• National Latin Exam (given the second week of March)

• Graphic organizers, journals, learning logs, games

• Teacher/peer/self assessment

• Teacher/peer monitoring

• Socratic Seminars

Section IV: Curriculum Divisions:

• Translation: reading and understanding

• Grammar: knowledge, usage and application

• Vocabulary: translation and basic forms

• Supplemental Material:

•              Scansion and Meter

•              Vergil's Life, Times, and Literary Sources

•              Classical Theater and Drama

•              Classical Figures of Speech

N.B. (Nota Bene/Note Well):

Work ethic in performance-oriented activities can affect the final grade. This would include:

being off task when projects, performances, or exhibits are being created

turning projects, performances, or exhibits in late (5 point deduction per day)

The degree to which the grade would be affected would depend on the weight of the performance, the severity of the problem, and the number of times it occurred. The maximum amount counted for work ethic (as opposed to mastery) is 15% of the final grade.

Cheating is considered a serious offence. If a student cheats on his/her work, the student will be referred to the student=s principal. The parent or guardian will be notified by the teacher. The principal will assign the punishment.

The student will be able to make up the work using a similar assessment instrument (not the same test). This will be done before or after class, on the student's own time, and within a reasonable time period. In no way is the made up work to cause the teacher a hardship in averaging grades and turning them in at the end of a grading period. If the work is not completed by the deadline, the grade becomes a zero and is averaged.

Grades will be averaged to determine mastery of referenced standards.

Graded group work is always assessed with a rubric specific to the assignment which is discussed with students in advance. Students are assessed individually on their contribution to and the quality of their individual performance; the quality of the group=s overall performance (which is defined in advance in the rubric) is also assessed.

If a student has not made up work missed when absent by the deadline announced, the student will receive a zero for that work. Numerous opportunities are given to come after or before school to make up work.  If the work was missed during the last week of the six weeks, an extension will be given beyond the end of the six weeks, but the grade will be averaged with a zero until the work is made up. The office will be notified to make a grade change when the work is completed.

N.B. If students are absent due to a school approved activity or field trip, and prior to their absence a quiz or test was announced for the date of their return, they must take the quiz or test with the rest of the class.

Tests and quizzes are usually announced several days in advance and posted on the ATest Board.@

Learning Latin is a sequential learning process. What is learned in the beginning is used to build new knowledge later. One skill sequentially leads to many more. The homework and its review are critical to the sequential learning process and the understanding of the application of vocabulary and grammar. If a student does not do his/her homework, therefore is not practicing application, the student will not be able to translate with proficiency (the course's major goal.)

Homework is checked every day it is assigned. It is the basis of the daily translation review during class. A student will receives a grade every time they are called upon to translate their homework based upon translation proficiency. At the end of the six weeks all these grades are averaged after the lowest grade is dropped.

If a student is not doing the practice via homework in a consistent manner, parents will be notified by phone or in a progress report or both. On the report card the comment related to incomplete or no homework will be checked.

Homework is listed on the Homework Boardat least one day in advance.

Section X: Progress Reports

As soon as there are enough grades to average, students will be given a copy of their current progress in the form of a computer print out grade average.

Parents will be notified by Mrs. Hickman if a student is not progressing in a satisfactory manner.

The school scale is followed:

A: 100-93; B: 92-85;C: 84-75;D: 74-70

If the decimal average is .445 or greater, the grade is rounded up.

STUDENTS OFTEN WANT TO KEEP TRACK OF THEIR GRADES. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO WAIT FOR THE COMPUTER PRINT-OUT, FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS TO FIGURE YOUR OWN GRADE:

Multiply each grade times its weight. Add up the totals of all grades multiplied times their weights. Separately add the total of the weights. Divide the total weight into the total grade points and move the decimal two places.

100 X .33= 33

90 X .15= 13.5

85 X .75= 63.4

Total Grade Pts.=109.9 Total Weight=1.23 Divide 109.9 by 1.23 (and move the decimal two places)

Students are given a printout of their current grade weekly after the second week of each six weeks.

The Latin V final assessment requirement is fulfilled by taking the Advanced Placement Latin Vergil Exam.

In Latin IV the final assessment is a comprehensive translation assessment of the student's language skills and will partially be completed prior to the official exam date at the end of the semester.  The exam will give the student the opportunity to demonstrate passing mastery of the curriculum standards, regardless of the six weeks' averages. For instance, if the student has a B average for the three six weeks grades and earns an A on the final exam, that student will earn a grade of  A for the course.

100% Translation and Parsing Proficiency Assessment (This necessitates the knowledge, usage, and application of Latin vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.) Two-thirds of the exam translations will cover previously translated AP material from the Aeneid.; one-third will cover material from the Aeneid never translated previously.