Introduction
Hungry? Let’s fill our plates with a few unusual snacks! Take the next 5 minutes to connect to Scholastic’s Make Your Own I SPY game and select a collection of items to put on your plate. Here’s what you do after linking to "Make Your Own I SPY:"

  • Click on the START button.
  • Select the background that looks like a table setting. (Ignore the riddle for today.)
  • Look through the clip art and drag over a collection of items that you want on your plate or on the table.
  • Organize or group your items any way you like.

Got it? Let's go!

Do you have a collection of things at home? Some fifth graders collect rocks. Others collect trading cards or Barbie dolls. They probably organize or sort their collections by size or color. Others get organized by making lists of things. Have you ever made a list of your friends and their phone numbers? If so, then you had the beginnings of a database. Surprise!

A database is a computer tool that allows you to organize and store a "collection" of data, or facts. Remember how you collected items on the I SPY game and organized them on your plate or on the table? Database software uses files to organize your information or data. It helps you find information faster, reorganize it easier, and make changes.

Many, many people use databases in their jobs. A telephone operator looks up people’s names, phone numbers, and addresses at your request. Your school SIMS operator uses a database to look up student information and store your grades and attendance record. The school media professional uses a database to find out if your library book is overdue. Can you come up with any examples?