General Syllabus: Greek 1
2010-11 School Year
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Instructor: Dave Spotts |
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Office Hours: TBA |
Skype: MrSpotts |
PREREQUISITES:
Students will exhibit a working knowledge
of English grammar including parts of speech, functions of nouns in sentences,
prepositional phrases, verb tenses, voices, persons and numbers. At the end of
this general syllabus you will find a discussion of prerequisite evaluation.
DESCRIPTOR: In this Greek course, students
will learn approximately half of the basic vocabulary and grammar necessary to read
Koine Greek, the dialect used in late antiquity, particularly in the New Testament
and patristic texts. Students typically find this a fast-paced course which
makes substantial demands on their analytical abilities. However, we strive to keep all grammatical
explanations focused and practical, and to provide lots of useful practice both
in class and outside of class. Near the end of Greek 1 we will
supplement our grammar textbook with New Testament readings.
TEXTS: Our text is New Testament Greek for Beginners, Second Edition
by J. Gresham Machen and Dan G. McCartney, ISBN 0-13-184234-X. Students will also need the ability
to type and read text prepared using the Polytonic Greek keyboard layout. Instructions for Windows and Mac will be available
in the StudyPlace class page.
Between Classes: Students will have one or more lesson
in their main textbook to study and understand, as well as some exercises to
complete in writing and some vocabulary and paradigms to memorize. Parents will assess the exercises for
completion. We will review as many
exercises in class as possible to correct and drill the concepts. While most students who follow my instructions
master material relatively quickly, some take longer. You can expect
TPS Greek classes to take approximately 90 minutes a day, five days a week
outside of class time.
During Classes: Students are to arrive punctually with
their equipment in good working order. Without a working microphone it will be
very difficult, if not impossible, for the student to participate adequately in
class. This is a course involving a great deal of material to cover each day in
class. Everybody’s preparation and cooperation is necessary to make this
a good course for everyone. Students are not to engage in off-topic chat during
class. I strongly encourage each
parent to sit in on class at least a few times per semester to assist students
in staying on task. And I welcome
parent questions and parent learners as well. We have frequently had adult learners
enrolled in TPS Greek classes. The instructor will have a review
of material assigned for class, answering questions from students and asking
students questions so as to assess their progress. Then the instructor will
introduce and illustrate new material for the upcoming week's assignment. Participation is mandatory in order to do well. Students who are absent without a parental excuse
or who do not participate on the level of instructor expectations will not
receive good participation scores. If
possible, students should attempt to respond to instructor questions without reference
to their notes, only using their unmarked textbook. This provides real-time
review of the material and assists students in bridging the gap between merely
studying a language and becoming fluent in the language. Of course, students should use their
notes when needed.
Quizzes: The instructor will post quizzes approximately
monthly, as well as periodic pop quizzes. There may be a final quiz due in the week
after the last class meeting.
Grading: While the parent is responsible for
preparing student transcripts, for purposes of this class the instructor will count
evidence of student preparedness, including parent-submitted homework scores
and class interaction as 40% of the grade, quizzes as 60% of the grade.
Cut-offs are as follows: 90% A, 80% B, 70% C, 65% or below F. I would like to set students up for success.
I wish to follow progress on a weekly basis, allowing me to zero in quickly on
areas of student difficulty. I think the exercises combined with in-class
interaction facilitates this wonderfully. In any study of foreign language,
consistency is a key to success. Parents are responsible to follow-up with the instructor if they
have reason to believe there is anything in error in the gradebook, including
homework reported to the teacher but not credited. Please retain evidence of
submission of and scores on all assignments until they have posted in the
gradebook.
Discussion of Prerequisites: Students entering Mr. Spotts' beginning
Latin or Greek classes at The Potter's School should show a certain level of
understanding of English grammar in order to perform well in class. Because we
wish to set students up for success and make sure parents and students know
clearly what will be expected, and because Mr. Spotts would like to review the
apparent abilities of his incoming students, all students wishing to
participate in a first year Latin or Greek class at The Potter's School are to
complete an evaluation which should assist us all in counting the cost of this
class.
In the evaluation, students will perform
the following tasks:
identify parts of speech
identify function of nouns, adjectives
and pronouns in sentences, i.e., subject, direct object, etc.
identify present, future and past tense
sentences
identify active and passive voice sentences
Before completing the evaluation, please
make sure you have signed up for the desired class. This makes sure Mr. Spotts
will be looking for your evaluation. It also makes sure you have taken the
preliminary steps necessary to be considered for a class at The Potter's
School.