Introduction to Abstraction

Active learning is essential for grasping abstraction because it moves students from passive reception to active construction of knowledge. By engaging in hands-on tasks, students physically manipulate information and make choices about what is important, solidifying their understanding.

• Year 6
• Technologies
• 3 activities
• 30 min–45 min

Concept Mapping

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Format Name: Map Abstraction Challenge

Provide students with a detailed map of their school or local area. Ask them to create a simplified 'walking map' that only includes essential landmarks and paths for navigating between key points, like the library or playground. Discuss why certain details were removed.

Prepare & details

Explain how filtering out extra information helps us build a better model.

Facilitation Tip: During the Map Abstraction Challenge, encourage students to discuss within their small groups which map features are crucial for navigation and which can be omitted, reflecting the core of the Gallery Walk's comparative analysis.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Concept Mapping

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Format Name: Object Feature Sorting

Present students with a collection of diverse objects (e.g., a toy car, a real car key, a drawing of a car). Have them work in groups to identify the essential features that define 'a car' and sort the items based on how well they represent these core features, discarding irrelevant details.

Prepare & details

Compare a detailed map to a simplified subway map as an example of abstraction.

Facilitation Tip: For Object Feature Sorting, circulate to prompt students to justify their sorting criteria, reinforcing the deliberate choice-making central to abstraction.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Concept Mapping

⏱ 40 min·Individual

Format Name: Subway Map Design

Using a simplified diagram of a few interconnected locations (e.g., school, park, shops), students design a 'subway map' that only shows the routes and stops, ignoring actual street layouts. They must decide which information is essential for a traveler.

Prepare & details

Design a simplified representation of a complex object, highlighting its key features.

Facilitation Tip: When students are designing their Subway Map, prompt them to articulate the specific user need their map addresses, linking to the concept mapping idea of focusing on relationships and purpose.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Teachers can approach abstraction by framing it as a problem-solving tool, not just a technical concept. Start with tangible, real-world examples that students can easily relate to, gradually increasing complexity. Explicitly connect the act of simplification to the goal of making something more understandable or usable.

What to Expect

Students will demonstrate understanding by creating simplified representations that retain essential information for a given purpose. They will be able to articulate why certain details were included or excluded in their abstractions and recognize abstraction in real-world examples.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Map Abstraction Challenge, watch for students who remove too many details, making their map unusable.

What to Teach Instead

Redirect students by asking them to compare their simplified map to the original, discussing what information is essential for someone to find their way around school and what 'unnecessary' details were removed.

Common Misconception

During Object Feature Sorting, students might group objects based on superficial similarities rather than their essential function, suggesting they think abstraction is arbitrary.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt students to explain the purpose of each object and how their chosen features help define that purpose, reinforcing that abstraction is driven by context and utility.

Common Misconception

When designing their Subway Map, students might include too much geographic detail, missing the point of abstraction.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to identify who their map is for and what specific information that person needs to travel between locations, guiding them to remove extraneous details like street names or building outlines.

Assessment Ideas

Peer Assessment

After the Map Abstraction Challenge, have students critique each other's simplified maps, providing feedback on whether essential navigational information was retained and unnecessary details were removed.

Quick Check

During Object Feature Sorting, observe students' justifications for their sorting criteria to quickly gauge their understanding of essential versus non-essential features.

Discussion Prompt

After the Subway Map Design, facilitate a class discussion where students share their maps and explain the design choices they made, highlighting how they abstracted information for a specific purpose.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to create a second, even more abstract version of their subway map for a different audience, like a tourist unfamiliar with the area versus a local resident.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters or a graphic organizer for students struggling to articulate their design choices during the Object Feature Sorting activity.
• Deeper Exploration: Have students research and present on different types of real-world abstractions, such as musical notation or architectural blueprints.