6

th
Grade Prima Lingua
Ms. Hinkle
2014/15
Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter Middle School History

Through the innovation of CEO, David Hardy, Principal, Dr. Noah Tennant, Dean, Carly Ackerman MSEd, and a small team of
sixth grade teachers, Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter Middle School (BLMS) was founded in 2012. The school, now in its
second year, has expanded to serve a seventh grade as well as a sixth grade class. The school is planned to grow to eight grade
in the coming school year (2015). The High School has been in existence since 2007.

The schools, serving priamarity

Classroom vision

By building strong relationships with students and families and maintaining a positive and comfortable classroom, my
students will flourish in an environment where they feel safe, joyful, and loved. I will push students to their greatest personal
and academic potentials, while maintaining a student centered classroom where students are empowered to come to their
own conclusions and invest in their own academic growth goals. In my course students will gain fundamental skills in the
study of Linguistics, English Writing, and Latin that promote critical thinking, as well as broaden their perspectives on
language and culture in a way that deepens their embodiment of global citizenship and the Boys Latins core values of
curiosity, compassion, perseverance, integrity, and courage.

The 6
th
grade Prima Lingua course is designed to give students an understanding of aspects of language through the examination of a
number of linguistic concepts including, but not limited to the origin of language, languages of the world, language and culture, the
parts of speech, and language variation. Skills that students learn in Prima Lingua will both refine their skills in English and make
them successful as a learner of a foreign language. The course will prepare them for 7
th
grade, when they begin the study of Latin, the
language of the ancient Romans. Prima Lingua will introduce students to basic Latin vocabulary and grammar, as well as grammatical
structures across other languages. Working collaboratively with their classmates, students will engage in linguistic inquiry, build
problem solving and critical thinking skills, and become better writers. Students will develop skills to both express themselves clearly
and listen to the voices of their peers.

As Boys Latin Warriors, students are held to high expectations because of their extraordinary potential. Our class will be organized,
productive, and students will always know what is expected of them. Class expectations, procedures, the Boys Latin Core Values, and
6
th
Grade Prima Lingua
Ms. Hinkle
2014/15
Three Bs. Ms. Hinkle and Boys Latin are in place to make sure that students are in the best environment for learning. Any
redirection or consequences for not following policies will be given out of care for the students growth and success.


Access
Interaction with foreign language
speakers
Students will have the opportunity to
interview a speaker of a foreign
language either in person or via Skype.
Visual The classroom is decorated with flags
from around the world and a world map.
Personal Growth
Peace Prize Shout Outs Everyday a student will be recognized
for something based on the previous
class. The student will be recognized
with his name on the poster.
Visual Boys Latin Core values and the three Bs
will be displayed in the classroom and
referred to in behavior correction.
Academic Achievement
Individual goal setting Each trimester students set a grade goal,
as well as a core value goal.

Social, cultural, and political
consciousness
Ebonics lesson 1. Students will create personal
language maps.
2. Students will receive a lesson on
code-switching and its
importance.
3. Students will receive a lesson on
vocab and be asked to create a
slang dictionary.
6
th
Grade Prima Lingua
Ms. Hinkle
2014/15
4. Students will receive a lesson on
Ebonics and its complex
structure.