General Syllabus: Greek 1

2009-10 School Year

Instructor: Dave Spotts	email MrSpotts@pottersschool.org
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 Attic Greek, the dialect used for most classical Greek literature, and commonly spoken in Athens in the 5^th and 4^th centuries B.C. With the Attic dialect as a starting platform, students will find it quite easy to make a transition to reading the slightly simpler Asiatic (Koine) Greek used in late antiquity, as well as the slightly more complicated Homeric dialect. 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 Anne Groton’s From Alpha to Omega Rev. 3/e, (2000, Focus Publishing www.pullins.com ISBN 1-58510-034-X). They will also need the Ancillary Exercises for From Alpha to Omega (2001, ISBN 0-941051-61-7) and parents will need a copy of the Answer Key to From Alpha to Omega (1999, ISBN 0-941051-19-6). Students will also need the ability to type and read text prepared using the Polytonic Greek keyboard layout. Instructions and samples of text prepared using that keyboard layout are available on my web page www.pottersschool.org/MrSpotts/GreekHelps/ .

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 and exercise book. 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.