Database Detectives Record Clues

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.