For several weeks now you’ve been working with spreadsheets and databases and plenty of numbers. Have you noticed that dealing with numbers is confusing, and sometimes boring, if you don’t have a way to see the patterns or the differences in groups of numbers? This is where graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, and illustrations step into the picture, right? They transform numbers into colorful and easy-to-understand "pictures" that help you see numbers in different ways.
Another way to make sense of a huge database of information is to put the information in order, from smallest to largest (ascending) or from largest to smallest (descending). This is sometimes a fancy way to say ABC or alphabetical order, a trick you’ve been using in school for years!
What are you waiting for? Grab that WaterTube and splash on down the chute for brand new adventures in the world of databases!
Take a few minutes to study with a buddy! Open and print a page full of new database words. Discuss each term with your study buddy. Don’t forget to file this page along with the other mini-posters in your technology notebook. If you didn’t create a notebook or folder as suggested a few weeks ago, go ahead and make it happen now!
Rock and roll on over to the Roller Coaster Database to generate a Record Holders Report and practice searching and sorting information in a database. Study every option on the Report Options page before moving on to your Coaster Quest. You will not want to miss a detail! Open a new window displaying the Roller Coaster Database Record Holders Report.
Coaster Quest:
- Look under Report Options and select the TYPE of coaster and the STATISTIC (speed, height, drop, or length) that is of interest to you.
- Look at the pull-down menu beside CATEGORY. Wow! Do you want to search for FLOORLESS, FLYING, SUSPENDED or some other category of coaster? Make up Your Own Mind!
- Which CONTINENT would you like to choose?
- Good job! Now click on the REPORT button to generate a report with the options that are important to you.
- Are the coasters sorted in descending or ascending order?
- How can you search the database for the fastest coaster in the entire world? Hint!
- Try this: Click on the name of the coaster in your report to view pictures and read more hair-raising information.
Last week, you started thinking about a database to create and maintain for your special research topic. You probably printed the form and made a few notes on it. If you didn’t have time to print the form last week, view and print the form now. Continue to refine ideas for the type of information you plan to maintain in your database. Take a close look at the names of the fields in your database. Do you need to add or change anything?
If you are ready, open your favorite database program and start creating the database now.
 DreamBuilder |
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 Trouble Terminator |
