Link to printed assignment: Latin Authors Project 2012.doc  

In order to obtain background information on the authors whose work we will be reading in class for the remainder of this year, Latin III students will do a research project.  Each student will select an author from the list given to you by Ms. Luongo.  You will be researching your author and preparing a presentation for the class. Your presentation must include a visual aid such as a power point presentation or a prezi.com slide show.  You will also prepare a permanent section sheet on your author to share with your classmates.  The permanent section sheet must include pertinent information about your author, his life, and works.

Another part of the project will be to prepare the class to translate a passage that Ms. Luongo will give you from one of your author’s most famous works.  If you would prefer to do a different passage, you must get approval from Ms. Luongo.  You will need to find an English translation of your passage and read the full context in English.  You will also be expected to fill your class in on the background of your passage and prepare a vocabulary list to guide them.   Ms. Luongo will actually lead the class through the translation after you introduce the passage.

A bibliography will be required for each project.  You must use at least five sources.  One must be A History of Latin Literature by Moses Hadas or Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte and one must be the Loeb translation of your author’s work.  You must use the proper format for your bibliography (according to the links from the St. Andrew’s library website), and it must be typed.

You will receive a test grade for this project.  That grade will be based upon knowledge acquired; completeness of research; usefulness of permanent section sheet; professionalism, preparedness and quality of presentation and visual aid; and preparation for translation passage.  This permanent section sheet and bibliography will be due on Friday, January 20.  The presentations will begin in class on Monday, January 23.

Instructions for assigned passages:

(Ms. Luongo will initial each step after you have completed it.)

                1.  Obtain a published English translation of your passage.  (If Parva has already given you one, you still must

find    another.  A good online source is:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cache/perscoll_Greco-Roman.html#text1)  Add this to your bibliography.

                2.  Read the context of the passage and fill out the summary sheet.  Turn this in to Parva.

                3.  Type the passage neatly and correctly.  It should follow the

format given to you by Parva. (If your passage is poetry, it must preserve the lines as the poet wrote them.)  Number every fifth line.  Print and give to Parva.

                4.  Look up the words in your passage that you do not know.  Make a vocabulary list for the class.  Include the nominative, genitive, gender and meaning for nouns and the four principle parts for verbs. 

                5.  Write out your own translation of the passage.  Check your vocabulary list.  Did you give the correct meanings of the word appropriate to the passage?  Change as necessary. Show your translation and print the revised vocabulary list for Parva.

Be SURE to ask Parva any questions that you have about your passage.  You will need to know the information well enough to answer the class’s questions. 

Nomen                                                     Dies                                         

Titulus

In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram.  Terram

autem erat inanis et vacua et tenebrae super faciem

abyssi et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas.

Dixitque Deus, “Fiat lux.”  Et facta est lux.  Et

vidit Deus lucem quod esset bona et divisit lucem  5

et tenebras.  Appellavit lucem diem et tenebras

noctem factumque est vespere et mane dies unus.

Nomen                                                  Dies                                       

Author:                        

Passage:                        

Entire work:  What is it about?   Summarize the themes.

Portion of the work:  What is happening in the portion your passage is excerpted from?  How does your passage fit in?

What happens right before your passage begins?

What is your passage about?

What happens right after your passage?