Learning Technique: Diamond 9 Ranking

• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)
• Primary Education
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• Further Education (Key Stage 5)
• Higher Education (degree)
• Higher Education (non-degree)
• Foundation Degree
• Special Education

Introduction

In Diamond 9 Ranking, students are given nine statements, texts, concepts or photos, which they then have to rank in the shape of a diamond (diamond). The item most important, interesting or valuable to the student is placed at the top, while the least important or interesting item is placed at the bottom. This is, of course, dependent on the type of task you wish to set - levels of understanding in a topic? Important causes for an event? Most likely results of an experiment? It's really entirely up to you!

Instructions

What is it?

This method gives students - individually or in groups - insight into their own point of view. Partly due to the visual representation in a diamond shape, it then helps students to explain it to each other. Especially with more complex subjects, such as climate change, this method provides a lot of guidance to indicate what students find most valuable or important.

Because this method allows you to use different parts that the students can place within the diamond shape - such as: concepts, propositions or images - it offers many possibilities for differentiation. For example, numerous successful examples can be found on the internet in which this working method is used from primary education to university.

How do you deploy it?

This working method can be used in any subject when you want them to discuss a complex issue: an issue in which there may be many viewpoints and a truly unequivocal answer cannot be given.

• Step 1

Let the students fill in the ranking for themselves. You can do this by clicking in LessonUp or 'Teach'.

• Step 2

Briefly discuss any problems they encountered. It is not yet the intention that the students explain their choices. However, this discussion can help them sharpen their motivation, for when they later make a joint ranking during the group part.

• Step 3

Let the students in groups (maximum: 3 students) first explain their individual ranking to each other. Then have them make one joint ranking. The students can do this on a single 'group device', or all on their own device.

• Step 4

Discuss the working method, not only discussing the content, but also the process: was it difficult to arrive at a joint ranking? How did you (eventually) reach an agreement?

This method is suitable for both activating prior knowledge and processing the acquired knowledge (during class) it is also a great technique to use as a metacognitive tool for revision or organisation of subject strengths!

Diamond 9 Ranking

Learning Technique

Who should fight against racism? 

TV- and film-makers

Young people

Schools

People's rights-activists

Employers

Governments

Police

Religious leaders

Social media

What has the most impact on the environment?

The causes of the Second World War

Appeasement politics

Nazi-Soviet Pact

Munich Agreement

Treaty of Versailles

Sudetenland issue

German rearmament

Taking of the Rhineland

Failing League of Nations

The Anschluss