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Latin Months — Mēnsēs

Fifth graders discover that our months come straight from Latin — Iānuārius (from the god Janus), Mārtius (from Mars), and more — and put the first months of the year in order.

Grade 5Mēnsēs45 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 Latin months.
  • ✓Connect to English months.
  • ✓Order the months.
  • ✓Know the roots.
Essential Question

Our months come from Latin! March is named for Mars. Can you put the Latin months in order?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Months

Project this and have students put the Latin months in order, Iānuārius to Māius.

📅 Put the months in order — January to May!Try it
Tap Iānuārius first!
The Lesson · Classical Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

45 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — Months from Latin

5 min

Our months come from Latin — March is named for Mars! Can you order them?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say “March — Mars.”
  • Ask about the roots.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Mēnsēs

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present Iānuārius to Māius.
  • Say them aloud.
  • Note the god roots.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Repeat.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Order Them

12 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Months.
  • Put them in order.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
4

Speak — Speak

11 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say this month in Latin.
  • Say the root.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a Latin month.
  • Say its root.
  • 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, Introductory).

ACL
Comparisons 4.2

Find Latin roots in English.

ACL
Connections 3.1

Connect to the calendar.

ACL
Cultures 2.1

Explore Roman naming.

ACL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand month words.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Month cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ comes from ___.”
  • Use a calendar.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with Iānuārius and Māius.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Learn all 12 months.
  • Find each month’s root.
  • Explain July/August.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 📅A calendar
  • 💻Order the Months
  • 🗣️Audio
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

mēnsismonthIānuāriusJanuaryFebruāriusFebruaryMārtiusMarchAprīlisAprilMāiusMayannusyearRōmānusRoman
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 is the FIRST month in Latin?
Iānuārius (from the god Janus).
QUESTION 2
Which month is named for Mars?
Mārtius (March).
QUESTION 3
Where do our month names come from?
Latin.

Reflect: mēnsēs.

Have students name the first five months in Latin in order (Iānuārius, Februārius…). A printable months 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.

🃏 Latin Months (Mēnsēs)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Latin Months (Mēnsēs)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

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.

🖨️ Latin Months (Mēnsēs)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: annus, Aprīlis, Februārius, Iānuārius, Māius, Mārtius, mēnsis, Rōmānus
  1. January
  2. year
  3. April
  4. May
  5. March
  6. month
  7. Roman
  8. February

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the FIRST month in Latin?
  2. Which month is named for Mars?
  3. Where do our month names come from?
Answer key — Part A: 1) Iānuārius · 2) annus · 3) Aprīlis · 4) Māius · 5) Mārtius · 6) mēnsis · 7) Rōmānus · 8) Februārius
Part B: 1) Iānuārius (from the god Janus). 2) Mārtius (March). 3) Latin.