Holliston High School English Department Program

Please click the appropriate grade/course in the menu at the top of the page. Course descriptions, parent surveys, etc. are included for each course.

**Please note that our curricula are under constant review and may be adjusted to suit the needs of our students. These changes may take place more quickly than can be reflected on this site at a given moment in time. We will update periodically.

Department Policies:

Cell Phone/Earbud Usage

Students should only have their cell phones visible when explicitly allowed by the teacher. The assumption is not that they are okay to have out and use until told otherwise, but rather they should be put away until told otherwise. Likewise, headphones and ear buds should not be used or visible unless the teacher says otherwise. This includes having earbuds still in the students’ ears after use.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism, defined as presenting your own ideas which do not belong to you, is a form of cheating, and is not acceptable in any form. Plagiarism includes directly copying, paraphrasing from the Internet or another source without citation, work done by someone else, or work created or edited using AI software. In the English Department, the consequence for plagiarism of any kind, regardless of the extent, is a zero for the assignment that cannot be made up, contact with the student’s parent or guardian, and a student referral to the administration. This policy is in effect regardless of the student’s age, current grade average, or weight of the assignment. Furthermore, any students who share their work with their peers will be treated in the same manner as the student who submitted work that was not their own.

*Artificial Intelligence: Students are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence technologies for any assignment, assessment, exam, or any other type of academic evaluation unless explicitly permitted by the instructor. For the purpose of this policy, AI is defined as any software, tools, or devices that can simulate or replicate human cognitive processes, such as natural language processing or machine learning. The use of AI is considered plagiarism and will result in the respective consequences detailed above.

Final Exams

Students are expected to be present for their final exam period, and it is expected that every core English course will have a final exam as a part of the curriculum. There are no exemptions for seniors. Any student hoping to take their exam on a day that is not the designated exam date needs to be approved by administration well in advance of the final, and it is understood that these approvals are few and far between and should not be requested frivolously.

Program Level Enduring Understandings:

All literature deals with what it means to be human. While the specifics of setting and character differ, and the specifics of the conflicts and resolutions may be outside of our own experiences, we can always identify/empathize/sympathize with the broader universal human concerns being thematically explored/illustrated. Many common themes in art/literature are the result of a conflict between an individual’s (or group’s) rights/beliefs and the society or system in which they live. Though certain rights have been codified in writing in our constitution, it has taken many years for these rights to become practice for some Americans, based on gender identity, race/ethnicity, social class, religious beliefs, mental or physical challenges and differences, etc. In some cases, these rights are still denied or unequally accessible to certain groups of people through systemic oppression, though some individuals have broken through barriers.

In this course of studies, we will endeavor to understand people. We will encounter in our readings many people along the spectrum of human experience in this country and other countries. We will traverse time periods, regions, and cultural zones. What we hope to see in the end, is those universal human concerns, manifest in both positive and negative human traits, which bind us together rather than separate us.

Some essential questions to consider (there will be more within units):

How can literature be a vehicle for social change?
When is it necessary to question the status quo? Who decides?
What is oppression, and what are the root causes?
How are prejudice and bias created, and how can they be overcome?
What factors shape our values and beliefs?
What binds us together as human beings?

21ST CENTURY LEARNING EXPECTATIONS:

Our goal is that Holliston High School students will…

write effectively

read critically

speak with clarity

apply reasoning and problem-solving skills

collaborate with others

practice respect for self and others in various environments

cooperate with others in and out of the classroom

Literacy

Students will understand that…

The foundation for the creative and purposeful expression in language depends on the interdependent skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Reading

Students will understand that…

Reading is an interactive process by which people create meaning about the message or information being communicated within a print or non-print medium.

Reading develops our understanding of self and of cultures, enlarges experiences, and broadens worldviews.

The habit of reading independently and closely is essential for future success.

Visualization, making connections, questioning, determining importance, inferring, and synthesizing are essential to independently and collaboratively construct meaning from print or non-print medium.

An author’s purpose is achieved through deliberate choices in genre, style, structure, point of view, and word choice.

Writing

Students will understand that…

Writing is a means of reflecting, presenting and supporting opinions, demonstrating understanding of a subject, conveying real and imagined experiences and events to others.

A writer’s purpose is achieved through deliberate choices in genre, style, structure, point of view, and word choice.

Writing is a recursive process by which people communicate ideas, messages and information appropriate to task, purpose and audience.

The use of proper mechanics, grammar, spelling, and sentence structure enhances the effectiveness of written communication.

Listening and Speaking

Students will understand that…

Rich, structured conversations allow us to paraphrase; build on or challenge ideas; ask for elaboration, clarification and supporting examples; and synthesize ideas, messages and information.

Language

Students will understand that…

Standard English language is based upon a set of rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Style includes the choice of words, syntax, and punctuation and allows language to function in different contexts with different meanings.

An individual word is part of a network of other words and word parts.

Words can be used literally or figuratively, there are relationships among words, and nuances in word meanings.

Targeted Writing Skills

HHS English Department Targeted Writing Skills:

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