Dodecagons

 First grade has been studying the solar system, and we used a very creative way to display our research - DODECAGONS.  Students were give specific things to research:  The sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Earth's moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the dwarf planet Pluto.  Using non-fiction books and online searches to find information, students filled out 12 sides to the dodecagon and folded and taped it together to form the shape.  Students learned about the etymology of the word dodecagon and compared it to words like hexagon, pentagon, and decagon.  Check out some pictures of various student's dodecagon.

 Sorry, I couldn't get this one to rotate.  :-(

All students chose their own facts to share.  This student found some very interesting information out about Uranus during his discovery research.

I found that the students absorbed so much more information when they had to discover it for themselves.  It was difficult at times to not offer too much assistance and instead, simply scaffold the research process.

Jupiter was a class favorite.  Students had to take turns researching this planet throughout the various activities that we have done so that everyone would get a chance to study it.

Students were given a rubric on how this activity would be assessed.  Guidelines were clearly expressed prior to beginning the task so that students would know what the expectations were to complete this project correctly.   Keep in mind this work was done by 1st graders! I am very proud.