The Western Experience: Ancient Greece and Rome

Course Basics
Teacher: Garret Yeats Class: Ancient Greece/Rome Period: 5th Period Email: gyeats@holycrossama.org

Class Rules
Bring all materials needed to class every day Raise your hand when answering or asking questions Respect to your fellow classmates Expect the best from me like I expect the best from you

Required Materials
2-inch binder Notebook for notes and bell work Notebook paper Black and red pens

Required Skills
Patience A sense of humor Curiosity

Grading Policy
For the 6 Weeks: Participation: Term Paper Notebook: Weekly Quiz: Homework Bell Work: 30% 20% 20% 20% 10% 10% For the Semester: 6 Weeks Grades: Final Project 75% 25%

Course Description
This course will discuss the history of Ancient Greece and Rome, beginning with Palace culture on Crete in the 18th century BCE and continuing until the apex of Roman power in the 2nd century CE. Our course will focus on society as well as history, while familiarizing students with many of the best authors of the ancient world. My emphasis is on the events and society themselves, not merely on the ability to list off dates. Dates are important, but more important still are the ideas and the events that occurred.

By the End of the School Year, You Will Be Able To:

* Explain the rise and fall of Greek power * Discuss the relationship between Greece and Rome * Discuss at length authors of the ancient world * Explain how Greco-Roman religion functioned * Discuss Greco-Roman society and the differences between Greece and Rome * Critically read historical accounts * Explain how our society has been influenced by Greece and Rome

Differentiation
I offer most of my assignments in a three-tier system, with slight variations to an assignment. The purpose of this system is to allow students the freedom in how they pursue their education and how they approach their studies. All three variations of the assignment fulfill basic academic requirements, and there is no penalty or punishment for choosing a particular tier. This system is offered to all students, and they may choose whichever tier they wish for any given assignment.

Reading and Term Paper

One of the requirements for this course will be a paper, due December 14th, which will focus on a particular text or group of texts and will discuss how it reflects ancient Greco-Roman culture, and what can be learned about ancient Greek or Roman society from those texts. This can include who wrote it, why they wrote it, who it was written for, what biases the author has, the subject matter of the text, etc. It will be at least 6 pages in length, with at least 3 outside sources, not including the texts itself. The outside sources can be books, articles from scholarly journals, or credible websites. All outside sources will need initial approval by me. You will be graded on various portions of your essay on specific due dates. This is a paper you will need to work on during the entire semester. The due dates are: Sept 21st: Primary text/texts selected October 26th: A 1-page summary of the text demonstrating you read the text(s) November 16th: A properly-formatted MLA work cited page of 5 outside sources you will consider using in your research. November 30th: A well-developed outline of your paper. December 14th: You will turn in the following in a folder with your name on the top left corner: 1-page Summary Your outline Your essay A 1/2 page reflection about your personal feelings on the material A 1/2 page reflection about what you learned during the course

Final Project
Another part of the course will be a non-essay project, due the date of the final and will its presentation will be your final exam. It will be a recreation of some element of Greco-Roman society. This has a wide

range of options, and I will give you more ideas as the course progresses, but your project will be able to range from food to clothes to models of buildings to reenacting a scene or speech, or if you prefer, more research you can present to the class.

Late Work
I do accept late work. Unless otherwise stated (i.e., I tell you to hold onto your work so we may go over it together in class or work on it the next class day), all homework is due at the start of class before the bell rings. The highest grade I give for late work is a 70. After 3 days, the highest grade is reduced to a 50. If you go on a school-related trip, it is your responsibility to get your homework before you go on a trip, and it is due the next time you are in class. If you are ill, you have 2 days for every day missed to make up the work. I am more than willing to negotiate on when assignments are due, provided there is a legitimate reason for it not being done. Talk to me as soon as you know a conflict arises, and youll have a better chance of me granting such an extension.

Extra Help/Tutorials
I have a tutoring schedule by my door that states when Im available for tutoring for which class. Students are allowed to come in any day of the week, even if it isnt the time given for their particular class. I do ask that students speak with me before coming to tutorials, so I know who I am meeting with and when I am meeting with them. Tutoring after school will last no more than 45 minutes - 1 hour. Morning tutoring starts at 7:45. There are various links that can help you with your studies. I have set up a blog that includes such links, and what lessons are coming up: www.magisteryeats.com

Cheating and Plagiarism

Cheating will be dealt with seriously, resulting in a 0 for the participation for the week, the assignment plagiarized, and under no circumstances will I allow the compromised work to be made up. A letter will also be sent home that must be signed by a parent explaining what occurred. This is one of my biggest pet peeves: dont do it!

Tentative Weekly Course Schedule

Week 8.22-8.24 8.27-8.31 9.4-9.7 9.10-9.14 9.17-9.21 9.24-9.28 10.1-10.5 10.9-10.12 10.15-10.19 10.22-10.26 10.29-11.2 11.5-11.9 11.12-11.16 11.19-11.20 11.26-11.30 12.3-12.7 12.10-12.14 12.17-12.21 Intro to the course Defining History, Culture, and Geography Minoans, Mycenaeans, and the Trojan War The Greek Dark Age and the Renaissance Athens and the Persian War The Athenian Empire and Greek Society Sparta and the Peloponnesian War Alexander the Great The Post-Alexandrian Hellenic World; Stoicism and Epicureanism The Origins of Rome to the Punic Wars Beginnings of the Republican Collapse Rise of the Imperium Romanum The Augustan Age Latin Literature Julio-Claudians and Year of the 4 Emperors The Flavians, Roman Architecture, and the Nervan-Antonines End of the Principate, The Beginning of Roman Disintegration Semester Exams Christmas Break Parents and students will be informed as soon as possible to any changes that occur to the syllabus, such as a change in grading policy or the scheduled readings.
Thanksgiving No School Thursday End of the 2nd 6 Weeks No School Monday End of the 1st 6 Weeks No School Monday

Material

Notes

For Parents and Guardians: I understand the policies and syllabus for this course. I have gone over these pages with my child and agree to support my child in these studies. Parent/Guardian Signature:

Parents Contact Email:

Parents Contact No.:

Date:

For Students: I understand the policies and syllabus for this course. I agree to observe all the policies in the classroom, and will, to the best of my ability, do my best in the class. I will keep my copy of this syllabi for future reference, and I will be held accountable for all information in this syllabus. Student Signature:

Date:

The student should keep this syllabus in their notebook for reference. Only return this form.