GREEK 300 A: Introductory Greek, Accelerated

Course Description:

Zoom Link for the Course

Course content will be organized in Modules

Welcome to the first half of a summer-long sequence designed to introduce students to Ancient Greek (Classical and koine).

By the end of the course you will be able to:

-read and translate simple selections from ancient Greek authors and compose simple sentences in Greek.

-understand and explain literary, historical, and cultural context of ancient Greek texts

-analyze and explain ancient Greek grammar and syntax

-analyze and explain ancient Greek’s influence on and connection to other languages and literatures

By the end of the sequence (Greek 300, Greek 103) you equip yourself to read any Greek author. In our second-year courses (Greek 304, 305, 306, 307) students read selections of Xenophon (306), Plato (307), Homer (307), and biblical texts (304).

This class will be offered online in synchronous format. 

Required textbooks:

Anne Groton, From Alpha to Omega (4th or 5th ed.)

Anne Groton and James May, 46 Stories in Classical Greek

Grade Scale

Grading:

Grades will be calculated on the basis of the following percentages:

Course Policies:

For each chapter of From Alpha to Omega students will be responsible for learning new forms (verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc.), memorizing the list of vocabulary in the chapter, and translating from Greek into English and from English into Greek. Supplementary work will involve translation and discussion of classical myths and Greek history.

All assessments and the final translation project are necessarily cumulative. They will include vocabulary, passages for translation, grammatical analysis, and literary and cultural commentary.

Homework:  There will be daily homework assignments typically drawn from From Alpha to Omega (any other formats/assignments will be discussed in class). You should submit the homework assignments on Canvas before class on the day they are due, and we will go over the exercises together. Assignments do not need to be 100% correct for full credit, but I do expect a good faith effort and for problem areas to be raised in class when we go over it.

Please write out Greek by hand and submit a picture of it on Canvas. You may type your English answers, though generally writing Greek with all its accents is easier by hand (though do inquire if you’d like to learn more about typing ancient Greek!)

Participation + In-class Exercises: Active participation in the course through completing in-class exercises, interacting with your classmates, asking questions, etc. are all vital to your acquisition of the language and the learning process. Accordingly, I will keep track of attendance and participation. More than 3 unexcused absences will result in a lowering of the participation grade to reflect the loss of irreplaceable class time.

Weekly Assessments: These are designed to reinforce skills, vocabulary, grammar, and readings that we worked on throughout the week. While they’ll focus on content for the week, any assessment in a language course is necessarily cumulative. They will be available every week under “Quizzes” on Canvas immediately after Friday’s class, and due the Saturday by 5pm.

• Each assessment is worth 10% of your grade
• You’ll have 90 minutes to take the assessment once you begin
• You may use your textbook, resources on the course Canvas page, your own notes etc., but no other online resources or generative AI should be consulted
• The aim of these assessments is to help keep you focused and motivated to practice and master the weekly material.

Final Project: This will consist of a lengthier translation and analysis to continue building your skills in ancient Greek. More details to be circulated in the coming weeks.

Email Etiquette: You can reach me at jclark5@uw.edu on weekdays from 9am-5pm. I will do my best to answer as promptly as possible, but please be aware that it may take me up to 24 hours to respond. Please keep in mind that our e-mail correspondence is a public record according to RCW 42.56, the Washington State Public Records Act, and I have the right to share it with my supervisor or other authorities if I think it is necessary (more information at this link.).

Late work: Assignments not turned in by their deadline without prior approval (email me if you need an extension!) will lose 10% for each day it is not submitted.

How to Succeed in This Class:

• Daily practice: As with any language, the single most important thing you can do is practice daily. This includes practicing the Greek alphabet and script, memorization of vocabulary and forms, and translation. Every little bit counts!
• Attend class daily: This is probably the best thing you can do to succeed in this or any class.
• Complete assigned exercises by the date listed on the syllabus.
• Attempt all assigned exercises, even if – especially if – you are unsure of you answers, and bring questions to class. This ensures that you have the instructor’s help while the material is fresh in your mind.
• Make mistakes! Learning a new language is a messy process; embrace your mistakes and accept them as part of the journey.

Course Schedule:

Monday June 22

• Introduction: Ancient Greek and Indo-European
• Parts of Speech
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 1: The Greek Alphabet

Tuesday June 23

• HW due: Lesson 1: Exercises A (write out the names as written in Greek and transliterate the names into the English alphabet) + Exercises B under Assignments
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 2: The Greek Accents (Don’t panic! This is an introduction and we will work on building your understanding throughout the course)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 3 (Ω-Verbs: Present Active)

Wednesday June 24

• HW due: Lesson 2 Exercise B(1-10); Lesson 3 GtE 1–6
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 4 (Parts of speech; first declension feminine nouns pt. 1)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 5 (First declension feminine nouns pt. 2)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 6 (Future Active Indicative and Infinitive)

Thursday June 25

• HW due: Lesson 4 GtE (1, 2, 4, 5, 10); Lesson 5 GtE (1, 3–5) AND EtG (3); Lesson 6 GtE (1, 5, 10)
• In-Class Reading: 46 Stories “How to Avoid a Beastly Wedding”
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 7 (Second declension masculine nouns)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 8 (Second declension neuter nouns)

Friday June 26 (ASYNCHRONOUS)

• HW due: Lesson 7: GtE (2-5, 10), Lesson 8: GtE (1, 2, 6, 8, 9)
• In-Class Reading: 46 Stories “Taking Things Too Literally”
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 9 (First Declension Masculine Nouns; Substantives)

Weekly Assessment 1: Lessons 1-8, due Saturday June 27 at 5PM

Week 2

Monday June 29

• HW due: Lesson 9 GtE (1, 2, 4, 5-8, 10)
• Read: ΑΩ Lessons 10 (Ω-Verbs: Imperfect, Correlatives)

Tuesday June 30

• HW due: Lesson 10 GtE (1, 5, 8, 10); read, copy, and translate The Bear Tells All (p.62)
• Read: ΑΩ Lessons 11+12 (Middle/Passive; εἰμί, Enclitics)

Wednesday July 1

• HW due: Lesson 11 GtE (1, 4, 5, 7, 8), Lesson 12 GtE (1–4, 9, 10)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 13+14 (Demonstratives; Personal Pronouns)

Thursday July 2

• HW due: Lesson 13 GtE (4–6, 8), Lesson 14 GtE (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8)
• Read: ΑΩ Lessons 15 (Contract verbs, Contract future)

Friday July 3 NO CLASS for Independence Day (Observed University Holiday)

Weekly Assessment 2: Lessons 9-14, due Sunday July 5 at 5PM (available immediately after class on Thursday)

Week 3

Monday July 6

• HW due: Lesson 15: GtE (3, 4, 5, 8-10); EtG 3
• Reading: “Ajax Makes a Tragic Spectacle of Himself” (Lines 10-22)
• Read: ΑΩ Lessons 16 and 17 (3^rd Declension nouns; 3^rd Declension Adjectives)

Tuesday July 7

• HW due: Lesson 16 GtE (1, 4, 7), Lesson 17 GtE (1, 5, 6, 9)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 18 (Ω-Verbs: First Aorist Active and Middle)

Wednesday July 8

• HW due: Lesson 18 GtE (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 19 (Ω-Verbs: Second Aorist; Reflexive Pronouns)

Thursday July 9

• HW due: Lesson 19 GtE (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 20 (Ω-Verbs: Perfect, Pluperfect Active)

Friday July 10

• HW due: Translate from “Musing with the Cicadas” (from 46 Stories), focus on lines 9-21.
• HW due: Verb Synopsis
• Read:  ΑΩ Lesson 21 (Interrogative τίς and Indefinite τις)

Weekly Assessment 3: Lessons 15-20, due Saturday July 11 at 5PM

Week 4

Monday July 13

• HW due: Translate from “Divining Socrates' Future” (46 Stories). 
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 22 (Ω-Verbs: Perfect, Pluperfect, Pluperfect Middle/Passive)

Tuesday July 14

• HW due: Lesson 22 GtE (1–5, 9)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 23 (Relative Pronouns, πᾶς, Expressions of Time)

Wednesday July 15

• HW due: Lesson 23 GtE (3–5, 9, 10)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 24 (Ω-Verbs: Active Participles)

Thursday July 16

• HW due: Lesson 24 GtE (1, 5, 6, 8, 10)
• Read:  ΑΩ Lesson 25 (Ω-Verbs: Middle/Passive Participles)

Friday July 17

• HW due: Lesson 25 GtE (1–3, 5, 6, 8)
• Read: ΑΩ Lesson 26 (Direct and Indirect Questions, Alternative Questions)

Weekly Assessment 4: Lessons 20-26, due Saturday July 18 at 5PM

Week 5

Mon July 20

• HW: Verb + Participle Synopsis Due
• Read: TBD

Tue July 21: Reading: TBD

• HW: Work on your translation project

Wed July 22 - No Class!

• Final Translation Project due by 11:59 PM

Important UW policy-related things to know:

UW’s Religious Accommodations Policy: “Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/ , the Religious Accommodations Request form.”

UW’s Student Conduct Code: “The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online at https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct/”

UW Disability Resources: Access and Accommodations: Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

Academic Integrity: University of Washington students are expected to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity. Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to: cheating/unauthorized collaboration (working collaboratively on assignments, sharing answers); and plagiarism (representing others’ work as your own without proper citation including the use of ChatGPT/AI-assisted writing). Misconduct may result in no credit for an assignment or exam; failing the course; and being reported to the University. See more here: https://www.washington.edu/cssc/for-students/academic-misconduct/

Student Resources

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Safe Campus 206-685-7233 (M-F 8am-5pm). In urgent or dangerous situations call 911.  

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For majors and minors in the Department of Classics

Sportula Micro-grants

Micro-grants (up to $300) aimed at helping classics students make ends meet, no questions asked.

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Your Health

UW Coronavirus Info 

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UW Mental Health Resources

Both the Counseling Center and Hall Health are offering online mental health services (free!) for enrolled students!

Your Education

Interested in finding out about a major or minor in the Department of Classics? You can sign up for a minor with the adviser for your major. You can sign up for the major by speaking with the advisers in Humanities Academic Services. The Classics Department Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Professor Catherine Connors, is also happy to speak with students anytime about coursework and other opportunities in the Department (contact her at cconnors@uw.edu to make an appointment).

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