Fairfax

During spring 2019, the second and third graders of Room 7 read and discussed over forty books written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons. They used her children's books to inform their understanding of the elements of non-fiction as well as to get a sense of her unique style. Throughout the process, students discovered that not only does Gibbons utilize a variety of ways to convey information, such as definitions, diagrams, facts, maps, timelines, and vignettes, but also that she carefully selects these text features in order enhance each book's particular subject matter. At the same time, students read about the geography, history, and culture of Fairfax, California; visited some of its most famous places; and spoke with some of its community leaders and longtime residents. They identified essential information that everyone who loves Fairfax should know and then collaboratively wrote and illustrated this book in the style of Gibbons in order to share it with the world.