#2582. Creating a Database

Computer, level: Elementary
Posted Mon May 13 21:33:39 PDT 2002 by Melinda Brady (DMBRadyfamily@aol.com).
Ulis Newton, Henderson, USA
Materials Required: Computer and Data Base Program
Activity Time: 2 50 minute time periods.
Concepts Taught: Data Bases and Social Studies

Lesson Plan Title: Creating a Data Base

Standards Addressed: Social Studies:
TSW Explore and describe similarities and differences in ways groups societies and cultures address similar human needs and concerns:
TSW Use appropriate resources, data sourcs, and geographic tools such as atlases, data bases, grid systems, charts, graphs and maps to generate manipulate and interpret information.

Technology: TSW
Use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
Use technology tools to procss data and report results.

General Goals: The student will create a database for the contient of Africa.

This activity is the culminating activity for a Social Studies Unit on Africa. The students have complied research on individual countries on the continent. After compiling the data base the students will use the information to make a presentation on the continent of Africa.

Procedures:

The students will brain storm categories for the information they have. We will use these categories as the field in the data base.

The teacher will go to Apple Works and click on the icon. Scroll down to the database and click on OK. This will take you to a define database field page.

Type in the field name/category.
Select the field type. We used text.
Click on Create and then click on done.
You have to do this for each of the fields you create.

To add new fields go to Layout, scroll down to Define Field and release. You have to go through the above procedures to define and add any new fields. The teacher should set up the original fields. Now it is time for the students to add information to the data base.
Save, Close and name the file.

Students will need their research and access to a computer to add to the data base.

Have the students go to my documents and click on the file you have named. To add information the students open the file. They go to Edit and scroll down to New record and release. They can then add their data to the file. If they come to a field thye have no information for they leave it blank.

Once all students have added their information to the data base I explain the Find function of the database program. The database will sort the information based on the find requests. They have to use exact terms and tell the program what information to find and in what field it is.

To find information go to Layout and scroll down to the Find function and release. The field you have defined will appear on the screen. Click on the field you want to find information in and type in the search criteria, data you want to find. You can enter searach criteria in as many fields in the find request as you want. After entering the searach criteria the students click on the find button on the side bar and the computer will bring up the sorted records.

I had the students play with different find requests to see how the information broke down. They printed out the results and then the class decided which criteria we would use to compare data.
I broke the class down into six groups and assigned them the following categories: Cultures, types of government combined with Economy, Points of interest, Geology, Natural Resources, combined with climate and holidays combined with language.

The groups did a variety of find requests on their fields. The groups took the information they had gathered and put together a presentation on their areas. The class presented the information at our multi-cultural fair.

Assessment: Data Base Rubric:
5 points: Input at least 12 field of information into the data base. Complete at least 5 find request searches and print them out. Consistently be able to discuss results and importance of data.
3 points: Input at least 8 fields of information into the data base. Complete at least 3 find request searches with print outs. Satisfactorily discuss results and importance of data found.
1 point: Input at least 3 fields of information into the data base. Complete at least 1 find request searches with printout. Minimally be able to discusss results and importance of data found.