The Universe of Elementa
Paideia Institute·December 19, 2019
More Than Just A Textbook, Elementa Offers A Whole New Way to Begin Latin
Elementa isn’t just a student textbook; it’s a whole curriculum package with a variety of resources, teacher support manuals, and supplements, designed by teachers for teachers. This suite of materials, digital and paper, teaches literacy with Latin and Latin with literacy. The Elementa curriculum focuses on the connections, not only in Latin and English, but with other languages, and encourages students to think critically about how words evolve and create comparisons with the grammar between languages.
All the Elementa materials work together to be efficient and save time for teachers with detailed lesson plans and pre-made materials for student activities. The curriculum also aims to be flexible for teachers with different goals, active for students with engaging games, and to incorporate the larger context of classical antiquity across the world and include sections on history and archaeology. So let’s dive in and learn more about the different parts of the Elementa curriculum!
The student textbook is at the core of the Elementa universe. The textbook includes eleven units and three additional lessons on “Elements of Literacy.” Each unit is composed of three main sections: a grammar lesson focusing on a Latin part of speech (accompanied by a vocabulary chart), a culture lesson centered on a key element of ancient Roman history or society, and a mythology lesson based on a narrative that allows students to place the vocabulary they learn into the appropriate context. Each section also contains multiple extension lessons. Studies show that students with one year of Latin instruction perform ahead of others in reading comprehension and vocabulary. With over 65% of multisyllabic English words based in Latin, we can understand how Latin instruction increases a student’s vocabulary acquisition. And aside from being a rich source of vocabulary and grammar, the textbook is interactive: discussion questions, student exercises, and games are also included!
The audio-visual resources of the Elementa curriculum have several components that are designed to guide lesson presentations and provide additional opportunities for students to interact with primary sources in Latin and archaeological materials.
1. The Digital Resources include slideshow lesson presentations for core lessons and extended lessons that are part of Elementa’s 11 Units. That’s over 150 lesson presentations!
2. There are interactive games and simulations that can be used with a lesson presentation. You can test your luck with the Wrath of the Gods simulation game.
3. There are animated videos that teach Latin grammar, mythology, and culture. These videos give teachers the option to utilize blended learning strategies, such as a flipped classroom, which uses the physical classroom and online learning in conjunction. The content is flexible and can be used to present material using a variety of methods for diverse learners.
These resources are being updated and expanded each year — so we can add new information and respond to feedback. The Digital Resources are provided on a subscription basis.
The Elementa Teacher’s Manual offers a detailed scripted lesson plan for each lesson and recommends activities, exercises, and games that both teachers and students can enjoy. With each core lesson are provided four extension lessons that explore the core topics in-depth. This allows teachers to implement the curriculum daily, weekly, or with whatever frequency fits the class best.
The Teacher’s Manual includes:
- Structured lesson plans
- Additional activity suggestions
- Lesson variations
- Tips for implementation
- Common Core ELA Connections
- Incipit/Exit (Bellringer and Exit) questions
- Homework suggestions
- Answers to exercises and assessments
The Elementa Teacher’s Manual provides a menu of class activities so you can build your own Latin adventure. You can use the core content for a once-a-week Latin class, or add 1–4 extension lessons for a Latin class that meets twice, thrice, or every day of the week. Whether you’re a new Latin teacher or an English teacher without any Latin experience, the scripted lesson plan allows you to implement a lesson — whether on word roots or Roman culture — with confidence.
The Teacher Materials is a companion to the Teacher’s Manual and includes printable materials for games, group exercises, student handouts, and unit assessments. Instead of spending time cutting and writing on index cards for a class game, use the set from the Elementa Materials and just cut them out. Cards with example sentences using derivatives? You got it. Images to go along with vocabulary words? Got that covered too. Images of artifacts and primary sources for students to analyze? You betcha.
The workbook is an expanded version of our textbook, with space to write on pages, annotate passages, and additional interactive exercises for students to manipulate learning material. These interactive pages are modeled on interactive notebook activities with pop-up graphic organizers, pockets, and flaps for students to personalize their Latin learning experience.
Explore the universe of Elementa Curriculum on our website and see in depth previews of all our curriculum materials.