Hands On Venn Diagrams

Introducing venn diagrams to little ones can be confusing!  Using Sorting Circles helps to begin this concept to the concrete level!!!

I began by reading two different books by my favorite author:  Mo Willems!

I Will Take a Nap! and Waiting is Not Easy!

The students are given a compare and contrast sheet to cut.  (Click on images to get a free copy!)

Use this version if student is working independently.

Use this version if students are working in pairs.

Then, the fun part...

Sorting Circles!!  They are from ETA hand2mind and I love these!  (They are great for creating clocks too!)

I tell them one circle is for I Will Take a Nap! and the other circle is for Waiting Is Not Easy!  They can easily put the choices in that are for one book only.  It's so fun to problem solve with kiddos on the labels that should be in BOTH circles.  Then we discuss how overlapping the circles allows some labels to describe both books!

Such a fun and simple activity!

How do you like to introduce venn diagrams in your classroom?