Your Name: Linda Alesi Lesson Title: Animal Database Lesson Introduction

EDTECH 541

Standard 2:   Information Systems

Standard 4:   Science

Standard 5:   Technology

Standard 6:   Interconnectedness: Common Themes

Standard 7:   Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

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  Online database subscriptions (Amazing Animals, Worldbook Online, Groliers, Enchanted Learning) how to use search engines, district fourth grade online resources webpage written materials, school library system will be provided and taught through the school librarians.
  

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  A PowerPoint template will be available to all students and is posted online under fourth grade resources on the district website.
  

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  A computer with projector to demonstrate with Microsoft Access, PowerPoint and Word installed on it.
  

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  A computer for each student or three hours computer time per student with Microsoft Access, PowerPoint and Word installed on it.
  

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  An Access database with an animal table designed with the required fields with a form for inputting the information and several pre-designed queries for demonstrating how easily information can be accessed using a database. There is also a query that will open in design view from the switchboard called ‘Find Animal Facts Query” so they can design their own queries from it.
  

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  Query Reference Guide located on the database switchboard
  

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  A PowerPoint “Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” template and Awesome Jeopardy Template and/or SmartBoard game template for students to input animal information data into. A sample interactive game to show expectations such as this one.
  

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  This lesson will be taught to the class in the computer lab after they have completed their animal research project and PowerPoint presentation. Discussion about utilizing a database to sort large amounts of information to identify patterns or predict a possible solution. Discuss with class how there is one district-wide database that stores all students emergency contact information, attendance, report cards, picture, state testing, immunizations, etc. The district uses this database to update the new lunch program, the library system, educational programs such as ReadAbout, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, and to send student information to the high school district.
  
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  Discuss going online to the World Wide Web without any search engines like Google, or Yahoo. All the webpages would still be there, but finding them would take a lot longer.
  
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  Our school library system is another database that stores all the books, teachers and students. It keeps track of what books students check out.
  

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  People relay on databases every day.
  
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  The students will be introduced to the animal database and the form to input the data.
  
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  They will then be assigned to input their animals’ information into the database. We will briefly discuss SeaWorld extensive animal database and how animal scientists utilize database.
  
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  Emphasize the concept of GIGO- garbage in, garbage out and the importance of entering in accurate, detailed information.
  

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  A brief presentation will show students how to run predesigned reports
  

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  Students will run “Animals in this Database” report
  
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  Students will run “Scientific Names” report
  
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  Students will run “Animal Facts” report
  
  
  
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  A group presentation will demonstrate how to extract information from a database using a query. Students will run query from switchboard items:
  
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    They will run “Animals with Tails Query”
    
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  Students will create their own queries from the switch board button “find animal facts query”.
  
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    We will run some queries together
    
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    Students will create a query using the biome field; they will type in “ocean” in the criteria. They will select Run.
    There should be two animals from the sample data.
    
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    Students will create a query un-checking all fields in the show category except the animals name and type of animal. In the criteria they will type in “mammal” under the type of animals field and select Run.
    There should be three animals that appear using the sample data.
    
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  Show them the “Query Reference Guide” located on the database switchboard
  
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  A group presentation of query criteria will be demonstrated so students have a reference.
  
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    Some key query items such as *, like, not and equal will be discussed and students will run queries using those five items.
    
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  Have students create their own queries from the “What does the Animal look like?” field using the *criteria* giving them ideas to try such as color, dorsal fin, fur
  
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    Each student should create a unique query- teacher should go around the room and check their queries
    

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  A class discussion of queries will be reviewed with them.
  
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  Students will run the “Query Reference Guide report as a reference.
  
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  Some key query items such as *, like, not and equal will be reviewed
  
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    Students will run a query using one of those five items
    The field and animal characteristic can be student generated from the class discussion
    
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  Students will create queries that will assist them making predictions by grouping data; such as what traits do animals who live longer have in common? Their diet? Their climate?
  
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  They will be assigned to locate information about a different animal using only the database to locate information from.
  
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  They will be instructed to run various queries and reports
  
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    Predesigned reports include scientific names, biomes, interesting facts
    
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    They should create their own queries from the “Find Animals Fact Query”
    
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  They will be assigned to input that other animals’ information into an interactive games question and answer set “Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?”
  

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  Students will be encouraged to utilize the animal database to learn about all the animals before the game begins. A brief review of queries will be discussed.
  
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  The interactive game will be displayed using a projector and the class will play as a group. If multiply classes participate in this project than they can share their interactive games to test their knowledge of animals. See Sample one at: http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/alesil/5thgradeanimal.pptx.
  

The learning objectives will be considered met when the student demonstrates understanding of another student’s animals from the information they gathered to input into the interactive game. The information the students inputs into the interactive game will be graded as to accuracy of facts based on the information in the database. Students will also be assessed on their knowledge of animals during the interactive game. They will be told of this before the game begins and encourage them to listen well to other student’s presentations and use the animal database to learn about all the animals.

Demonstration of understanding includes participating in a class discussion, proficiency in locating data from queries, identification of animal patterns and prediction of possible animal from the query used. Students will be accessed by observation during the creation of queries, inputting their information and creation of the interactive game.
References:
Animal Facts were located at the following websites:
Kidzone
http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/penguins/facts.htm

About.com

Indian Child- Elephant Facts, Elephant Trivia

Out of Africa with Ellen and Paul- Elephant Facts

http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engelephant.html
Great Bear Foundation

http://www.greatbear.org/pandabear.htm

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-giant_panda.html

http://www.bearplanet.org/pandabear.shtml

National Geographic

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale.html

Kids Planet- Facts Sheet- Orca

http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/orca.html

Access Database References

Boise State Edtech Students Work

http://edtech.boisestate.edu/elearn/EDTECH575/StudentWork/studentwork_ssdb.htm

Geek to Go

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/Possible-To-Put-Pictures-Access-Database-t143436.html
Microsoft Education- Create a picture database using Microsoft Office Access 2002

http://www.microsoft.com/Education/PictureDatabase.mspx

Database Dev.co.uk- Including Images in a Microsoft Access Form
http://www.databasedev.co.uk/bound_image_form.html

Microsoft Office Online- Store images in a database

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access/HP052802251033.aspx

Web Master World.com –Display images from Access Database

http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum47/723.htm
Jamie’s software- Microsoft Access software and utility

http://www.jamiessoftware.tk/

Microsoft Office Online Templates

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101426161033.aspx

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/SearchEngines.html

Jefferson County Schools PowerPoint Games

http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/PPT-games/

Point4Teachers

http://www.point4teachers.com/5th%20Grader.htm

Lesson development reflection
When I first began thinking about this lesson I knew that students were required to locate many animal facts as part of their research. I think organizing the facts into a database will be very beneficial for our students. Databases are probably one of the most commonly used technologies today. People use them constantly without being aware of it. I think elementary schools need to introduce the basics of everyday technologies into their curriculum. The primary focus of this lesson is on learning about animals not using technology. Students will learn research skills during this lesson, presentation skills using PowerPoint, and database skills entering and locating animal facts. I think the best part of this is that in order to achieve this lessons goals they will be required to understand about an animal from the facts that one of their peers have documented. Having them put those facts into an interactive game gives them an authentic audience (their classmates) and a natural motivating way for a teacher to assess how much they have learned from using a database. As a teacher, I would compare with the students, the time it took them to research their animal they used in their PowerPoint with the time it took them to locate the information from the database of a different animal that someone else has researched.

When I started to design the database, I began creating several different tables and ran into a few technical glitches. As I was working out the kinks, I thought about how many adults are intimidated by databases, especially Access. At that point, I realized I would be better off keep the database design as simple as possible to encourage teachers to do more with it in simple easy steps. This database is just at the preliminary stages with the ability to grow. I look forward to teacher and students suggested various additional fields. I envision fields such as skin type, coloring, size, continents, and weight. I didn’t add additional fields at this point because I wanted teachers and students to envision this project as an extension of the animal research project. I am confident that they will wish to add additional fields after they understand the power and potential of Access.

It is my hope that once the classes do this project, they will see this as an important new project that will be used in all the fourth grade classes next year.

Form to enter Animal Information in