Course Syllabus

GRE 1120 Beginning Ancient Greek 1 (Spring 2021)

Douris_School_Cup_banner.jpg

Contact Dr. Wolpert

Andrew Wolpert

Andrew Wolpert, PhD

Director of UF Quest and Associate Professor of Classics 

wolpert@ufl.edu

352-273-3702

Class Meetings: MWF Period 3 in MAT 107 and by Zoom Conferences

Office Hours: MWF Period 4 and by appointment

To meet me during my regular office hours, call me at 352-273-3702 so that I can then join you via Zoom Conferences. To schedule an appointment, please email or call me. You can email me through the Canvas mail app or via wolpert@ufl.edu. You can expect a response in less than 12 hours!!

Course Description and Objectives

  • GRE 1120 is the first half of the beginning ancient Greek sequence. You will learn the basic grammar, morphology, syntax, and vocabulary of ancient Greek, and you will read adapted passages from ancient Greek authors.
  • Upon completion of GRE 1120 and 1121, you will be able to identify, explain, and analyze the basic elements of ancient Greek and read ancient Greek authors at the intermediate level. 
  • By studying ancient Greek, you will gain a greater understanding of how languages work and will be able speak, write, and analyze English with greater nuance and expertise because the subtleties of ancient Greek draw attention to many features of English that are implicit.

Course Format

  • Synchronous Hy-Flex Meetings: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Period 3 in MAT 107 and by Zoom
    • A face-to-face section will meet in Matherly 107 simultaneously with a fully online section, which will connect to the meeting via Zoom. Class meetings will not be recorded to protect your privacy. Students using Zoom will be asked to keep their video camera on so the Hy-Flex meeting can mirror as much as possible a meeting in a regular classroom. If you will be using Zoom and will be in a room that other people are also using, it is recommended that you use headphones and an appropriate virtual background.
    • If you are in the face-to-face section meeting in Matherly 107, please bring a laptop, tablet, or smartphone and a set of headphones so you can login to Zoom to participate in a discussion with those students who will be meeting with us virtually.
  • Asynchronous Online Drills: On Thursday, you will complete a weekly online drill that is intended to help you review the weekly morphology and vocabulary. The weekly drills will focus on new material, but they are comprehensive. Some questions will be about material from previous weeks.

Required Text

  • Shelmerdine, Cynthia W., and Susan C. Shelmerdine, Introduction to Greek, 3rd Edition (Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing, 2020). ISBN: 1585109606. You can purchase the textbook either as a paperback (e.g., Amazon) or as an ebook (e.g., Google Play). It may also be available through the UF bookstore. Make sure to purchase the third edition.

Course Requirements

  • Attendance (20%) with a 20% deduction for arriving more than 10 minutes late or leaving early.
  • Daily Homework (20%) to be submitted online before 9:30 am on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
  • Weekly Online Drills (20%), due before 9:30 pm every Thursday. The lowest score is dropped.
    • The weekly online drills are intended to help you review Greek morphology and vocabulary. Although the drills will concentrate on new material, they are cumulative and will include material from previous weeks. 
    • You can spend as long as you like on each drill, and you can take each drill an unlimited number of times until it closes. Your highest score will be recorded.
    • All drills are "closed book." You are not permitted any study aids, but you can use blank scratch paper. 
    • Drills will be conducted with the Honorlock app. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser and add the Honorlock extension (see Honorlock Instructions).
  • Ancient Greek Unlocked (5%)
    • Choose one of the following readings: Xerxes' Whips the Sea 1 (page 99) or Xerxes' Whips the Sea 2 (page 106).
    • Part 1 A: Translate the reading into idiomatic English while keeping as closely as possible to the sense and meaning of the Greek.
    • Part 1 B: Explain in 2-3 paragraphs where your translation deviates or differs from the Greek. What changes have you made in order to convey the sense and meaning of the Greek into idiomatic English? What do you feel is lost in your translation? Where do you feel the original sense of the Greek is conveyed most effectively in your translation?
    • Part II A: Provide an adapted translation of the reading that reflects how you would recount the event. Do not mimic Herodotus' style. Use your own words and describe in your own way the event that is recounted in Herodotus.
    • Part II B: Explain in 1-2 paragraphs how your adapted translation differs from Herodotus' account of the event.
    • Submit all four parts of the assignment (Part IA, IB, IIA, and IIB) as a word document by 9:30 am on Monday, April 19.
  • Tests (35%)
    • Test 1 (100 points) on February 11 
    • Test 2 (100 points) on March 18
    • Test 3 (100 points) on April 21

Grade Scale

A = 93–100% B = 83–86% C = 73–76% D = 63-66%
A- = 90–92% B- = 80–82% C- = 70–72% D- = 60–62%
B+ = 87–89% C+ = 77–79% D+ = 67-69% E < 60%

*Grades are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g., 89.4% = 89% and 89.5% = 90%).

Information on UF grading policies is available in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Course Policies

Academic Honesty

UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, "We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: 'On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment'.” The Honor Code specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor of this class.

Attendance

Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/attendance-policies/

Course Accessibility

Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic accommodations should connect with the Disability Resource Center by visiting https://disability.ufl.edu/students/get-started/. It is important for students to share their accommodation letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs, as early as possible in the semester.

Course Evaluations

Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.

COVID-19 Policies

If you attend the face-to-face class meeting in MAT 107, you will need to observe the following policies and requirements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to maintain our learning environment and to enhance the safety of our in-classroom interactions.

  • You are required to participate in the Screen, Test & Protect program in order to attend in-person classes. You may only attend in-person classes if you are "cleared for campus." If your results are "not cleared" or "withheld from campus," you may participate in class meeting remotely via Zoom. 
  • You must wear approved face coverings at all times during class and within buildings. Following and enforcing these policies and requirements are all of our responsibility. Failure to do so will lead to a report to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution.
  • This course has been assigned a physical classroom with enough capacity to maintain physical distancing (6 feet between individuals) requirements. Please utilize designated seats and maintain appropriate spacing between students. Please do not move desks or stations.
  • Sanitizing supplies are available in the classroom if you wish to wipe down your desks prior to sitting down and at the end of the class.
  • Follow your instructor’s guidance on how to enter and exit the classroom. Practice physical distancing to the extent possible when entering and exiting the classroom.
  • If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (Click here for guidance from the CDC on symptoms of coronavirus (Links to an external site.)), please use the UF Health screening system and follow the instructions on whether you are able to attend class. This website gives UF Health guidance on what to do if you have been exposed to or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (Links to an external site.).

Counseling Resources

Students experiencing either health or personal problems that interfere with their general well-being are encouraged to seek assistance through the university’s health care and counseling centers. Resources are also available on campus for students who wish to explore their career options.

You can also check out the UF Resources page for the many university resources, services, and support that are available to you.

Credits

Landing Page

Syllabus Page

Weekly Pages

Course Summary:

Date Details Due