Activity Idea: Venn Diagram Partner Share

Using a Venn diagram, partners record ways they are different and similar, focusing their efforts on naming as many unique commonalities as they can. Students write one of their names above the circle on the left and the other name above the circle on the right. They bring up cultural and personal characteristics (e.g., “has five siblings,” “makes spring rolls,” “baby-sits”) and determine where in the Venn diagram the characteristic should be placed—in an area representing one of them or the area in the middle, representing both. To the whole group, volunteers share out examples of characteristics the pairs found that they have in common. 

**The first time students do this, you may give teams a list of characteristics to consider, such as differences or similarities in ages, families, favorite foods, things they are good at, native languages, favorite colors, places they’ve been and ambitions. (from Teaching Tolerance)