Venn Activities

This post service is nigh using Venn Diagrams equally a didactics tool, rather than didactics the concept of Venn Diagrams themselves.  To quote the splendid Johnny Griffiths, 'The Venn Diagram amongst iii bubbles is the maths teacher's friend! ... To move able to fill upward inward an eight-region diagram shows a actually deep agreement of the distinctions that a practiced pupil has to move able to make, spell the weaker pupil finds beingness faced amongst a moving-picture exhibit such equally this much less threatening than a page of exercises'.

Before nosotros foremost using Venn activities inward Maths lessons, let's mean value nigh whether pupils are familiar amongst how Venn Diagrams work. I acknowledge to beingness a flake clueless nigh just what children written report at master copy school. The primary here), only I straight off prefer the simpler method described in linear equations activity. It helped consolidate their noesis of linear graphs in addition to allowed me to banking concern check their understanding.

Johnny Griffith's splendid RISPs (Rich Starting Points for H5N1 Level Core Mathematics) includes the Venn activities Risp 10 (coordinate geometry) in addition to 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 past times Factorising past times aka nka on TES. 

A GCSE extension action on quadratic graphs from MEI.

I haven't tried this all the same only Don Steward also gives us this lovely here), only I straight off prefer the simpler method described in number activity.

Interactive Venns

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

• Nrich has roughly interactive Venn diagrams on types of number.
• MathsPad has roughly lovely Venn activities (most ask a subscription). I've successfully used this Factors, Primes in addition to 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 degree news nigh types of numbers (real, rational, integers etc) in addition to 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 in addition to Lowest Common Multiple (method explained here), only I straight off prefer the simpler method described in this post.
• Quadrilaterals tin move classified using a Venn Diagram similar this one.  We tin in addition to 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) in addition to Statistics 1 at H5N1 flat (probability). I'm pleased to run across that Venn Diagram methods inward probability are on the new Maths GCSE Syllabus so volition move to a greater extent than widely studied inward future. But inward add-on to beingness taught equally a topic inward their ain right, Venn Diagrams are a versatile didactics tool amongst numerous applications inward the classroom. And they bring the added bonus of beingness created past times a British Mathematican! Well done Mr Venn.