Venn Diagram

 

            Today's Snack: Take two apples, one green and one red. Cut the right-hand one-third off one, and the left-hand one-third off the other. Chop up what you've cut off. Now push the two apples together on a plate with the chopped-up parts in between. Voila! A Venn Diagram - and you can eat it, too!

 

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Supplies:

 

Next page showing Venn Diagram

Pencil

 

You can organize your thoughts, facts, ideas and observations for a report or essay after doing research or brainstorming by filling out a Venn Diagram. It's a "graphic organizer" that is a combination of a picture and an outline.

 

"Graphic" means giving a clear, vivid picture. To "organize" means to put something in order. So a "graphic organizer" like a Venn Diagram can help you get your research or ideas ready to write a report or a story.

 

You can make Venn Diagrams with lots of circles covering lots of comparisons or brainstorming topics. But for our purposes, we're just going to use two circles. The two intersect, or cross, in the middle.

 

There's an example at the end of this Treat that you can print out or copy on a separate sheet of paper.

 

First, brainstorm words and phrases about one topic, and write those in the left-hand circle. Don't write a whole sentence - just a word or two to jog your memory.

 

Next, brainstorm words and phrases about the OTHER topic, and write THOSE in the right-hand circle.

 

Last, but not least, brainstorm words and phrases that apply to BOTH topics, and write THOSE in the center.

 

That will give you a "picture" of how the two things are alike, and different.

 

After you fill out this diagram, write a 3-paragraph report, titled "How Schools and Circuses Are Alike and Different."

 

First paragraph:

 

Write an introduction that points out one key way that your two topics are alike and different.

 

Second paragraph:

 

The "body" of your report should list and explain some examples of things that are in the two different circles.

 

Third paragraph:

 

Your conclusion should sum up their similarities and differences, and make an interesting and memorable closing statement that expresses your opinion or something that you noticed by doing this exercise.

 

After you're finished with this Treat, you can copy the Venn Diagram on a blank piece of paper and do another one, or ask an adult to make you a supply.

 

Ready? Here are the two topics: circuses and schools.

 

You can be as creative or as straightforward as you want in listing those two things. But have fun with hit! After all, school is supposed to be fun, and circuses definitely are!

 

Example: circuses have clowns, and schools have class clowns, so they both have clowns. Let's put the words and phrases for circuses on the left. Write "clowns" on the left, and "class clowns" on the right, where you list words and phrases for schools. And you would also write "clowns" in the middle section, since they both have them.

 

Other ideas: people's roles (master of ceremonies vs. principal?), food, tricks, animals, lights, music - there are lots of similarities and differences! Hurry, hurry, hurry . . . and put your thinking and writing skills in the center ring!