Upper School Latin Program

Latin 1/2 or Latin 1/3 through AP Latin V 

Classical Cottage School’s Upper School curriculum has three core strands that are essential for the purpose of developing the tools of learning.  Each strand comprises six years of study:  Latin, Progymnasmata/Logic/Rhetoric, and Omnibus, and are intended for mature middle school or high school students.  Below is information pertaining to our Latin core courses at CCS.  Not all courses are offered every year.  Refer to the CCS schedules for more information on what courses are currently available. 

CLASSICAL CORE LATIN COURSES: 
Latin I (Upper Elementary School): Latin 1/3, Latin 2/3 and Latin 3/3 over three years 
Latin I (Middle School): Latin 1/2 and Latin 2/2 over two years 
Latin II  
Latin III 
Latin IV  
AP Latin V  

Latin 1/3
This is the first year of a three-year sequence of Latin One for upper elementary students (ages 9—11) who are ready to begin Lingua Latina at a slower pace than the Latin 1/2 class.  This course will cover chapters 1—8 of the text.  Students in this course should be able to read, write, and develop note-taking skills.  Families who begin this class need to understand that it is a three-year commitment and that a parent MUST attend the class even if that parent is participating in a higher-level Latin course with another child.  Homework will require 45-minutes of focused Latin study every day and students will need a great deal of assistance at home.


Latin 2/3
PREREQUISITE: CCS Latin 1/3
This is the second year of a three-year sequence of Latin One for upper elementary students.  Students must have completed Latin 1/3 (or equivalent) successfully in order to continue.  This course will cover chapters 9—16 of the Lingua Latina text.  A parent MUST attend the class even if that parent is participating in a higher-level Latin course with another child.  Homework will require 45-minutes of focused Latin study every day and students will need a great deal of assistance at home.  

Latin 3/3
PREREQUISITE:  CCS Latin 2/3 
This class is the third part of a three-year sequence of Latin One for our upper elementary students (approximately ages 10—12) who are tackling Lingua Latina at a slower pace. This year, students will work through chapters 17—24 of the text.  Students must have completed Latin 1/3 & 2/3 (through chapter XVI) successfully in order to continue.  A parent MUST attend the class with the student.  Homework will require 45 minutes of focused Latin study every day and students likely will need a great deal of assistance at home.  

Latin 1/2  
This beginning Latin course is the first half of Latin 1 for middle school or high school students.  Chapters 1-12 of Lingua Latina will be covered in this class which equals ½ high school credit for foreign language.  A parent is required to attend class with the student so that proper assistance can be given at home.  We recommend this level for students in grades 6 and up who are strong readers and are ready to develop serious study skills.  Homework will require 1 hour of focused Latin study every day by both the student and parent. 

Latin 2/2
PREREQUISITE:  CCS Latin 1/2
This course is the second half of Latin 1 for middle school or high school students.  Chapters 13—24 of Lingua Latina will be covered in this course which, together with Latin ½, equals 1 high school credit for foreign language.  A parent is required to attend class with the student so that proper assistance can be given at home.  Homework will require 1 hour of focused Latin study every day by both the student and parent. 

SECOND YEAR LATIN AND ADVANCED LATIN COURSES 

Latin II
PREREQUISITE: CCS Latin 2/2, Latin 3/3
This course completes the minimum requirement of two years of a foreign language in high school.  Students must have completed Latin 2/2 or Latin 3/3 successfully in order to register.  Students will begin with Chapters 25—30 of Lingua Latina but will end the year reading “Jason and Medea” as they delve deeper into Latin case terminology.  As with all CCS Latin classes, a parent is required to attend class with the student so that proper assistance can be given at home.  Homework will require 1 hour of focused Latin study every day and students likely will need a great deal of parental monitoring and support.  

Latin III
PREREQUISITE:  CCS Latin II or equivalent
This course centers on the study of Latin literature, primarily excerpts surveying Roman history from its beginnings through the fall of the Empire. The Latin text is primarily taken from authors Eutropius and (abridged accounts from) Livy, but also includes selections from more modern curricula Latin writers. To allow the students to place the Latin writings in context and to give a fuller picture of Roman history, each unit also includes short English readings from definitive texts, color images of the art and architecture of Rome with short explanations in the workbook, and links to educational videos - all of which are specially chosen and designed to bring the history to life. At the end of each of the three major time periods in Roman history the students will be assigned a project designed not only to deepen the students’ grasp of the material and give the students an opportunity to present or write on topics of interest, but also to help them pull back from the details and place the historical events into the overarching story of this exciting and formative time in human history! Students and parents can expect that this year of Latin will largely be an opportunity to use all the grammar that they have already worked so hard to learn in Latin I & II. There is little in the way of "new grammar" but rather this course offers a year to really solidify all that they have learned. Students will be challenged to read more difficult constructions, as Latin III is designed to be an excellent bridge to the more challenging Latin prose and poetry studied in Latin IV and V. As with all CCS Latin classes at this level, a parent is required to attend class with the student so that proper assistance can be given at home. Homework will require approximately one hour of focused Latin study every day, and students will likely need a great deal of parental monitoring and support.

N.B. If a student wishes to take the SAT Latin Subject test at the end of Latin III he/she will also need toenroll in the SAT Latin prep seminar to gain a brief introduction to poetry. Poetry and scansion is included in the SAT test, but will not be studied until Latin IV.

Latin IV 
PREQUISITE:  CCS Latin III or equivalent
The first semester of Latin IV will be a continuation of Latin III with a focus on Roman history, buildings, and literature during the period of the emperors with readings from Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Petronius, Pliny, and Martial.  During the second semester, students will read and analyze the first two books of Vergil’s Aeneid to get a head start on AP Latin V.  This course requires at least 1 hour of focused Latin study every day.  

AP Latin
PREQUISITE: CCS Latin IV 
Students will read selections from two authors' works: Virgil's Aeneid and Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic Wars . This course is designed for students who have proven their grammar and translation skills in Latin IV and who are eager to continue their Latin studies in order to enjoy reading these fine works of literature and to prepare for the Latin AP exam in May. Students should engage in diligent daily study of 1–1.5 hours a day. Through in-class discussions and frequent essays, students will learn the skills of analysis of the Latin text and continue to sharpen their translation skills. Parents are welcome, but not required, to attend Latin class with their students.