• Students can use decomposition of a model, like a terrarium, to understand the parts of the water cycle and how the parts work together. The students can break the water cycle in the model down into evaporation, precipitation, condensation, and accumulation. 

• See Generation Genius's model

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• In Code.org's unplugged lesson the will have use computational thinking to create directions for other students to draw a specific monster (from a catalog of pre-selected monsters). The entire task must be decomposed, then teams will analyze all monsters in the catalog for patterns, abstract similar details from the monsters, then use that information to create an algorithm (directions) for another team to draw a certain monster. 

• Using ficton stories, either picture books or chapter books, students can create a plot map that decomposes the story into the parts of a plot map. Students can fill in the parts of the book onto this plot map.

• Writing by word count is a great way to teach abstraction, or the need to focus on solely the pertinent information. For this activity, students are given a writing assignment with a maximum word count that they must stay under.

• Inspired by Computational Thinking Lesson's Moderninzing Myths from Ancient Greece students can study Greek myths and then using abstraction to find the key elements of the theme. Utalizing those key elements, the students can write a modern-day myth that will teach the same theme. 

Resources:

• Greek Myths for Kids

• Podcasts of Greek Myths for Kids: Greeking Out by Nat Geo Kids

• Math can help develop computational thinking skills by using number sense games to teach the concept of pattern recognition. For younger students, this could look like sorting numbers in numerical order, while older students may group together numbers that share characteristics.

See Which One Doesn't Belong for more ideas.

• During the school year, students will use work with many ficton stories, either picture books or chapter books. Teaching pattern recognitiation in the events, character changes, and theme to students can help them to recognize patterns in texts. When comparing many texts, they will be able to compare what the character learned, the problem the character faced, or the resolution of the problem, all which contribute to the theme.

• Students can look for patterns and determine the features that seperate the labeling of fruits and vegetables. Collect and label yfruit and vegetable data- how is it used? when is it eatten? how is it prepared? what does it look like? what does it taste like? See if students can create a rules for how the food is sorted. Then insert a new food, for example a pineapple or onion, and have the students sort this using the rules created.

See more from STEM Family's Machine Learning: Fruit and Vegetable Learning Labeling

• Flowcharts are especially useful when it comes to helping students understand the concept of automation and algorithms, and they can be applied to a wide range of subjects. In grammar, students can create a flowchart to help determine what punctuation is needed for a given sentence.

• Code.org's unplugged lesson on computational thinking gives students the opportunity to use all the parts of compuational thinking to create a rule about how a game is played.