WEBVTT

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[Music] Welcome to the overview
on Connecting Abstract

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and Concrete Representations
of Concepts.

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Ms. Burroughs is preparing a lesson
on weather and isn't sure how

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to approach it.

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Every year her students have a hard time
with some of the more abstract concepts,

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like evaporation and precipitation.

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in the past, thinking that clouds were 
made of "cotton and air," or that they are

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"thickened air fibers."

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She knows that simply describing how
clouds are formed won't be enough

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for most of them to really 
understand the material.

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She looks online and finds 
some fun activities,

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but they won't really help students see
the connections between what they are doing

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in the activity, and the larger 
concepts she's trying to teach.

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What does it mean to help students 
see the connections between abstract

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and concrete representations
of concepts?

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The same abstract idea can be
represented in a number

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of different ways.

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The use of multiple representations--
pictures, diagrams, charts and models--

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helps students visualize
and understand difficult concepts.

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Research has found that when 
teachers make connections

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between abstract and concrete 
representations students

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are better able to apply 
what they have learned

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across a range of situations.

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Let's look at how this works
in practice.

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Well-labeled graphics
or illustrations combined

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with clear verbal descriptions help
students better understand key processes

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and concepts.

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Graphics do not have to be 
realistic to be useful.

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In fact, sometimes an abstract image
will illustrate an idea better

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than a realistic illustration.

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Regardless of the type of graphic 
representation it's important

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that teachers draw students' attention
to the relevant similarities

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between the visual representation
and the abstract idea.

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Visual representations
like number lines, blocks,

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and algebra tiles can help students
understand abstract math concepts.

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While teaching a new concept
in exclusively concrete terms can limit

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a student's ability to apply 
the concepts to new situations,

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showing how manipulatives relate
to a larger concept

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or equation can promote better
understanding of the abstract

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principle involved.

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Teachers can also provide models
of phenomenon that are difficult

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to understand or see, like how 
temperature affects the density

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of water or how the layers
of the earth are formed.

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The teacher's role is vital here,
as she draws students' attention

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to the ways in which a concrete model
of a subject relates

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to an abstract concept.

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The teacher can show how the 
model supports the concept,

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as well as the model's limitations.

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Making connections between abstract
and concrete representations may look

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different across subject areas:
A middle grades math teacher can help

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her students understand how to calculate 
rate by introducing an equation,

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showing a diagram, asking students
to graph the speed of a car,

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and having students do their
own experiments.

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The teacher's role is critical
as she helps her students see the

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connections between the equation,
their predictions, and the results

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of the experiment.

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An elementary science teacher might give
students hands-on experiences in science

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as they learn about the properties

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of solids, liquids and gasses, 
for example.

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It's important that teachers 
help students connect what

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they are observing to what is 
happening on a molecular level.

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Social studies teachers can connect
abstract ideas to scenarios

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that are interesting
and familiar to students.

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Take, for example, the idea of 
taxation without representation.

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A teacher can make connections 
between the experience of the colonists

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under British rule and 
students' frustrations

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when school administrators create rules
without consulting them.

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She might have students consider how
their experiences are similar to

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and different from the colonists.

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Teachers need to be aware of the limits
and benefits of providing initial

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instruction using 
concrete representations.

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Not every concept needs to be introduced
with a concrete representation

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or situation.

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In fact, sometimes teaching 
in the abstract

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from the beginning produces
superior results.

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So, what does all this mean
for students?

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Connecting abstract and concrete 
representations helps

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students to transfer their knowledge
to new problems and settings -

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a major goal of education.

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When teachers highlight the connections
between the abstract idea

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and concrete experience or representation 
they build bridges to difficult concepts.

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Ms. Burroughs developed lots
of concrete activities for her students

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to learn about evaporation,
condensation, and precipitation.

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She had students act how ocean water 
evaporates to become clouds and then

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had the class create diagrams that 
illustrated how water

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moves from the sky to the earth and 
back to the sky again.

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She gave them a homework project
that had them collect dew

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in their back yards.

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As her students came
up with their own questions

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and explanations about weather,
and proudly used their new vocabulary,

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it was clear to Ms. Burroughs
that they really understood the lesson.

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To learn more about connecting abstract
and concrete representations

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of concepts, please explore the
additional resources

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on the Doing What Works website.