Latin centos and the readers of Latin poetry in late antiquity

Dr Aaron Pelttari’s research on readers in late antiquity highlights the extent to which classical literatures are transformed by the individual recipients of the tradition. As part of a collaboration with local Edinburgh primary schools from 2015-16, Dr Pelttari’s research was adapted to produce a ‘six-step’ lesson plan for teachers. Through the use of Pelttari’s research, the pupils and their teachers gained a deeper understanding of their own cultural past.

Dr Pelttari’s lesson plan introduced students to Latin centos and demonstrated how present-day students could create their own cento poems using modern material. For this project, Dr Pelttari opted for the Scottish canonical poet, Robert Burns as a useful case study. The lessons were designed to encourage the students to think about their own role in understanding the literature that they read and to play an active role in accessing and rewriting the material that they read. The lessons encouraged creativity by requiring the primary school pupils to create something new out of the cultural material that is already around them. This initiative supports Scotland’s ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ which aims to shape successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors.

Pelttari’s research was disseminated through the programme ‘Literacy through Latin’ which aims to use Latin to introduce new lessons on language and culture for primary school students. Pelttari’s lesson plan was structured so that four student volunteers from the School of History, Classics and Archaeology could deliver the material in two P6 classrooms in Liberton Primary School. Overall, two teachers and sixty primary school students participated in these lessons and were able to benefit directly.

Further information

• Literacy through Latin web page
• Dr Pelttari's staff profile