In our first unit as we come back to school, we will focus on kinds of writing and, more specifically, expositor writing. Writing does not necessarily need to be a solitary process - as we learn, we will be working individually, in pairs and in groups. By the end of this unit, you will have written a five paragraph essay with the purpose of clear and concise explanation.

In this brief unit we will delve into news publications in order to see how both history and current events shape our world and experiences. Specifically, our focus will be the Taliban and its influence on the country of Afghanistan alongside the United States’ involvement in Afghan politics. Developing an understanding of these difficult topics will prepare us for our upcoming novel, Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai. By the end of this unit, students will have collaborated in groups to produce a slideshow demonstrating central ideas gleaned from unit-based readings.

In this unit we will examine how characters in both nonfiction and fictional texts are influenced and motivated by their experiences and perspectives. Our unit text is Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai, which will be supplemented by NewsELA articles to help us gain a deeper understanding of the novel’s setting. This unit provides a timely and relevant opportunity for us to learn about and discuss the events that are taking place today, in 2022, as the Taliban regime has seized control of Afghanistan once again.