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I think I am too far out into the summer to think of a specific unit or subject, but I do like the idea of using different numbers of circles with different levels of understanding. I plan on using the idea of each level filling out the same number of items and then discussing the subject as a class or small group. I could see having my lower students filling out one circle and then meeting together to get the two circle completed together. Then my higher students could fill out the two circle and see if they can carry it to using the three circle comparison. I am making copies of the Severe Weather example on page 89 and the quadrilcateral example on 93 to remind me to use them.
ReplyDeleteI also think I might introduce the concept as a beginning of the year introduction where everyone fills out one circle on themsleves and then partner up to get the second circles going. The idea is still perculating in my brain at the moment.
I always think of Venn Diagrams as a method to learn social studies and science content. But as I read Chapter 6, I have also realized it might be a way to teach strategies in language arts and mathematics. For example, I might try having students do a one, two three or four circle/oval Venn Diagram for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. For example, in the addition and subtraction overlap portion of the circle/oval, a student could write the term fact family since subtraction and addition properties go together (same for multiplication and division). Something all four have in common is that are related to math and involve numbers. In language arts, students could use Venn Diagrams to compare/contrast cause and effect, inference, main idea, etc. For example, in all three, students must do character analysis to find examples of each.
ReplyDeleteI might also use Venn Diagrams to have students perform a character analysis of someone they know similar to the Venn Diagrams found in Figure 6.5 (page 90) or have two students interview each other and create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting each other.
I would have never thought to use Venn Diagrams in the 4 ways (p. 87) the author gave as examples. I have used the double and triple circle Venn diagrams in class in the past. I don't use them as much as I could after reading this chapter. I like the suggestion that they can be used in small group or individually. The author stated, "Everyone tackles the same concepts, but on his or her own level..." (pg.85) This is can be achieved using a Venn diagrams which are so easy to prepare and use in class. I would have to do some modeling in class or small group to introduce four overlapping circles since this would probably be new to my students. It was new to me.
ReplyDeleteI would use the venn diagrams when studying the Texas Indian tribes, habitats, animal adaptations, or in language arts to compare and contrast books or characters.
I like the by Kanevsky (pg.86) to require everyone to have the same number of items, details, and characteristics in total for the ovals. This will make assessing what they have much easier!
The authors must of been thinking of me when they wrote on page 99 -"When you look at more than one just oval do your eyes cross?". Venn Diagrams have never been my cup of tea, though I do use them since I do a lot of "compare / contrast" with the books I read aloud. BTW, I'm a librarian not a classrooom teacher. The ActivBoard software comes with a number of ready made Venn diagrams so it's easy to use them.
ReplyDeleteI much prefer the diagrams on pages 100 -101 and needless to say Chapter 7 has my name written all over it.
Figure 6.11 (page 100) would be an easy and re-useable set up for the ActivBoard. The kids will enjoy moving the statements all around the Y. Excellent tool to use with the annual "Fiction vs Non Fiction" lesson.
Marty - I so related to your comment about how it's to far into the summer to think of a specific lesson! My brain thinks school during the first part of June and then turns off entirely during the month of July. By August I'll be back into the lesson planning mode again. :-) The other book I'm reading ' Primary Grade Challenge Math" is a perfect fit for a triple Venn Diagram since suggests ways to teach math concepts when some of the class is at master level and others are clueless. Both books really do compliment each other and I'm glad I'm doing both book studies.
ReplyDeleteSince our second grade curriculum includes severe weather I can definitely see using the Venn Diagram as a preassessmen as shown on page 89. I really liked Figure 6.2 page 87, as a way to differentiate in reading. I think this could be a wonderful lesson used to introduce both character analysis and Venn Diagrams. Not exactly sure how I will break the steps down for my second graders yet.
ReplyDeleteI had not thought to use Venn Diagrams for language arts, particulariy in book clubs. Pg. 92 talks about having students use a single Venn Diagram to write about characters in a novel. If each student completes a diagram about one character, the discussion they have later on can be very powerful. This is something I definitely want to try in my classroom in the fall.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, my eyes did cross looking at the 4 circle diagrams. Wow! I had some students last year that really could have handled that, but I think I would need to practice it first.
2 other things that really stood out to me were the need to debrief after creating the diagram, and establishing a set number of required elements for an activity, no matter the complexity of the diagram. These are elements I have not used before. I can tell that both of these will make a profound difference in how I teach and plan lessons.
In response to annm July 7 3:55pm, I have taught 2nd grade and I agree that you could definitely use a Venn Diagram for severe weather. I can see you setting it up so that students who need to write about one type of weather could use one circle, and could compare that information with someone who wrote about another weather condition. Your students who know several types of weather well could handle the 3 circles, listing all the specific information they know about each and what they have in common. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteI believe Venn diagrams are a great, and visual, way to compare and contrast in many different subject areas. I also think it is a nice way to compare and contrast different subjects, for example non-fiction text and science concepts... I have seen and used three out of the four ways Venn diagram structures are shown in chapter 6, but have not seen or utilized the 4 overlapping ovals - I think that's a bit overload for my own personal brain to see and fully grasp in the graphic representation. I like the idea of comparing and contrasting 4 or more areas, but I personally would need to do it in a more linear format, perhaps... Maybe color-coding would help, etc.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely use Venn diagrams as warm up activities and jumping-off points to stimulate academic conversations in the area of science. Many learners see science concepts as taught in isolation, yet there are many similarities and comparisons, such as energy, physics, constructive & destructive forces...
I also agree with the authors that Venn diagrams can be utilized as assessments as long as we "always make sure that students know your expectations when the assignment is given. (Page 98)"
I enjoyed this chapter on Venn Diagrams because I find them to be easy to get kids to understand. I have used the 2 and 3 oval Venn before, but not the 4 oval. I think that would definitely be a challenge to keep it all together. I’m sure this could be done on the ActivBoard so that the words could be typed and reduced in size to fit in the ovals. I love the idea of combining the ovals after individual work. If a book club were to each take a character and fill out the ‘single’ oval, then they could combine them to create the 4-oval Venn. A truly amazing conversation could come from such an activity. The most powerful statement in this chapter was about the debriefing that MUST take place with the Venn Diagrams. Just filling them out is not sufficient. A discussion, either in a small group or as a whole class, will solidify the learning and give students a starting point for new learning.
ReplyDeleteAs a specialist I plan to try the Venn Diagrams as a pre-assessment tool for a balanced literacy workshop that I will teach at Teacher U. If I do this with teachers on the first day of the institute and then build the rest of the days around what teachers already know, it will meet everyone’s needs.
In response to Marty…I love the idea of using the Venn Diagrams as a first day/beginning of the year activity. It would allow the kids to get to know each other, give them a topic for discussion, and use the Venn Diagrams in a non-content way. This goes right along with the whole-part-whole idea. We want kids to see it in a non-threatening way at first and then add in the content and rubric. Brilliant! I was struggling with dropping this on kids without doing enough pre-work, but you have given a great suggestion for getting started in a positive way. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI like the strategy of using Venn Diagrams in small groups during class activities (page 92), such as organizing lab analysis after a lab is complete. Each team can have varying ovals in their Venn Diagram based on their readiness level. Everyone can present with the entire class without necessarily feel like their are singled out nor everyone presenting their analysis the exact same way which can get tedious for the class and me at times.
ReplyDeleteIn response,July 7, 2010 3:55 PM AnnM, I completely agree that venn diagram can be a great tool for preassessment for severe weather. Another thing I really like, is they are easy to use with many age levels. You teach 2nd grade and I teach 8th grade and I find them very helpful for my students to organize their thoughts. We don't have to be limited to words, students should include formulas, pictures, etc. to assist their learning.
ReplyDeleteIn response,July 8, 2010 3:59 PM
s.guillory, I also think they can used for assessment with the correct expectations. I think it would be helpful as well to assist as pre-writing tool to prepare to write a nonfiction essay in science as well.
I appreciate the validation of using the Venn diagram as an introduction activity from Croth on July 11 (frustration of not getting it to go through the first or second time!)
ReplyDeleteI have rarely used Venn diagrams in my elementary music class. I can see using them when studying the instrument families even to the level of four ovals - comparing and contrasting physical elements of brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussive instruments.
ReplyDeleteThey also would work for me while studying music eras and composers. I think it's really important for students to realize the same learning strategies fit into specials as well as the regular classroom setting.
In response to jchoy: I too like the idea of using Venn diagrams individually and in small groups. To begin with, what a great way to build confidence in younger or more timid students. I also like the idea of every student having the same expectations when it comes to the required number of responses. Every student is on equal footing no matter the ability level.
ReplyDeleteIn response to what I davis said, I like the idea of having a group of students create one Venn Diagram circle/oval for a character in a story. Then, they could meet with another student and do two circles/ovals for two characters, then three characters and so forth. I believe this would really help them understand characters actions which is important when answering inference, character analysis and other types of questions on reading comprehension passages.
ReplyDeleteThe Venn Diagram is a terrific way to present information. I think a great way to introduce the 3 and 4 circle diagrams would be to divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 students and have them create a diagram of what they did over the summer. I think that would be a very non-threatening way to introduce a somewhat visually confusing (at least to me)tool.
ReplyDeleteI agree with S.Guillory, when she says that color coding might be a way to help those whose eyes are crossing.....
In response to William Allen's (Rob's) July 5th post I noticed that he has only considered using the Venn diagrams with science and math. I feel like I only use this type of diagram for language arts. Therefore, I need practice in using these for other subjects. I would have to really "play" around with the different subject ideas before I think I would feel completely comfortable with it. But I am sure it would be a quick easy way to compare different concepts.
ReplyDeleteIn response to jchoy's posting, I also think working in groups to complete Venn diagrams would be a helpful way to encourage this lesson.
Well the district requires the students to study several different famous Americans. I think I really liked the "In Class Individual and/or Group Activities" as stated on page 92. Some students could study and record characteristics of different people on one-oval diagrams and then get together with others to combine their information into 2,3 or 4 ovals. I could also encourage those students who pre-assessed well to do the 4 oval Venn diagram on his/her own to show the new found information. As a class we could all share important comparisons. I am excited to try out these different ideas with the Venn diagrams. I think I really could get some higher level thinking from more students this way and they will all feel as if they were able to contribute.
ReplyDeleteBefore teaching high school, I taught junior high ELA for years, and I used Venn Diagrams often to compare/contrast characters. Reading this chapter helped me realize that I could elevate the sophistication of a Venn Diagram to help with more complex concepts in high school English. In AP, we focus a lot of motifs, themes, etc., and find the information through close reading. My GT students are often reluctant to write out their thoughts, since they would prefer to discuss them. I would love to use the four-ovaled Venn Diagram to pull together different characters, novels or passages and elicit information from my students. It would be a great way to take notes and I think it would help those students who don't want to write as much since it would demonstrate to me that they know the information. I could use these not only as notes, but also as a good, quick assessment tool; if everyone seems to be on the same page, we don't have to belabor the ideas containted in their notes, we can move on to something more complex.
ReplyDeleteIn response to croth's post about using these as notes for book clubs--I love it! I am planning on doing book clubs based on various Dickens novels in the fall and have been scratching my head, trying to figure out innovative ways to spark conversation within the groups that also involves some tangible written work that I can grade or use as an assessment, since I will be circulating around the room. Your idea is great, especially since looking at different books by the same author lends itself to a Venn Diagram--we can look at the devices he uses, the characters, the setting, social/political commentary, archetypes, etc. Fantastic! (Now I just hope I remember this when it comes to planning in the fall!)
ReplyDeleteWow, I really had to study the Venn with four ovals---very challenging. We have used the Venn diagram from time to time to compare two characters, but I love the idea of using it to compare many characters. I definitely have had students who could more deeply analyze characters using the 3-4 oval version. I like the idea of using the Venn as a note-taking device as the character evolves throughout the reading of a novel…the teacher could model its use during a class read aloud and students could analyze the characters in the books they are reading during independent reading. The teacher would make assignments based on what preassessment indicated. The single oval is so great for some kids who are overwhelmed by so much material and then pairing them with someone else to further their understanding is brilliant and such a simple way to differentiate. The multi-oval Venns would also be great to use to deepen understanding in content-area reading as well. You could use them to compare/contrast various topics in social studies: historical figures, regions, documents, battles, etc.
ReplyDeleteI like the suggestion made in Chapter 6 pg.92 regarding character study. One of the first activities we do is to read a chapter book and analyze the characters as we go. I think this year I will do as suggested and give each student an oval and a character to write traits about, then have them move to pairs, and then to fours to create a four oval venn diagram. I like this activity because it allows the children who would not be able to do this independently to think at higher levels with peer support.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Melissaa posted on July 13, I TOO had to really study that four-oval venn. I like the idea of using the multiple oval diagrams during the read aloud too. This is so easy to model and the kids really enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteKHarrell - I really enjoyed the section on venn diagrams, I've used two and three ovals, never thought about going any larger. I know I keep bringing up summer school...but I used much of this book through summer school. We were having difficulty in comparing some landforms. The Venn diagrams were easy for the students to implement as we compared the various landforms and the weather conditions that affect the landforms. From the Venn Diagrams the students were able to fill out their Know /Need to Know charts. It helped them to "categorize" the information they were learning.
ReplyDeleteIn response to bboza and others - the 4 oval venn is amazing. I had never really thought about it and it did take a little while to interpret...but it would be a great way to get kids to really compare items.
In response to scrump, ldavis and others in using venns with book clubs. What about an author study and comparing the various books by an author - what is similar and what is different. It would be interesting to see how similar author's books are...do they use a similar setting, similar characters, are they a series..etc. I think a venn can be used in all kinds of ways.
Venn Diagrams are my automatic choice of graphic organizer anytime comparing and contrasting is involved. However, I really liked the I, Y, Z and W diagrams shown in appendix H. I can see how those could be easier to read, especially comparing 3 subjects. One of our social studies units is on the Native American groups of Texas. My students could use the various Venn Diagrams to analyze one, two, three or four of the groups.
ReplyDeleteI really like Marty’s idea of using the Venn Diagrams to get to know a classmate on the first day of school. What a great way to build camaraderie!
I find that I typically use Venn Diagrams during reading, science, and sometimes social studies. I liked the idea of using Venn Diagrams in math (p. 93) and plan to use them as they were in the bopok to compare/contrast the attributes of 3D solids and 2D shapes. I also liked the example of using Venn Diagrams as a prewriting strategy (p. 90) which would allow writers to plan their writing at different levels based on their ability.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Marty - I think using Venn Diagrams as a "get to know you" first day activity is a great idea. Students could pair up, either fill in a spot themselves or interview their partner and fill in the info, then together they could brainstorm how they are alike. It would be a good way for students to find out what they have in common! :-)
I have always used Venn Diagrams to teach compare and contrast in reading. I hate to admit that I have never used any other type of Venn Diagram. I definitely will use the 1,& 3, circle Venn Diagrams. I will use the 3 circle Venn diagram as a way for my students to use information about planets with unique characteristics, some things in common with another planet and other things in common with all three pg. 84.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kate Evetts on July 12th, I really liked the idea of using the 4th circle for those students who assessed well to use as a way to list new found information.
ReplyDeleteOn page 99, “Remember that the Venn diagram is designed to have all children thinking about the same concept and to hold all students accountable for the same concept but on varying levels of complexity.” I loved all the examples of using the Venn diagram to meet the needs of all learners. It would be a great way to preassess, take notes, and provide a final assessment. I can also see the value of the Y and box format mentioned in this chapter. Depending on the purpose and the student, a different format might be chosen. I would like to try using some of these graphic organizers in social studies and science. Weather, I think, would provide many opportunities to utilize these graphic organizers.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Marty, I love the idea of filling out the first one by yourself and then getting with a friend. It might get a little crazy, but I might try adding another friend to the mix to use 3 circles. I think the kids would have fun with it.
In response to JChoy on July 6, I had also not seen the 4-oval technique for Venn diagrams. I also agree with her that I don't utilize them as much as possible, and the letter rendition is yet another way to use the same idea, but in a differing format. I also look forward to implementing them more upon my return to school, as I agree with the quote she used that, "Everyone tackles the same concepts, but on his or her own level." The assessing based on the same number of ideas also rings true and would make grading more appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI have used the venn diagram throughout various lessons in Social Studies, Science, Reading but not Math and Writing. I have used the Venn Diagram in Indian Tribes, Explorers, Natural Disasters and Character Traits. I would like to use this in writing as a prewriting strategy like the example on page 90. I will focus on one oval single traits, and then continue to move on to multiple traits using 2-3ovals. I know I will have to do a lot modeling, but this is a great way for students to categorize the information.
ReplyDeleteI think that I am going to try to use the Venn diagram to preassess my students. This seems like a friendly method to accomplish this without the students even realizing it is happening.
ReplyDeletein response to April Tavilson
ReplyDeleteI like the strategy of using Venn Diagrams in small groups during class activities (page 92), such as organizing lab analysis after a lab is complete. Each team can have varying ovals in their Venn Diagram based on their readiness level. Everyone can present with the entire class without necessarily feel like their are singled out nor everyone presenting their analysis the exact same way which can get tedious for the class and me at times.
I really like the idea of using them with labs! I can't wait to try it with you. I completely agree with the different presentations of the same material. Awesome idea.
Took me a time to go through with comments but the question sounds like intricate...
ReplyDelete