Venn Diagram
Overview of the Venn Diagram
A Venn diagram is a classic way of getting students to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between three key events, concepts or people.
Characteristics shared in common go in the central area; those shared by just two factors go in the area where those two circles overlap; characteristics possessed by just one go in the outer area of that circle where it does not overlap the other two.
Examples of the Venn Diagram
CPD Venn: Meeting Children's Needs
CPD Venn: Meeting Children's Needs
Biology Venn: Linking the Body Systems
CPD Venn: Adair Action-Centred Leadership Model
History Venn: Causes of the Armada (Eleanor Mason, International School of Toulouse)
English Literature Venn: Characterisation
Biology Venn: Dogs, Lizards, Humans
Geography Venn: What is Geography?
Social Studies: Common Issues Faced By Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans
Ancient History: Comparison of 3 Ancient Civilisations
Business Studies: Comparing three theme parks
Sample Lesson Plan using the Venn Diagram
The Venn diagram is a great tool for making contrasts and connections towards the end of a topic or syllabus.
Get students to identify three key people / events / concepts they have become familiar with over the course of the term / year. In History, they could compare Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev; in English Literature maybe they could compare three tragic heroes such as Hamlet, Macbeth and Othello; in Government and Politics they could compare the three main political parties' manifestoes; for A-Level IB History they could compare three different wars.
Students then fill in their Venn diagram as they see fit. They could work in pairs on this if they wished, then the finished work could be saved to a network so that the teacher can display each one in turn on an interactive whiteboard to generate discussion.
Other Ideas for the Venn Diagram
- The teacher could provide key statements which the students would simply have to put in what they considered to be the correct spot.
- The teacher could ensure coverage of the entire topic by asking students to come up with 3 examples of particular types of factor (personality / policies / family background etc) before starting their diagram.
Do you have any other ideas about how to use this template? Please let us know!
Open the Venn Diagram Template
