Rules and Procedures
On a sheet of looseleaf paper, number it 1 - 12 with each number matching one of our daily Latin Activities. Then assign it a score 1 through 5 based on how helpful the activity has been this year. 1 for not at all and 5 for very helpful.
A Skeleton Key for Mr. Leng's Daily Latin Activities
- Word of the Day:
- Deeper with Derivatives:
- Human Declension / Conjugation:
- Staff Srgt. Pullsticks:
- Latin Aerobix:
- Severus Sez:
- Tunes on Tuesday:
- Parsing Party
- Latin Pepper:
- Staircase Lightning:
- Daily Oral Cold Call (DOCC):
- 6 Simple Sentences / Translation
- Word of the Day: As it would appear, we take time nearly every day to make a flashcard that contains not only Latin words but English words with roots in those very Latin vocabulary. Assessed on words of the day quizzes.
- Deeper with Derivatives: This is the presentation of the English words on the cards. I may tell a short story about one or an anecdote or even a funny joke—anything to help it stick—but I will make a point to use it in a sentence or two, in any case. Assessed on words of the day quizzes.
- Human Declension / Conjugation: If you break down a declension or conjugation—two of the most essential tasks of the Latin student—into its constituent parts, you can wind up with 32 sheets of paper with a part on each. This activity is timed and the students take great pride in besting the times of the other sections of fifth and sixth grade. They circle around the room, putting a random assortment of words and half-words together. It requires teamwork and diligent study to put it together. Usually it takes them 6-7 minutes to start, then they get it down to 1-1:30. Ungraded.
- Staff Srgt. Pullsticks: This is student-led chanting of declensions and conjugations. They have a pointer and lead the class. I call it this because I pull out popsickle sticks from a coffee mug, each with their names on them. We make this fun and take on a military sort of air—as the chanting gets underway, moreover, each leader erases a part of the chant, forcing students to recall it as they chant. Ungraded.
- Latin Aerobix: Mnemonics are so critical to memory, so when certain declensions and conjugations lend themselves to body movements, those movements can be powerful study aids. They also help to get their blood flowing and lungs pumping. Just a little exercise can re-focus the mind. Ungraded.
- Severus Sez: This is a Simon Says in Latin, which again gets them moving around and learning at the same time. Ungraded.
- Tunes on Tuesday: I have a half-dozen or so silly songs that help reinforce vocabulary. We don’t do it every Tuesday, but at least every other. Sometimes on Wednesdays after quizzes. Ungraded.
- Parse and Translate: These are my own translating worksheets. The books and paper don’t fit on the desks very well, so I often make worksheets of the same sentences in the book. Graded.
- Latin Pepper: Students face off against each other in a Jeopardy-style vocab contest. To help their teams, they must study vocabulary when it is not their turn. They don’t have to answer in the form of a question.
- Staircase Lightning: This is a declension game that requires students to form a declension on the board. They make “staircases” on the board that go down adn up again. They write in the correct Latin word of the declension. This is also timed.
- Daily Oral Cold Call (DOCC): Students must stand and recite a declension or conjugation in front of the class when their stick is pulled from the cup. Graded.