WHAT IS IT?

An Affinity Diagram is very similar to brainstorming. It helps to generate and gather ideas but takes students one step further: it also serves to organize those ideas into natural groupings. It gives students time to silently think and contemplate. After all ideas are written on post-it notes, they are organized into categories and then labeled. Everyone loves using the affinity because it taps into both sides of their brain. The "right brain" generates lots of ideas; the "left brain" begins to analyze and organize.

 

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Example Diagram

WHEN IS IT USED?

1. Is the problem (or issue) complex and hard to understand?
2. Is the problem uncertain, disorganized, or overwhelming?
3. Does the problem require the involvement and support of a group?

HOW IS IT MADE?

1. Choose a group leader.
2. State the issue or problem.
3. Brainstorm and record ideas.
4. Move the cards into like piles.
5. Name each pile with a header card.
6. Draw the affinity diagram.
7. Discuss the piles.

PRIMARY EXAMPLES:

• I brought a pumpkin to class. The class wrote down on pieces of paper what they wanted to learn about pumpkins. We organized the questions and focused on the top three: How do you carve it? How do pumpkins grow? How do they become orange? - First Grade Teacher
• I read the book, The Skeleton Inside You, to the first and second graders. They brainstormed with me what they had learned about bones or the skeleton. I wrote what they said on sticky notes. Then we put the sticky notes together in groups. [view image from this activity] - First/Second Grade Teacher
• I used a brainstorming activity that organized thoughts and ideas into "Fall" categories. Ideas about "Fall" were shared. The class has used the tool for shared and independent writing activities. [view image from activity] - First Grade Teacher
• We used an affinity to start a unit on graphing. The students chose their top two subjects that they like. Then we grouped and labeled them. Finally we created graphs from the information. - Second Grade Teacher
• At the beginning of the year, I used the affinity to get to know my students. Each student drew three pictures focused upon "Things about me!". After we grouped the pictures into favorite television shows, food, activities etc…we posted the affinity on a class bulletin board. - Developmental Skills Class

INTERMEDIATE EXAMPLES:

• The class brainstormed ways to be less disruptive while out in the hallways and during bathroom breaks. We read all the suggestions, grouped/labeled the ideas, discussed them, and finally decided on three strategies that we combined from different ideas on how to solve our problem. - Fourth Grade
• I used the diagram to help a group of fourth graders organize the data that they gathered from the Internet on "lady bugs". My students then used this diagram when creating a powerpoint to present to the rest of their class. This product helped my students get a "picture in their minds" of how to break their information into parts for indvidual power point slides. It was a great graphic organizer for their thoughts. - Connections Class
• We read books about Vietnam and researched interesting facts about the country. Each student found three facts that they found interesting in the reading. We then categorized them. We used these categories to study deeper into the culture. This process has been used to study other countries and compare/contrast these cultures . - Sixth Grade

JUNIOR HIGH EXAMPLES:

• The screenplay, Westside Story, was read and discussed with students. The book discussed the impact of racism. After a discussion, the students were divided into three groups and brainstormed the question, "What are some ways in which Tony could have dealt differently with racism?" Each child was given post-its and wrote brief answers. The responses were organized and given a heading. The headings were actions, attitude and results. - 7th/8th Grade Music