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Roman Poets — Poētae

Eleventh graders meet the great poets of Rome — Vergil, Ovid, Horace, Catullus, and Martial — and the works that shaped Western literature, from the epic Aeneid to witty epigrams.

Grade 11Poētae Rōmānī55 minutes1 class periodClassical LanguagesExplicit teaching4 StandardsACL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name Roman poets.
  • ✓Know each one’s works.
  • ✓Connect to literature.
  • ✓Appreciate Latin poetry.
Essential Question

Rome produced some of the greatest poets in history. Who were the poētae Rōmānī, and what did they write?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Poētae Explorer

Project this and tap each poet. Have students learn the great Roman poets.

📜 Explore the Roman poets — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Classical Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — The Great Poets

6 min

Rome produced some of the greatest poets in history — who were they?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a line of the Aeneid.
  • Ask who wrote it.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Poētae Rōmānī

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Poētae Explorer.
  • Note each poet’s work.
  • Connect to literature.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Note them.
  • Name.
3

Practice — Practice

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Match poets to works.
  • Name a poem.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Name it.
  • Say.
4

Speak — Speak

15 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Share a favorite poet.
  • Say why in Latin terms.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share it.
  • Say why.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a poet.
  • Say their work.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Standards for Classical Language Learning (ACL/ACTFL, Intermediate-High).

ACL
Cultures 2.1

Explore Roman literature.

ACL
Cultures 2.2

Explore cultural products (poetry).

ACL
Connections 3.2

Connect to Western literature.

ACL
Comparisons 4.2

Compare literary traditions.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Poet + work cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ wrote ___.”
  • Use short poem excerpts.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with Vergil and Ovid.
  • Use one work each.
  • Name one poet.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Read a short poem.
  • Research a poet.
  • Compare two poets.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 📜Poem excerpts
  • 💻The Poētae Explorer
  • 📚Poetry books
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

poētapoetVergiliusVirgilOvidiusOvidHorātiusHoraceCatullusCatulluscarmenpoem/songepicumepiclyricumlyric
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What did Vergil write?
The Aeneid, Rome’s national epic.
QUESTION 2
What did Ovid write?
The Metamorphoses, a collection of transformation myths.
QUESTION 3
What is Horace famous for?
The ode — and the phrase “carpe diem.”

Reflect: poētae Rōmānī.

Have students name two Roman poets and one work each wrote (like Vergil → the Aeneid). A printable poets sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Roman Poets (Poētae Rōmānī)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Roman Poets (Poētae Rōmānī)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Roman Poets (Poētae Rōmānī)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: carmen, Catullus, epicum, Horātius, lyricum, Ovidius, poēta, Vergilius
  1. poem/song
  2. poet
  3. Catullus
  4. Horace
  5. Ovid
  6. lyric
  7. epic
  8. Virgil

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What did Vergil write?
  2. What did Ovid write?
  3. What is Horace famous for?
Answer key — Part A: 1) carmen · 2) poēta · 3) Catullus · 4) Horātius · 5) Ovidius · 6) lyricum · 7) epicum · 8) Vergilius
Part B: 1) The Aeneid, Rome’s national epic. 2) The Metamorphoses, a collection of transformation myths. 3) The ode — and the phrase “carpe diem.”