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One way that I would love to implement a Venn Diagram is in the reading of book study novels. I hope to actually implement it at the end of this year after we have finished our last book study in class. The students can then choose their favorite three or four novels (dependent on level) that they have read throughout the year and compare/contrast them using the Venn Diagram. I feel that this would not only make the novels more meaningful in that the students have to remember them but also have them move to higher level thinking when trying to pull comparative material/points from the novels read.
ReplyDeleteI think using the Venn Diagrams in science would best be applied in either a note taking situation or a problem solving scenario. I’m not sure it would work all that well in physics and chemistry, but more complex and open ended subjects like earth science and ecology might work with the multiple circle approach. I guess it also depends on how detailed the material is or how much research you would want the students to do outside of class.
ReplyDeleteI like s.hardie's comment about moving them to higher levels of thinking. Maybe this method will remove any artificial ceiling that teachers may impose on a lesson and allow students to go as far as they can. It may also allow they to relate other ideas or class work into a project.
ReplyDeleteI would like to try using Venn diagrams to encourage substantive conversations between 2 students who have each prepared 1 oval of a 2 oval Venn diagram on a given topic. The students would complete the empty oval and overlapping area of the ovals by taking notes during their discussion. For example, at my school the Fifth grade does a fantastic wax museum project where students research and “become” a historical figure for a day. It would be a great extension of that experience to pair students so they can compare and contrast their 2 remarkable characters.
ReplyDeleteI like jeane's idea for the Venn diagram to promote educational conversations between students. This would not only help clarify information read by each individual but would also encourage public speaking of ideas openly which for many students is a very scary task. It would also help with listening skills since the students will need to write notes while listening to the other student. -Some many skills in just one assignment - Awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteresponding to jeane: In 2nd grade we are finishing our hero unit. I think it would be exciting to compare and contrast heroes using the Venn Diagram. We talk about them after students present, but we haven't taken it to that next level. Maybe next year I can use it to integrate the curriculum in reading.
ReplyDeleteI will implement the Venn Diagram into our bird unit. It will be the perfect way to compare entirely different birds, such as the penguin to the hummingbird, or relatively similar ones such wading birds. The GT students can keep going with the comparisons.
ReplyDeleteIn my third grade class we have worked on folk legends of the United States. To revisit this genre with yet unread legends it would be interesting to use Venn diagrams to compare attributes of the legends and/or characters. The differentiation piece will be the number of ovals used and folktales analyzed.
ReplyDeleteI really like Jeane's idea of having two students dialog together about two different historical characters while completing a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the characters. This activity would encourage English oral language development for bilingual pairs, as well as developing analytical skills and knowledge of historical figures. It would easily allow for differentiation, too.
ReplyDeleteI particularly liked the Venn Diagram examples on page 93 dealing with Quadrilaterals. The kids have a tough time differentiating between parallelogram and rhombus in particular, so I think this would be an excellent way to reteach the material.
ReplyDeleteJeane, your idea for the Wax Museum is excellent. The kids get so caught up in the "dressing up" aspect of their character that sometimes, learning about all the wonderful people gets lost in the shuffle. I think we should definitely do this activity POST wax museum to kind of put it all together!
ReplyDeleteI also like, as does scentanni, the diagrams for quadrilaterals on p. 93. Using the Venn diagram for the four math operations would be interesting also. Overall, this is a stretch in my own thinking because I tend to read too much into the mathematical thinking value of sorting math skills (hard to put into words. To me it feels like harboring the abstract...however) to the children it clarifies, defines, and simplifies the learning process of what's what in math.
ReplyDeleteI would like to try using a Venn diagram on a 3rd grade guidance lesson around the book "Chicken Sunday" by Patricia Polacco. In the past I have given each student a sheet with one of the 4 main character's name at the top of the page. As I read the story, I ask the children to write down the character traits exhibited by that character. Then I group the children to compare the lists they made and discuss how the use of these good character traits by each character promoted the good outcome in the story. I think the use of Venn diagrams would work very well with this lesson. I could start with the same premise, but this time have each child fill out 1-3 ovals (depending on their abilities, much like the diagrams on Figure 6.1, p. 85), then get with a partner to fill out the overlapping ovals. We would get the same basis for discussion with the added benefit of letting the more capable students explore the characters with great depth and breadth.
ReplyDeleteI had not thought about the benefit of using the Venn diagrams with English language learners, but I agree with kandel's fan that pairing students to work together to compare and/or contrast two characters or attributes would encourage a greater level of oral language than just having a student work independently on the project.
ReplyDeleteAs a math teacher, I find my students are always struggling to remember divisibility rules. I think Venn Diagrams would be a great way to help them remember the rule for individual numbers as well as allow them to think of numbers that work for more than one rule. I would give the students circles with a number for the divisibility rules we have learned and they would list numbers that were divisible for one of the rules or both. It would also work to have several circles so that they can compare and contrast more than 2 divisibility rules at a time. I also like that they suggested using Venn Diagrams on p. 95 for homework and I will also try this during my geometry lessons.
ReplyDeleteI need to implement and model the venn diagram organizer more in my small group guided reading book clubs. My students read at their instructional level but have difficulty retaining and comprehening information from a given text. They do not want to take the extra time to use good reading strategies to extract information from the text. I like the venn diagrams to compare /contrast character traits. Some students with the lack of inference skills need a venn visual organizer strategy. This organizer helps to show the reader how to list given information in a way that comprehension can occur in the text. The reading TAKS test has questions that the student must answer by filling in the venn diagrams with missing information. I feel that the strategies that the reader can use gives more opportunities for the reader's enjoyment and challenges his reading abilities to ensure success to become an avid independent reader.
ReplyDeleteI also like Jeane’s idea about using the Venn diagram as an extension to a lesson. It is a great way for students to work together to share what they have learned about a historical figure and an opportunity for them to learn about another historical figure when they are comparing and contracting. I could also see this being used to compare characters in different novels at the end of a book study.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of using Venn Diagram's for book studies and note-taking. I think this is a unique concept because the complexity of the diagram can change according to text and child. I also like the note-taking aspect, especially for science and social studies as a change to the normal way of listing, etc. There is a lot of information I can use in this chapter.
ReplyDeleteIn response to jmelancon: I also want to use the Venn Diagram for math...more specifically, math vocabulary. This week I have chosen multiple meaning words that have a math context as well as other meanings and I am going to figure out a way to implement the Venn Diagram approach.
ReplyDeleteThe use of Venn Diagrams is an excellent method for comparing and contrasting the lifestyles of Native Americans in Fourth Grade Texas History. I can control the complexity of the process and content by correctly matching the number of circles that a given student can manage. Or, as a collaborative activity, I can assign one circle (one Nat. American society) to each student in the group, and then the members of the group can merge, creating a two, three, or four circle Venn Diagram (see p. 92). This gives students a chance to experience "continuous progress," as they tackle the increasing complexity of the activity in a group setting.
ReplyDeleteUsing Venn diagrams will be a great way for me to differentiate with my social studies class. I agree with r.jones in using the venn diagram with our Texas study of Native Americans. The diagrams on page 85 give great examples of how you can differentiate with students. I think this is a great way to help my students visualize the contributions and facts of each tribe. The complexity of the diagram will be determined by their own abilities.
ReplyDeleteI would like to use Venn Diagrams as a way to introduce a new topic in science. As students read new information they can use the VD to organize their learning. I think this would help them see the similarities and differences in new science concepts. Also as a review to information learned in an experiment or demonstration.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of using a venn diagram as a preassessment tool. I teach economics and might use it to see what they know about the different types of economic systems. I am also thinking that I could use it as a postassessment tool after my Economic indicator project that my students complete. They choose three countries to research to find out the different economic indicators (infant mortality, life expectancy, GDP per capita, etc). I think this would be an excellent tool to find out if they truly grasped the material. This tool would allow the students to see that rich and poor countries do have some things in common.
ReplyDeleteR.Jones- I love the idea of using a Venn Diagram to differentiate but to also use it as a peer teaching tool. I feel if they students know they have to use it to teach content to others, they will take more time and ownership creating the Venn Diagram. I agree that this is a great tool that allows the teacher to differentiate without the students really being aware that it is happening. It allows a way for teachers to let students choose topics they are more interested in.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many ways to differentiate using Venn Diagrams. I would try Unit Review for my next science lesson. We will be studying the different environments (biomes) and I will have the students take each biome and use a Venn diagram to find all the characteristics of each. I really like the example they give on page 94.
ReplyDeleteLove, Love, Love Jeane’s idea to encourage substantive conversations between two students with the Venn Diagram. I think we may just have to implement this idea for the Wax Museum……thanks Jeane!!
ReplyDeleteThe one Venn Diagram that I haven't used before is the 4 part one. I think it could be implemented in Math with reviewing critical attributes of 2D and 3D figures. I have heard it used in Reading with 4 characters. The teacher said that the kids enjoyed having to search the text for evidence to support their answer. Today we were reading an article that lent itself to the 4 parts, so I will test out the complexity tomorrow and let you know how it goes.
ReplyDeleteI'm hopping on the bandwagon.. I, too, really like Jeane's idea to encourage more language between students. I can see so many ways to use this in the classroom as well as the library. I am going to try it with some of my book club kids that come every week to discuss their books! Can't wait to see how it turns out!
ReplyDeleteI also agree with mcushing about the notetaking tool. (p. 89 in the book) When working with non-fiction, or fiction too, I really need something for myself to organize what I'm reading, especially the first time through. I would love to model this on the activboard and then let the kids take off! Can you imagine the deeper learning in a shorter amount of time? I think this would be a fantastic tool to try!
ReplyDeleteI've used Venn Diagrams for practically my entire teaching career, but I've never really thought about how I used them. This chapter opened my eyes to a million different possibilities. I would never have thought about using them to take notes or using them as an assessment tool, either pre or post. And I certainly wouldn't have put 4 circles together! This chapter has made me think outside the box. The entire section on how to use them (pp. 87-95) really made me think. I also appreciated the alternatives on pp. 100-101. More than two or three loops tend to make me a little crazy, but there are other ways to do it. I will definitely be trying some of these with my PGP students and with the kids that come into the library for their "projects" from their classes.
ReplyDeleteI would like to implement the Venn Diagram method for review in Earth Science, using constructive and destructive forces such as erosion, decomposition and weathering. I think it would be especially useful to start several of the students with a single circle with different forces, then have them work in pairs to create the double, then triple Venn Diagram. I think this would be a great way to scaffold the learning for the less experienced students.
ReplyDeleteLike Melanie I immediately thought of the bird unit which we are now beginning in second grade. I will definitely extend the Venn Diagrams to compare the birds. The students are familiar with two circles so an extension to three or four is natural. I am also going to use it with an ESL unit on types of animals. I have done three circles in science in third grade before. We'll see how it goes in second.
ReplyDeleteI too have used Venn Diagrams throughout my teaching career, but have used them in one standard way. I really appreciate learning new ways to use this handy technique. As a government teacher I might use it as an assessment tool at the end of my unit on liberal and conservative ideologies and demographics associated with them. I like the layering technique used in the book.
ReplyDeleteI also have used Venn Diagrams in teaching before but usually just a simple 2 part version (i.e. MLK and Malcolm X), but had never thought about using it to differentiate the content. It would be interesting in government to use it to compare different political parties and interest groups, or in US History to look at causes/goals of the Progressives which can be one of our most tedious units. The comments about using them for substantive conversation is helping me see a new use for the diagram. Using the diagrams and the conversation the students will be able to teach each other the material and give the students a sense of ownership in their work.
ReplyDeleteSanchezh - I think that is a great idea and that is a science concept that lends itself nicely to the triple Venn Diagram because there are similarities and differences for each of those three earth science concepts. It would be interesting to see if the students confuse the concepts after completing an activity like the one that you mentioned. This is an area where most students struggle with keeping these three constructive and destructive forces straight.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read about Venn diagrams in this book, I sat down to try and figure out how I would use one to differentiate it was a frustrating disaster. I just got way too caught up in the details and could not make a decision about what to compare and contrast so I abandoned it. Then, like some kind of divine intervention, an activity I pulled off of brain pop used a 2 circle Venn diagram. Long story short, I adapted 2 other activities to include Venn’s and I was surprised at how much less I had to repeat and rephrase instructions to the students. The part in the Venn chapter that addressed teachers avoiding using Venns because they do not work for them was very convicting because they don’t work for me personally. However, they worked very well for my students and that works for me!
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is doing a lot of intervention these days, I think it would be interesting to see if I could use Venn diagrams to have the kids make the connections between the math concepts more visual and explicit for them. I think it would definitely work with the four operations, types of geometric figures and so on.
ReplyDeleteRE: Melscales
ReplyDeleteI, too, would not have put 4 circles together. Holy guacamole…reading over that diagram was literally like a mental bench pressing! Venns don’t appeal to or work for me, but I really felt that if I work with 4-c Venn my ability to visually analyze would become almost Clark Kent-like! This chapter really ate into my Venn bias and caused me to see that simple circles can actually be very useful and VERY complex.
I really like Jeane, Patty, and Kandel's fan's ideas of using Venn diagrams to mesh concepts together and encourage dialogue between students. Kids learn so much when they talk through an idea with their peers. Thanks for the ideas!
ReplyDeleteI used Venn diagrams in my kindergarten class to compare/contrast all sorts of literature. A couple that come to mind that worked well are The Legend of the Bluebonnet and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.
I really like the Venn disgram example of the quadrilaterals on page 93, as many others here have stated. I teach something I call the "quadrilateral family tree" that is a more linear model of how the different quadrilaterals relate to each other and evolve one from another. I've never thought of showing it in the Venn diagram where they are actually overlapping. I only worry that for some students this may be a little too many overlapping circles to process at once! I would also like to try using a Venn diagram as an assessment after teaching both fractions and decimals to my students to see if they can communicate the similartities and differences between the two ralted froms of numbers.
ReplyDeleteOops, obviously didn't type or proof carefully enough, last line should have said "similarities and differences between the two related forms of numbers."
ReplyDeleteI like jmelancon and katie kavanagh's ideas about how to incorporate the Venn diagram into math. I LOVE the idea of using it for divisibility rules and making connections there, and I also like the idea of using it to connect math vocabulary words to their non-math counterparts!
ReplyDeletep.87 Top right hand corner Venn Diagram.In responding to jmelancon idea about her students using the Venn Diagram to work together and share learned information about historical figures. I'd like to use the Venn Diagram for the historical events and contributions between the French and the British during the Revolutionary War. Students could compare and contrast the differences during that period in history in a visual presentation.
ReplyDeleteI had actually never used venn diagrams before reading this book, so this is new to me but such a great way to differentiate! I experimented with using the Venn Diagram recently to have students plan a 5 paragraph essay comparing Gandhi to Martin Luther King Jr. Furthermore, I was able to have students take it to the next level based on pre-assessment to include Cesar Chavez in their comparison. The students were able to use this graphic organizer to clearly plan their essay and most did a great job. Venn Diagrams really help students build their critical thinking skills!
ReplyDeleteLike mescales said, I had never thought of using them as an assessment tool either. Talk about authentice assessment and critical thinking! There are so many possibilities for venn diagrams to inspire a student to think more deeply. The students do not even realize that they are critically thinking, which in some cases helps them ease into something that would otherwise be intimidating.
ReplyDeleteI plan to use Venn Diagrams for a lesson about bullying…using the book My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig. I plan to use it for characterization, and then another one for cognitively understanding and processing bullying, teasing, put downs. Until I read this chapter, I had never thought about having a Venn Diagram with one oval, but how appropriate (and less frustrating and stressful) for some of my learners.
ReplyDeleteElise--I agree about how Venn diagrams is such a great way to encourage deeper thinking in a really non-intimidating way. I've used them when I taught math, but after reading this chapter, I realized that I should (and can!) use them in counseling group lessons.
ReplyDelete