Venn Activities

This post service is nearly using Venn Diagrams equally a educational activity tool, rather than educational activity the concept of Venn Diagrams themselves.  To quote the first-class Johnny Griffiths, 'The Venn Diagram amongst iii bubbles is the maths teacher's friend! ... To travel able to create amount inward an eight-region diagram shows a actually deep agreement of the distinctions that a practiced pupil has to travel able to make, spell the weaker pupil finds beingness faced amongst a painting exhibit such equally this much less threatening than a page of exercises'.

Before nosotros get-go using Venn activities inward Maths lessons, let's intend nearly whether pupils are familiar amongst how Venn Diagrams work. I acknowledge to beingness a fleck clueless nearly precisely what children report at main school. The primary here), merely I at 1 time prefer the simpler method described in linear equations activity. It helped consolidate their cognition of linear graphs too allowed me to banking concern check their understanding.

Johnny Griffith's first-class RISPs (Rich Starting Points for H5N1 Level Core Mathematics) includes the Venn activities Risp 10 (coordinate geometry) too Risp 4 (periodic functions).  In the instructor notes for Risp 10 Johnny shares his views on the usefulness of Venns.

A Venn action for Solving Quadratics yesteryear Factorising yesteryear aka nka on TES. 

A GCSE extension action on quadratic graphs from MEI.

I haven't tried this however merely Don Steward also gives us this lovely here), merely I at 1 time prefer the simpler method described in number activity.

Interactive Venns

Venns piece of occupation good on the Interactive Whiteboard - here's about examples.

• Nrich has about interactive Venn diagrams on types of number.
• MathsPad has about lovely Venn activities (most involve a subscription). I've successfully used this Factors, Primes too Multiples Activity with my Year 8s.   
• Teachitmaths.co.uk has interactive Venn activities - for instance for shapes and prime factors, or y'all tin create your ain (subscription required).

Other Uses

• When I innovate complex numbers inward FP1 nosotros create a Venn Diagram during cast give-and-take nearly types of numbers (real, rational, integers etc) too their Greek symbol notation.  The NCETM has a similar Venn action inward this resource sheet.
• Up until lately I used Venn Diagrams to learn Highest Common Factor too Lowest Common Multiple (method explained here), merely I at 1 time prefer the simpler method described in this post.
• Quadrilaterals tin travel classified using a Venn Diagram similar this one.  We tin hence answer questions such as 'Is every foursquare a rectangle? Is every rhomb a square?' A 'family tree' also plant well.

In determination - Venns are everywhere! But inward secondary Maths they are alone formally taught to those studying iGCSE (set theory) too Statistics 1 at H5N1 score (probability). I'm pleased to encounter that Venn Diagram methods inward probability are on the new Maths GCSE Syllabus so volition travel to a greater extent than widely studied inward future. But inward improver to beingness taught equally a topic inward their ain right, Venn Diagrams are a versatile educational activity tool amongst numerous applications inward the classroom. And they convey the added bonus of beingness created yesteryear a British Mathematican! Well done Mr Venn.