Latin - Beginning I (Latin I)

All-Gender Course; Full-year course
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Latin – Beginning I is intended for students who have not previously studied Latin. The course develops competencies in reading and interpreting as well as oral expression and aural comprehension. Students learn the foundational components and structures of Latin that allow them to develop basic reading strategies, which they use to build critical-thinking skills. At the completion of this course, students will have acquired proper pronunciation, essential grammar, and the vocabulary necessary for understanding and reading short passages. Students will also acquire a deeper knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar. Students study Roman culture and history so that they can examine the indebtedness of modern society to the Roman world, from legendary heroes to myths, gods, and politics. Students take quizzes and tests, but they also read stories, play games, and work together on short research projects to further understand how their developing knowledge of Roman culture applies to their own lives. 
WHAT STUDENTS SAY

"It's been a ton of fun and my teacher has done a great job with communication. She always helps me when I don't understand and grades quickly, which is very helpful because I never go into the next unit confused bout what I just learned."

"Ms. Albee has been incredibly helpful and accommodating, and I'm impressed by the balance between actual language work and learning about Roman society. It's been a great class so far!"

"I have actually really really enjoyed this class! It's a ton of fun and I have learned a lot."

WHAT STUDENTS DO
Learning is an active process at One Schoolhouse. Students design, create and apply. And, they engage with classmates and connect with their teachers through discussions, video conferences, and projects. Specifically, in this class students will:
  • Set goals that drive their learning. Students reflect regularly on their growth, and meet on video chat with their online teacher to review progress towards their goals.
  • Have choice in how they learn new content and practice new skills. Students are given agency to determine the best ways for them to learn.
  • Apply what they are learning to the real world. Learning is meaningful and connects to concepts outside the classroom.
  • Practice constructive engagement in a diverse and changing world. Students interact with classmates from across the country and around the world.
  • Gain academic maturity. Online learning takes greater discipline and independence than a traditional face-to-face classroom. Teachers support students to build this skill.
MEET A TEACHER FOR THIS COURSE
SIGNATURE ACTIVITIES
Examples of signature activities and projects for this course are:
  • Make their own Roman purse and put items important to them within in it.  A photo-shoot will document this fashionable and personally significant creation.
  • Play mini-marketer for one of the Roman gods or goddesses by advertising their strengths, symbols and services in creating a business card, brochure, website, or advertisement.
  • Record dramatic readings of Latin stories that involve the most important aspects of Greek and Roman history, culture and mythology.​
​OUR RESEARCH-BASED APPROACH TO TEACHING LANGUAGES ONLINE
One Schoolhouse designs competency-based courses with the student-teacher relationship as the cornerstone of our personalized pedagogy.  While students excel in our language AP courses, for many years we did not offer full sequence language courses because there was little research to support the efficacy of online language learning at the early levels.  The research shows that fewer than 1% of Americans are proficient in the language they studied in traditional classrooms. Not wanting this outcome for One Schoolhouse students, our goal is to inspire deep learning so we strive to ensure that the online learning experience increases the effectiveness of second language acquisition. In recent years, we have honed our approaches to delivering the four language competencies – reading, writing, listening, and speaking – in the online space, and have therefore endeavored to build out our Chinese, French, and Latin sequences.  The limitations of other online language programs are mitigated by the centrality of the student-teacher relationship, including interactive sessions where students speak, listen, and translate with their peers and teacher, at One Schoolhouse.  J.C. Narcy-Combes’s research on second language learning online shows that, “meaningful interaction will trigger learning processes,” which we know to be true anecdotally, and that, with intentional design, students can be taught to learn language effectively online.  Carrier et. al. have more recently shown that educational technologies and online learning are rapidly transforming second language acquisition, and that intentional practice can create a highly effective digital experience.  Because One Schoolhouse students have pathway options where they can practice in the target language at their own pace, get feedback from their teacher, interact with peers from around the country, and demonstrate their mastery through both traditional assessments and creative projects, students have the full complement of research-based learning activities in their online courses that you would expect to find in any independent school language program.  Additionally, our language teachers have advanced degrees from American universities, are trained in both their language and the best pedagogical practices for delivering language online, teach in independent schools around the US, and are AP readers.  
COURSE APPROVAL
This course is approved by the NCAA. 

One Schoolhouse is fully accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges through December 1, 2025; we are an approved online publisher for the University of California. 
Kathryn Albee
she/her/hers
Teacher
​BA University of Maine
MA Tulane University