Teaching Compare and Contrast With Venn Diagrams

We Are “Some-bunny” Special

I LOVE using Venn diagrams with kids. They are so easy to make and are the perfect way to introduce the compare and contrast concept.

A Venn diagram is so simple that even my Y5’s easily understood them, plus they really enjoyed making them.

Even my college students like the concept. One of their personal favorites: Comparing the classes' two favorite soft drinks.

As they share which is their favorite, we narrow it down to two and then I bring the drinks in for the next class. Almost every semester Coke and Mountain Dew wins out.

They worked in small groups and made a Venn diagram comparing the soda, sipping as they worked. Using their laptops they also found out differences via the Internet. It’s my fun way to introduce them to writing a compare and contrast essay.

For little ones, I introduced the concept of a Venn diagram using 2 Hula-Hoops and index cards. We brainstormed the differences and similarities of whatever we were working on.

Write these things on the board and give each student an index card to write one of the similarities or differences on. Using clip art, you can also have two pictures to put inside the appropriate hoops along with header cards: similar and different.

Lay the Hula-Hoops on the floor and intersect them to look like a Venn diagram. Put your picture and header cards in the appropriate sections, and then have students lay their index cards where they belong.

For spring, I wanted to make this into a “craftivity” so I chose bunnies. Their bellies are the Venn diagram. I call them Venn Friends because half the students choose a friend’s name out of the Easter basket who they then team up with.

To make it a special keepsake, include their school photo. There's a checklist of 40 ideas that students can find out about each other, discuss which are similarities and which are differences and then choose which ones they want to put on their Venn diagram.

These make an adorable spring or April bulletin board. Later, each student can take their own bunny head home and the teacher can keep the Venn portions as examples. Click on the link to view/download Bunny Venn Friends

Thanks for visiting today. Feel free to PIN anything on my site. I'm all about sharing! If you'd like to see another spring Venn friend, scroll down for a tulip one.