The Latin-Centered Curriculum

By now many readers will have heard that the College Board, which administers the Advanced Placement (AP) program, has decided to drop the Latin Literature course from its offerings. (AP-Virgil will continue in "enhanced" form - whatever that means.) A number of other "underenrolled" courses have also been dropped, including Italian, French literature, and AB computer science. The last AP Latin literature exam will be offered in 2009.

Here is some of what you'll find in this second edition:

* An expanded Great Books program for high school
* New introductory chapters
* Restructured subjects for easier state reporting
* Updated recommendations for Latin, Greek, History, Science, and Religion
* Detailed weekly schedules
* Tips for large families
* A self-education program for adults

You can pre-order a copy now for shipment in May.

If you've read Climbing Parnassus, you will surely enjoy this ISI lecture by Tracy Lee Simmons on classical education.

Ever wonder what the differences are between all the Latin curricula on the market? This handy road map explains the three main Latin teaching methodologies.

Apparently this really is the season for Latin-themed reporting.

Although some people would have you believe that classics are only for the elite, educators in England are laying that notion to rest by introducing Latin instruction into primary schools. Interested in how they're doing it? Read more about the Iris Project here.

'Tis the season, apparently, for Latin-themed newspaper pieces. The Washington Post recently published an article about the National Junior Classics League and the Virginia Certamen team (free login required). One of the team members is homeschooled.

It's not every day that the New York Times publishes an op-ed piece in Latin. The English translation is here.

Many people assume that the Romans simply adopted Greek religion along with their mythology - so much so that we routinely refer to "Greco-Roman myth." But the reality is more complex. Rose Williams, a Latin teacher and author, has made available a nice 7-page PDF on the Roman gods for use in Latin classrooms.

Two new items of interest from Laura Gibbs:

A month of Latin carols

Vulgate Verses

The latter is a new book of excerpts from the Vulgate (Latin Bible) arranged by grammatical form. So, for example, you can find a list of verses containing first declension nouns or third conjugation verbs. There are 4000 verses! It's a great way to introduce the Vulgate in a manageable form. Prof. Gibbs also has a book of Latin proverbs and another of fables, using the same grammatical arrangement.