How to Use Venn Diagram Activities in Every Subject

Did you know you have the best free tool you’ll ever need to develop critical thinking in your learners within arms reach right now?  Don’t believe me?  Grab a piece of paper and a pen, and draw two overlapping circles.  That’s it…it’s within your grasp.

You’ve solved to the age-old problem of getting kids thinking critically by creating a Venn Diagram.  And the best part is…it’s free, guaranteed to work, and you already have a Venn Diagram template!  Now, you just need some ideas for engaging activities to get started!

What is a Venn Diagram?

At its core, a Venn Diagram is a graphic organizer designed to compare and contrast two things.  So, as good teachers and homeschoolers, we have our kids use these, typically in English or Reading, when discussing similarities and differences.  Then we put away the Venn Diagrams and move on to the next topic…never considering the positive implications this tool could have on that subject, too.

Well, today that’s going to change as we look at 25 different Venn Diagram activities for kids, and how you can implement this tool across all the subject areas.  Then, hopefully, you can use these ideas as a springboard for all sorts of engaging critical thinking activities!

Venn Diagram Activities for Kids

We want our learners to be successful critical thinkers in EVERY class including ELA (English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies/History, but to do that we have to let them practice these skills.

Venn Diagrams in ELA

This is the subject that we commonly think of when we hear Venn Diagram activities.  We generally compare and contrast various texts and parts of texts.  However, you can do so much more than that!  Consider…

1. Common Prefixes (replay, redo)
2. Identical Suffixes (laughable, breakable)
3. Base Words (preview, review)
4. The same author, multiple texts (Patricia Polacco-Pink and Say: Thank You, Mr. Falker)
5. Multiple texts illustrated by the same artist (David Catrow-Wet Dog: I Wanna Iguana)
6. Passages with a common theme (Unity, Love, or Friendship)
7. Texts with a common setting (World War 1)
8. Stories with a common character (Little Red Hen)
9. Sequels and Prequels (Harry Potter)
10. Passages from a specific genre (fairy tales)

Venn Diagrams in Math

Venn diagram activities in this subject can be a little trickier.  However, once you start coming up with ideas, the possibilities are endless.  Here are a few to get you started…

1. Numbers (2-prime, even, 2+0=2 : 4-composite, even, 2+2=4)
2. Different Operations (subtraction-start with a whole, decompose # : division-groups, decompose #)
3. Problems using the same operation (2×2=4-even multiple, 2 groups, 2 objects in each group : 3×2=6-even multiple, 3 groups, 2 objects in each group)
4. Different Operations (2+2=4 : 2×5=10)

Venn Diagrams in Social Studies/History

Compare and Contrast…

1. Native American tribes (Seminole, Sioux)
2. Socioeconomic status between countries (rich, poor)
3. Religious practices (Europe, North America)
4. The attitudes in the United States during the Civil War (South, North)
5. Clothing styles (China, Africa)
6. Expectations in the workforce (men, women)

Venn Diagrams in Science

Adding a compare and contrast activity into science is very easy because of the natural categorization and variations in this subject.  Consider incorporating Venn Diagram activities when studying…

1. Habitats
2. Physical Traits
3. Species
4. Elements and Molecules
5. Body Systems

The most important part of any effective activity is to make it fun!  Doing something too many times can become boring to your kiddos, and comparing and contrasting is no different.

So, consider making this experience more “hands-on” by using 2 hula-hoops to create the Venn Diagram.  To keep things interesting give your learners a piece of chart paper and let them create a huge version.  They will enjoy the novelty, but they will still be thinking critically.

If you haven’t been using these, remember to show yourself grace.  Every day is a new day, and you can begin implementing them now.

There are so many interesting ways to adapt Venn Diagrams for our learners, and we need to include them in our lessons frequently.  This one tool will give your kids the opportunity to think critically about everything they study.  Thus, developing a greater hunger for knowledge and understanding.  With 2 circles, the sky is the limit!