Dover-Sherborn High School Teaching & Learning 

English Department Focus Areas:   

• Reading a wide variety of texts; we believe our texts can provide all students with a variety of perspectives. Our texts allow students a chance to see their own life experiences “mirrored” as well as give them opportunities to read about characters & ideas that may be new to them (“windows” and “sliding glass doors”.) We draw, in part, upon the work of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop 2016 essay published by The National Council of Teachers of English.

• Writing and speaking in an authentic voice in a different styles matched to specific and varied purposes & audiences; 

• Thinking about the complex, diverse and changing world around them and finding their place in it.

Want to know what we are up to in our classes?  You can follow us on Twitter: @DshsEnglish

The Math Department's mission is to 

Eight Standards for Mathematical Practice

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

The courses in Science are designed to provide a strong foundation for the future scientist or engineer as well as a basic understanding and appreciation of science for the future citizen in our highly technological society. All courses are highly laboratory-oriented. While three years (18 credits) of science are required for graduation, students planning careers in science, medicine, or technology should take a course each year. The recommended sequence is Biology, Chemistry, and Physics with electives typically taken during junior and/or senior year.

The Social Studies Department provides course offerings in both history and the social sciences. The goal of the social studies curriculum is to facilitate the development of critical thinking skills and to support students in becoming responsible, productive adults. The Social Studies program seeks to provide students with a greater understanding of important political, economic, and social issues facing the United States and the world. Students are challenged to communicate effectively in groups as they work to understand important societal and individual issues. Critical thinking skills are taught through debating, problem solving, group decision making, and the writing of position and research papers. In addition, cooperative learning experiences teach students to work successfully with others. The Social Studies Department is committed to helping students understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens and respect and appreciate the diversity of the world’s people.

The goal of STE education is to develop scientifically and technologically literate citizens who can solve complex, multidisciplinary problems and apply analytical reasoning and innovative thinking to real-world applications needed for civic participation, college preparation, and career readiness.

The skills and background that students learn through their STE education serve as the foundation for solving problems and understanding issues they will encounter in their careers and will provide the intellectual tools needed to develop strategies for dealing with these issues. The use of various forms of modeling and problem solving, both learned through STE practices, applies to an infinite number of career paths, including those that not typically characterized as STE.

In Grade 9, students will engage in a semester of Health Education and a semester of Outdoor Education/Fitness Development. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors participate in quarterly elected modules. T

The World Language Department offers courses that are aligned with the National Standards in World Language Education and the Massachusetts World Language Curriculum Framework. Course names reflect the ACTFL (American Council of Teaching of World Languages) Performance Guidelines. These standards measure a student’s comprehensibility, comprehension, language control, vocabulary usage, communication strategies and cultural awareness. In a grade 6-12 program, as language students’ level of proficiency increases, they move from the Novice to Intermediate stages of language proficiency. The World Language Department offers sequential programs in Chinese, French, Latin, and Spanish.