Module :

 Databases Classes : 2nd - 6th

Lesson 1

 Introduction to Databases
.

Aims

  1. Children will recognise French /German/Italian as a modern foreign language..

  2. Children will recognise the importance of organising information in order to make it easily accessible.

  3. Children will learn the terminology and structure of databases.

  4. Children will learn to read and interpret a database

  5. Children will learn the French/German/Italian terms for popular animals

Materials/Resources: Telephone book, school record list, pictures of animals

Content / Methodology

Teacher will initiate discussion on the information age:

 the wealth of information in our society

the accessibility of this information

the need for organisation of information

examples of the organisation of information: telephone books, school record list, etc.

Teacher elicits from the children information that could be possibly gathered about the children in the class:

Christian Names                      Surnames                  Telephone Numbers

Addresses                                 Ages

 Teacher designs a database on the blackboard using this information.

 Introduction of the term ‘database’ and its component parts: field, field names, records.

 Discussion of the database which has been designed on the blackboard.

 Quiz amongst the children on the displayed database.

 The animals

 Use of pictures to teach the French/German/Italian names for the animals.

Follow Up Activities

Pupils can make a record card, similar to that on the blackboard, for themselves in their copies.

 

Lesson 2

 Constructing Simple Databases
.

Aims

  1. Children will recognise French /German/Italian as a modern foreign language.

  2. Children will identify the components of a database using the correct terminology.

  3. Children will complete and save a database template.

  4. Children will learn to name the animals in French/German/Italian.

  5. Children will write short sentences in French/German/Italian about the animals.

Materials/Resources: Database template, pictures of animals.

Content / Methodology

Teacher presents a database template on the computer based on the information gathered in the previous lesson:

Surname, Christian Name, Gender, Favourite Animal, etc.

Teacher initiates discussion of the database window on screen, getting children to identify the component parts: field, field name and record.

Teacher will demonstrate the completion of a field and individual children will do likewise.

The teacher demonstrates the saving of the completed template.

During the following week, the children will complete individual templates and save them in their folders.

The teacher uses pictures to teach the names of the animals.

 The children are also encouraged to compose simple sentences, e.g. I have a cat.

Follow Up Activities

The pupils can print their work and decorate it.

Lesson 3

 Working with Databases
.

Aims

  1. Children will recognise French /German/Italian as a modern foreign language.

  2. Children will list school subjects in French /German/Italian.

  3. Children will learn the French /German/Italian terms from others.

  4. Children will learn to navigate a database.

  5. Children will be able to add an extra field to a database.

Materials/Resources: Completed databases with printouts, worksheet on colours for each pupil.

Content / Methodology

Teacher will initiate discussion amongst the children on the work completed during the previous week referring to field names, fields and records.

Individual children will load their completed databases and the teacher will demonstrate the use of the tab key to navigate the database --- tabbing on the last field will automatically take one to the next record.

 Individual children will locate specific records using the record number button.

The teacher will quiz the pupils on the printed databases: How many children like dogs? Or Who lives at 14 Abbey Road ? etc.

Teacher demonstrates the addition of a field on a favourite subject to existing database. Children will add this extra field to their databases during the forthcoming week.

 Question the children on their favourite, and least-favourite, school subjects.

 The teacher uses classroom objects to teach the French/German/Italian terms for colours.

The pupils complete a worksheet on colours.

Follow Up Activities

The pupils can do further work on the vocabulary needed for lesson 4.

Lesson 4

 Editing Databases
.

Aims

  1. Children will recognise French /German/Italian as a modern foreign language.

  2. Children will learn to navigate and interpret a database.

  3. Children will be able to add and delete records to and from a database.

  4. Children will use the sort facility to organise data using certain criteria.

Materials/Resources: Saved databases

Content / Methodology

Teacher will initiate discussion amongst the children on the work completed during the previous week, referring to field names, fields and records.

Individual children will load their completed databases and teacher will demonstrate the use of the sorting facility.

Discussion of the criteria which could be used to sort data.

Individual children will demonstrate the sorting of data using these criteria.

Individual children will load their completed databases and the teacher will demonstrate the addition and deletion of a record.

Follow Up Activities

During the forthcoming week, the children will add another field “favourite colours” to the database, sort the data according to favourite subject, delete a record and add another.

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