| Subject of the lesson: |
Translation from Latin at GCSE* level |
| Aim: |
To encourage students to work at their own pace. To provide the opportunity for students to use ICT as part of their learning experience in Classics. |
| Outcomes: |
To enable students to practise and develop translation skills using appropriate Latin passages from GCSE* papers. To help students to identify areas of difficulty and seek solutions from within the program or from the teacher. To provide the opportunity to revise grammar by using the 'grammar' option. |
| School: |
St Peter's, York, YO30 6AB, UK |
| Teacher: |
Peter Taylor (submitted before his untimely death in early 2004) |
| E-mail: |
|
| Length & context: |
35 minutes. Preparation for GCSE* language components. |
| Class (age/level): |
UK Year 11, students aged 16, higher ability |
| Number of students in the class: |
14 |
| Class: |
Latin |
| Resources: |
Computer room, one student per machine. GCSE Latin (Latin Without Tears: free demo available from http://www.doctor-flynn.demon.co.uk/lwt1.htm) installed on individual machines. |
| Scheme of the lesson: |
Students log on. Introduce students to program using interactive whiteboard/projector (approximately 5 minutes). Students start work on the selected passage: Pliny's description of the eruption of Vesuvius (NEAB Passages 4, Passage 1). Teacher circulates among students, who work at their own pace, observing progress and identifying areas of difficulty (approximately 25 minutes). Teacher reminds students to save their work using the Quick Save button and asks them to print it out. Students log off and shut down workstations. (5 minutes). |
| Description of the lesson: |
Lesson proceeds according to plan but is nearer 30 minutes in length owing to late arrival of two students. The students are comfortable with the technology and quickly grasp the fundamentals. There is some reluctance to use the help available from within the program, but this is quickly corrected. The teacher moves round the group, responding to individual needs and observing progress. Students work briskly and nearly all complete the passage within the lesson. At the end the teacher asks the students to identify an area of difficulty: in this case, infinitives (especially present passive) seem to have posed problems. Teacher asks students to revise infinitives for homework, using the Language Information section of Unit IVB of the Cambridge Latin Course. |
| Evaluation: |
The lesson went very much according to plan. Translations varied from the good to very good. Some students were a bit too ready to use the analysis help available within the program, and this was confirmed by the print-out of their translations, where the frequency help is sought is recorded under the various categories. Working at their own pace, students concentrated well. |
| Nota bene: |
The program is in need of updating to take account of the new 2003 specifications for students in the UK at GCSE* level, aged 16. If installed on individual workstations, students must use the same machine on subsequent occasions if they wish to retrieve a translation they have yet to finish. The English translation option should be disabled by default!
*GCSE is a public examination taken by students aged 16 in the UK.
|
| Age: |
16 |
| Country: |
United Kingdom |
| Level: |
Intermediate |
| Theme(s): |
Vocabulary |
| Language of the lesson plan: |
English |
| Date: |
2005-07-25 |
With the support of the European Commission within the framework of the Socrates Comenius programme.