The packet provides useful ammunition for those who need to initiate or defend a Latin program and affords an overview of the current state of Latin and the Classics. Promotional materials provided by over 25 teachers were selected and edited by Virginia Barrett and Judth Lynn Sebesta. Using modern methodologies, these programs offer instrinsically interesting readings in the language and culture. They help boost English language skills as they lay a firm foundation for future language study. At the same time, they provide direct access to the rich and varied civilization of Rome and its influences on modern life.
Some programs highlight cultural diversity within the provinces of the Roman Empire.
A one-page overview of each program describes its purposes, methods of instruction and evidence of success of students on standardized tests of English skills. Supplemental information of eight to ten pages offers further description of the programs, reviews, news articles, sample pages from the textbooks, and names of contact persons and publishers. The purpose of these materials is to introduce teachers to a broad range of cultural topics that reflect the ethnic diversity of today's classrooms. The collection will assist teachers to impart a global perspective and a sense of how other ethnic cultures interacted with the mainstream cultures of Greece and Rome. The collection offers provocative articles by Erich Gruen, Karl Galinsky, and Diana Delia and a bibliography of black culture and the Classics by Shelley P. Haley.