Aequora at P.S. 133

Aequora at P.S. 133

About Our Site and Aequora

Our Aequora site is located at P.S. 133 Fred R Moore in New York City. It is a New York City public school that provides many after-school programs and opportunities to its students, now including Latin. 

Aequora is a K-8 program focused on literacy via Latin. At P.S. 133 Fred R Moore, we have chosen Aequora because we believe in the benefits of a classical education. Through The Paideia Institute’s Aequora curriculum, our volunteers harness the classical languages’ power to improve literacy, cultural understanding, and equity in education — all while making the ancient Mediterranean world fun and accessible to students of all backgrounds.

Led by independent site coordinators, Aequora envisions Classics as an inclusive, diverse, and socially engaged field. Our textbook, Aequora: Teaching Literacy with Latin, introduces the basics of Latin vocabulary and grammar, Roman culture and mythology, and connections between Latin, English, and Spanish, all through games and activities designed to show students that learning Latin is fun!

How We Teach Aequora 

At the P.S. 133 Fred R Moore AEQUORA site, there are currently two high school volunteers, with prospects for additional volunteers. The program occurs every Friday afternoon from 3:00-4:30, alternating on a biweekly basis with a younger group of kindergarteners, 1st graders, and 2nd graders, and an older group of 3rd graders, 4th graders, and 5th graders. Each group session is roughly half an hour long. 

Each session is characterized by an introduction with phrases such as “Mihi nomen est…”, “Ago bene/male”, “Salve”, and “Vale”. A followup game or activity, such as “Caesar dicit,” further immerses the students in their vocabulary. Afterwards, printed packets, excerpts from Aequora: Teaching Literacy with Latin, are distributed for older scholars, while powerpoint picture presentations are primarily used for younger scholars. The session culminates with a resounding “Vale”.

Photos 

Coming soon!

Site Coordinators