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AP® Latin

The Advanced Placement Latin course is equivalent to an intermediate to advanced level college Latin course, typically covering the third and fourth semesters. It prepares students for the AP Latin exam in May. Those who successfully complete the exam may earn college credit and will be well-prepared for advanced Latin coursework. Additional information from College Board can be found here: AP® Latin.

In this course, students will explore 7 thematic units:

Unit 1: Laying the Foundation in Latin

Unit 2: Disaster, Exile, and Empire

Unit 3: Letters, Ghosts, and Aqueducts. The Empire Writes Back

Unit 4: Fate vs Free will

Unit 5: Fates, Flames, and Final Fights

Unit 6: Ludi et Laudes

Unit 7: AP Practice Exam and Review

The AP® Latin curriculum provides advanced high school students with rigorous coursework that develops the skills needed to read, translate, analyze, and appreciate Latin poetry and prose. While focusing on Vergil’s Aeneid and Pliny the Younger’s Letters, students will also explore works from other classical authors and genres. This course helps students understand these texts in a broader historical and literary context, enhancing their critical thinking and analytical skills. Throughout the course, “students develop their language skills through various activities: precise, literal translation of prepared poetry and prose; reading with comprehension of sight passages, both poetry and prose; and written analyses that demonstrate the results of critical reading in clear and coherent arguments supported by textual examples”. (AP Latin CED)

Students will be expected to enroll in AP Classroom through their VHS Learning AP course and will be guided to complete review work in AP Classroom throughout the year. AP Classroom resources include AP Daily Videos and unit-based Personal Progress Checks, which include AP-style multiple choice and free response questions.

Students enrolled in VHS Learning Advanced Placement courses with a passing grade are expected to take the AP Exam. Students register for AP exams through their local school or testing site as “Exam Only” students. AP exam scores will be reported to VHS Learning through AP Classroom; exam results will not affect the student’s VHS Learning grade or future enrollment in VHS Learning courses.

This AP course has a required summer assignment. The summer assignment is a review of prerequisite content and critical concepts students must be comfortable with before beginning the course. Students are expected to complete their summer assignment before the course begins and submit their work by the end of Week 1. Students who register on or after September 1 will receive an extension to complete the summer assignment by the end of Week 3.

In this AP-level course, students are expected to invest approximately 10 hours per week on their coursework.

Acknowledgements

  • Completion of Latin 4 is recommended; at a minimum, completion of Latin 3 if the course is equivalent to an intermediate proficiency level course.
  • Grade of a B or better in the most recent Latin class.
  • Grammar and syntax of the language and strong skills in writing, reading, and understanding Latin are required.
  • This course has an Additional Course Fee of $80.
  • The required summer assignment for AP Latin can be found in our AP® Summer Work Directory.

Course Objectives

Course Essential Questions:

  • How does Latin vocabulary shape meaning and reflect Roman thought, culture, and society?
  • How do we accurately interpret and translate Latin texts while preserving their nuance, tone, and rhetorical intent?
  • How do Latin grammatical structures, such as word order, case usage, and verb forms, contribute to meaning and literary artistry?
  • How do the themes of leadership, fate, love, war, and the supernatural in Latin literature reflect Roman values and historical realities?

Course Learning Objectives:

  • Read and summarize Latin poetry and prose.
  • Translate and interpret Latin passages while maintaining grammatical correctness, literary style, and intended meaning.
  • Analyze Latin grammar and syntax to explain how authors structure meaning through case usage, verb tenses, and rhetorical devices.
  • Interpret literary and rhetorical techniques to evaluate how Latin authors convey themes and emotions.
  • Compare Roman cultural values in Latin texts with modern perspectives, identifying how ancient authors depicted power, duty, and human experiences.
  • Construct arguments using textual evidence to support analytical and interpretive claims.

Additional Requirements

  • This AP course has a required summer assignment. The summer assignment is a review of prerequisite content and critical concepts students must be comfortable with before beginning the course. Students are expected to complete their summer assignment before the course begins and submit their work by the end of Week 1. Students who register on or after September 1 will receive an extension to complete the summer assignment by the end of Week 3.