THEME TEACHING LESSON FIVE - VENN DIAGRAMS

The students are even more enthusiastic about the Venn diagrams than I’d expected they’d be. We discuss what Venn diagrams are, what they are used, and what their purpose is. Students indicate that they have used Venn diagrams since primary in almost every academic subject. I explain that we will be using them to study pairs of Romeo and Juliet characters, as well as core themes. As a class, we choose a pair of characters to study. Romeo and Tybalt is the most popular pairing. Students pair and discuss, each student filling out his own copy of the Venn diagram, and then we reconvene. A volunteer pair puts its answers on the Venn diagram on the board, and explains their thinking processes. A second volunteer pair does the same, and the emphasis is on collaborative thinking, practicing how to analyze and merge the varied answers and varied expressions of these answers. Most of my blocks analyze two pairs, and there are varied discussion times of the second pair. The students seem engaged and interested in the lesson. Naturally, I was enthused by their enthusiasm.