Overview
Students get ready to solve a mystery by creating database records
and recording information about their classmates. This "nuts and bolts"
lesson defines database, provides step by step directions for making
one, and prepares students to discover how databases work in the election
process. |
For more about this special from
Database Detectives
Discover Democracy author and
AT&T Teacher Disseminator,
e-mail Linda
Scott . |
Learning
Standards
Collect, organize, and describe data.
Use technology to solve problems.
Construct, read, and interpret a given set of data.
Explore the role technology plays in our Information Age.
|
Classroom
Activities
A Database Worksheet introduces students
to why and how they can solve problems with databases. They design
a class database, poll their peers, and enter essential |
facts in the data base. This is a prelude to
Special #2 where student detectives practice
search and sort techniques to solve
the mystery. |
Community
Activities
Acquisition of information processing skills prepares students to
explore the democratic process by planning to hold a voter registration
campaign and schoolwide elections. |
Careers
Students discuss career opportunities for
computer and database programmers, pollsters, and political analysts.
|
Materials
ClarisWorks Office for Dummies by LeVitus and Higgins, 1997:
IDG Books; ClarisWorks 5 in the Classroom K-12 1998: MicroMedia
Publishing |
Technology
Students follow a worksheet based on
ClarisWorks (PC) that is easily adaptable to
the Mac and other database software. |
Assessment
Students and teacher check Database Worksheets for details and data
accuracy. |
Web Sites
Students demystify databases when they access Appleworks
and ClarisWorks tutorials.
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