Latin School of Chicago

Elissabeth Legendre In the middle school, Elissabeth Legendre takes the topics of family and self to her Latin language classes. Throughout the year, Legendre mixes new vocabulary with cultural and historical lessons. "We try to show students how much we have in common with other cultures, and in Latin class that connection spans the bounds of time," Legendre said. "Families are very important to us moderns, and they were to the ancient Romans, too." Family is particularly useful as a basis for learning Latin, she said, because so many of the words (mater, pater, familia) have etymological ties to English. Students learn to write about their own families, introducing each member in notes to a Roman family. This is especially rich ground for students this age, added Legendre. "At this point in their development, they're just figuring out how to stretch their boundaries and become more independent from their parents." An assignment for eighth grade history that has been particularly meaningful to generations of Latin middle schoolers is the family history project. As they research and write their family histories, students are required to ask questions and elicit stories that expose them to a deeper understanding of who they are and where they come from, said history and social studies teacher Rob Wellen '92. Wellen still keeps the family history that he worked on as an eighth grader in 1988 on a bookshelf in his office at Latin and hopes to one day share it with his own children. Through the project students learn to be historians, to ask insightful questions, to record and transcribe oral histories – and, of course, to listen thoughtfully and critically, said Wellen. Families are an ideal resource. "It's convenient because in most cases students share a dinner table with their primary sources," he said. Plus, "students are emotionally invested in learning more." While most students are excited about the family history project, Wellen said, its full impact is often not felt until years later – not necessarily as a reflection of academic achievements, but as a tribute to a much-loved family member or a relative who was simply "touched that someone cared enough to write about them." "It's inspiring," Wellen said of watching students' projects take shape. "I'm always fascinated by the topics – no story is ever the same." History teacher Rob Wellen with his 75-page family history, which he worked on as a Latin student in 1988. "We try to show students how much we have in common with other cultures, and in Latin class that connection spans the bounds of time." – Elissabeth Legendre Latin School of Chicago 33

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