Graphic Organiser: Compare and Contrast

The latest post in the series devoted to graphic organisers sees the long-overdue introduction of the Venn diagram – a classic form of graphic organiser that provides a simple, visual, way to compare and contrast two (or sometimes more) ideas.

It’s a type that works well with something like sociological perspectives where students are frequently required to look at the similarities (compare) and differences (contrast) between perspectives like Functionalism or Marxism.

Equally, it’s possible to apply compare and contrast techniques within perspectives – examining different types of Feminism, for example, or comparing traditional forms of Functionalism and Marxism with their more-contemporary forms.

This PowerPoint Presentation contains two organiser examples:

1. The conventional circular Venn diagram.

2. A less-conventional squared version.

While both designs serve exactly the same functional purpose, the squared version provides more writing space – something that may be useful where there are a large number of differences / similarities to identify.