Culture portion of NLE

[Robin in Tx]

If your latin program isn't covering Roman culture/history/mythology very well, what would you suggest as a supplement? In particular, I want to prepare dd for NLE next year. If left completely up to me, I'm sure there would be gaping holes. I need help making sure everything gets covered.

Thanks!
Robin

[Jane in NC]

which does cover culture, history, etc., but not necessarily everything in the order that it appears on the NLE. For Latin I and II, my son looked over the cultural and historical materials in the Jenney I & II texts. He used these because they were given to us and live on the shelf. For Latin III, he prepped using some materials that Latin teachers have posted on the web. (For the prose exam, it is necessary for students to know the names of Roman writers of the Golden and Silver ages and their major works.)

Robin, how old is your Latin student? Young, I think, right? The material for the National Mythology Exam (which can be taken up through 9th grade) covers the basics of mythology quite well. My son took the NME in 8th (I think)--missed one question on it. This may be one way to give your child a foundation in mythology if she does not already have it.

Jane

[Moira in MA]

I did not do any special prep for that portion. Last year we covered Ancients -- history and literature; we've always read mythology. For Latin I and II we used Henle but also read Lingua Latina for additional voacabulary. Oerberg covers Roman life pretty well.

For Latin III my elder daughter has reading assigned from Ancient Rome: An Introductory History by Paul A. Zoch.

Seems to have been sufficient: my younger daughter received a silver medal for Latin I and my eldest completed a perfect paper for Latin III prose.

[readwithem]

Hey Robin :) :)

This is what we've done the past two years with gold medal results. About two weeks before taking the exam, we do one of the tests from the past 10 years (you can print them out from the NLE website). Then we go over the answers, and that's "it" for her Latin for that day. We do that for two weeks and then she takes the actual exam. The material seems to recycle through the exams, or else she's a good guesser :) Last year we did get some books such as Usborne Rome from the library - but we decided it was just too much of a shot in the dark to try to guess what they might ask.

I just realized this is the homeschool version of "teaching to the test" :biggrinjester:

[Plaid Dad]

I just got a copy of To Be a Roman (http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=latin&id=6331). I haven't taught from it yet, but it's a culture supplement that can be used alongside any Latin program.

[Jane in NC]

I just got a copy of To Be a Roman (http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=latin&id=6331). I haven't taught from it yet, but it's a culture supplement that can be used alongside any Latin program.

Thank you for mentioning this. It looks like a great addition to our Latin program.

Jane

[Robin in Tx]

Thank you all for the great ideas!

Robin

[Laurel-in-CA]

Edith Hamilton, who wrote the classic Mythology, has a book on the Romans and another on the Greeks.