Venn Diagram

Venn Diagrams can be used in math lessons to help students develop better problem solving skills. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, "A Venn diagram uses circles to show sets of numbers or other objects with the same attributes," (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2013). In order for students to understand what Venn Diagram is and how to use one in problem solving, they must first understand what sets are. A set is a collection or group of any objects. The separate objects in the set are the elements or members of the set (Billstein, Libeskind, & Lott, 2010). Once students understand the concept of sets, they can then use the Venn Diagram to find the relationship of sets.

To begin students need sets of numbers or objects to find the relationship of. An example teachers could use for the sets are prime numbers and whole numbers. To figure out the relationship of the two sets using a Venn Diagram, students should draw two circles, one overlapping the other. One circle should be labeled "Prime Numbers" and "Whole Numbers" on the other. The space where one circle overlaps the other is where the numbers that are prime and whole should go. The Venn Diagram will help students to understand which numbers are only prime and which ones are both prime and whole.

Another way teachers could teach students to use Venn Diagrams in solving math problems is to give them a word problem such as: A band teacher has twenty students in her class. Five of them play the clarinet, ten play the trumpet, and six play both. How many students play neither the clarinet or the trumpet? The students can use the Venn Diagram to help them figure how many students there are that don't play either instrument.

Teachers can use a Venn Diagram to help their students in understanding the relationships in many different math concepts such as, shape sorting and classifying numbers (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2013). In...