(adjective) Something
divergent is moving away
from what is expected. Two divergent paths are
moving in opposite directions — away from
each other.
Things that are divergent are diverging — moving away from a
path or a standard. A teacher who comes to work in a clown outfit is being divergent; a clown
who comes to work in a business suit is also being divergent. A stream is divergent if it is
moving in the opposite direction of a river. A politician who is divergent might leave his
political party. Divergent people and things are changing course — moving off the beaten
path.
DEFINITIONS AND USAGE EXAMPLES
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tending to move apart in different directions
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Pronunciation: [di-vûr'junt]
syn: branching, radiating, oblique
ant: convergent
divergent interpretations
varieties of English can remain astonishingly divergent from one another
differing from another or from a standard
o syn: different
o a divergent opinion; the divergent interests of capital and labor
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relating to or being an infinite sequence that does not have a limit or an infinite series whose partial
sums do not have a limit; Mathematics (Of a series) increasing indefinitely as more of its terms are
added.
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He found a divergent series, the first few terms of which gave a good approximation to the
integral.
causing divergence of rays
o a divergent lens
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Psychology (Of thought) using a variety of premises, especially unfamiliar premises, as bases for
inference, and avoiding common limiting assumptions in making deductions.
o new voices, divergent thoughts, and something worth thinking about
Other Forms:
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Nouns: divergence, divergency
Verbs: diverge, diverged, diverging
Adverbs: divergently
Directions: Discuss the meaning of the word with your students, with special emphasis on any
variations or nuances of the word specific to your discipline. Consider taking it a step
further by using one or all of the following ideas as you involve students with the new
vocabulary. Remember to preview all content you intend to share with
students. Not all items on the lists provided below are appropriate for all
classes or age levels.
There are eight (8) activity ideas:
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(Literature, Entertainment, Youth Culture)
Discuss with your Seminar or your class:
 How many of your students have read this book by Veronica Roth, or
seen the movie?
 Why is the book/movie titled “Divergent”?
 Are there other examples of divergent characters or plot elements
besides the main character or the main conflict? Try to find examples
of all the various definitions of the word.
If you need a plot synopsis to help your discussion, click on the book cover.
If you would like to show the trailer to the movie, click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=336qJITnDi0
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(Science)
“Baffling Genetic Barrier Prevents Similar Animals from Interbreeding”
A short stretch of DNA challenges what it means to be a species
In this article the author explains: “… that region expands, and new
islands harboring other divergent genes emerge, creating islands of
speciation across the genome.”
Scientific American, 21 August 2014
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(Sociology, Social Science, Psychology, Civics)
“Tightness and Looseness: A New Way to
Understand Differences across the 50 United
States”
In this article, the author explains that “… few organizing principles
exist to explain these differences, which find their expression
in divergent ecologies, histories, average personality traits, and
various state outcomes.”
From Scientific American, 2 July 2014
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(Technology) “Fun for All Ages?”
Designing an intergenerational educational
game is harder than it looks.
“So what’s the challenge? Children and adults frequently come to digital
games with very different experiences, skills, and inclinations.”
The author explains that “in some cases, these differences are minor; kids
and grown-ups have divergent tastes in avatars, one study suggests.
Have students read this article and chart the “divergent”
tastes of kids and grown-ups they would need to keep in mind
when designing an intergenerational game.
Click on the picture to link to the article.
From Slate.com, 3 September 2014
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(sports)
Read this article from last May’s New York Times about the
Mets and the Yankees.
In the article, the author explains that “the two teams were
on divergent paths entering the series, as well.”
Have students read the article and explain what those paths were and what
made them divergent.
Click on the picture to link to the article.
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(Art) Divergence Fine Art: Museum/Art Gallery
Check out this Facebook page for Divergence Fine Art.
Consider showing students some of the artwork displayed and engage them in
a discussion about art selection. If your gallery was called “Divergence,” why
would you choose these specific pieces to include/display? Try to get them to
think about all the definitions of “divergent.”
Click on the picture to link to the article.
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(Mathematics)
Convergent and Divergent Sequences
Check out this clip from Khan Academy on Convergent and
Divergent Sequences.
4 min. 59 sec.
Click on the picture to link to the article.
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(For Fun—from Time, 28 July 2014)
Click on the picture to link to the article.
(Arts, Culture, Literary Elements,
Computer Animation)
“When Peter Met Homer: A First Look at
the Family Guy–Simpsons Crossover”
The two shows have had a cordial rivalry for years.
This author of the article from Time challenges the
reader: “Say what you will about their crassness and
so on, but it is difficult to deny that both shows are blessed with some bright writers. We see this in
the divergent evolution of the two series over time. Both began as routine caricatures of your
Middle American family (a slovenly patriarch, a housewife who act and talks like just another
frustrated shrew, et al) and over the years have matured into distinct pillars of popular culture.” The
author then goes on to explain the divergence in their evolution.
A five-minute clip of the cross-over episode might be enough to explain the divergence of these two
popular television shows with your Seminar or class.