Set Texts Companions for AS & A Level OCR Latin

What do teachers say about this resource? (11212)

think this resource is invaluable to any teacher who wants to teach Classics to their students. It sets out clearly and precisely the parts of the book you have to read, and supplies them to the teacher. There is also an immensely useful commentary upon the Aeneid that provides an in depth look into the context of Virgil's life, and the style he employs. I believe this is very useful to any teacher, as it provides them with material adequate to the level they are teaching at.

With this resource, what particularly stood out to me was the commentary provided by the author. It was very in depth, and noted many things which had not occurred to me.

I believe its clear layout and language provides the teacher and the student with a good basis upon which to build their knowledge of this epic. I think that a student needs a solid foundation in any subject they study, particularly the classics, to excel at a higher level, and this resource provides just that opportunity.

I think the presentation is done very well. The texts are made easily accessible to the reader along with their commentaries. This is essential as teachers and students need to be able to focus on studying the material rather than trying to find it. This resource pulls that off very nicely.

It goes into enough depth to allow the teacher to be able to teach with a wealth of sources and commentaries. It gives enough detail to be useable at A level, without being too over the top and overwhelming the teacher and students with too much unnecessary information.

I thought this was an excellent resource.It matches the spec well and follows its order to the letter. It also interprets it in a sophisticated manner providing activities which are of the appropriate academic standard to score highly at A Level. I particularly liked the balance between introductory material, detailed analysis and examination style questions, the latter of which are in short supply at the start of a new spec. It enhances learning by being divided into manageable chunks, so the less able need not feel overwhelmed. However it also stretches the high fliers. Its educational value is to provide reassurance, particularly at the revision stage, where the use of side headings/underlining etc clarify the pertinent issues.

Sample questions and mark schemes, as ever, are superbly useful.

Overall this is a good fit for the specification.

What do teachers say about this resource? (10408)

Excellent overall. Clearly laid out and carefully thought through. A thorough and very useful resource pack. The provision of a working translation and the division of notes into translation notes and style notes was particularly helpful. The glossary of terms at the end of the pack was also a very thoughtful addition. Excellent to include detailed notes on the poems and extensive coverage of each one. Very useful practice examination questions plus thoughtful activities with stimulating questions throughout.

Generally very helpful indeed, with a very thorough introduction and appendices. I particularly liked the detailed introductory section on scansion, the examination style questions in appendix A, and the suggested order of poems if wanted to trace Catullus' affair with Lesbia. I also found many of the comments for different poems to be interesting and useful. Approaching the verse set texts is especially daunting given the more nuanced, specific poetic language and the often quite challenging syntax, but it breaking down so many different aspects of the verse paper (background on Catullus, the individual poems, wide range of poetic techniques), makes the whole experience seem much less scary. It is really helpful for learners to have a resource like this to refer to, both in class and at home, and really fills the gap in the market for comprehensive A Level Literature resources. The examination style questions are excellent.

Matches prescription well. Would purchase for teaching.

What do teachers say about this resource? (10409)

Overall, an excellent resource: it is everything a teacher or student would need to study this option – despite the fact that the Introduction for Teachers suggests this resource is designed to complement rather than replace the OCR edition, it seems to me to entirely supersede it. The grammar and translation notes give the right level of support to both guide students through the translation, and to reinforce language learning, which is particularly valuable for the Group 3/AS texts. The inclusion of practice questions is an excellent selling-point of the guide – the inclusion of two papers, of which the first can be used part-way through teaching the text, is extremely useful. Lastly, the appendix 2 is outstanding: what is especially useful is the references to line numbers; having an index of grammar topics as they occur in the set text is a god-send to those teaching the language side of the course – introducing new topics, or even better, revising, we will be able to start from parts of the set-text; two bits of revision at once! 

This resource covers all the necessary areas for the study of A level literature. The two exams are very helpful.

What do teachers say about this resource? (11236)

I believe that this resource would be invaluable when it comes to the classroom. It is well set out, and thus easy and simple to use. The commentary provided by the author upon the Latin text seems that it would be exceptionally useful in discussing Ovid's use of style, and the context of his work, with students.

I particularly liked the comprehensive commentary on the Latin and English texts. In addition, the translation was well thought out enough that it made sense in just reading it, but close enough to the Latin that it aided greatly with translation.

On the whole I really liked this resource. The resource enhances learning by being so clearly laid out. It will give students (and teachers) confidence. Its educational value is to provide an invaluable vade mecum, with sufficient material to stretch the more able, without drowning those struggling in too much detail. It also references scholars, recommenations to the Iliad and web links are added bonuses. It even brings in music references and family trees, and use of literary terms, eg polyptoton are the icing on the cake.

What do teachers say about this resource? (10659)

An excellent resource. I would definitely purchase it. It matches the spec very well, covering all the set poems.