Unit 7.5

Murder Most Horrid (Exploring databases)

Tutorial 3:Creating a database

Introduction

Work through Opener 3 as an introduction to this tutorial.

Detective Turner and his team of detectives have been busy interviewing people. The team has now interviewed everyone using your questionnaire. This information is taking a long time to sort through, and they are having difficulties finding the information they need.

By the end of this tutorial you will be able to:

• Create a database
• Input information into your database and check it for errors

In this tutorial, you are working on the following APP Assessment Focuses:

AF2

Level 4 – Organise and process data for a purpose

Level 5 – Use logical and appropriate structures to organise and process data

AF3

Level 4 – Use appropriate search criteria to find relevant information, and check its plausibility and usefulness

Level 5 – Take account of accuracy and potential bias when searching for and selecting information

Get started

Open Resource 3a and cut the long questions down to one word. You have 60 seconds! The first to finish wins the task. Save your work in your folder for this unit.

Try it out

Watch Resource 3b, a presentation about database theory. Discuss each slide as a class.

Now open Resource 3c and complete the worksheet, designing the Field Names and Data Types for your table. Remember to save your work.

Design a table and create Field Names

First you need to design a table for the database into which you will enter all of the information.

Remember that each question needs to be converted into a Field Name so that you can store this information in the database. Using your questionnaire and Resource 2b from Tutorial 2, write down a list of Field Names and Data Types for the database.

Tips Data Type tells the database what kind of data you want to put in a field. For example, 'Text', 'Number' and 'Currency' are all Data Types.

Set up a database

Now you need to set up the database. Find out how to do this by watching Skills Demo 3a.

Now it's your turn. Open the database software and set up a blank database. Save it in the folder you created at the beginning of this unit. Name your database Crime Investigation Database.

Create your table

Once the database has been set up and saved, you can begin to create the table. Watch Skills Demo 3b to learn how to do this.

Now create your own table. Remember to make the first Field Name 'ID' and give it the Data Type 'AutoNumber'.

Tips The 'Memo' field allows you to type more information than the 'Text' field.

Create the Primary Key field

The 'ID' field needs to be made into a Primary Key. This will make sure that each person has a unique number (like a sort of membership number).

Watch Skills Demo 3c to learn how to create the Primary Key field.

Now create the Primary Key field on your own database.

Save your database

When you have entered all your Field Names and Data Types, you need to save the table. Watch Skills Demo 3d to learn how to do this.

Save your table, giving it the name tblsuspects.

Enter your information

You can now enter the information from the three questionnaires that your classmates completed in Tutorial 2. Watch Skills Demo 3e on entering information onto your database first.

Now it's your turn to enter your data. Remember to save the table again when you have entered all the information.

Check for errors

It is easy to make a mistake when entering data. One way to make sure that the information you enter is correct is to get someone else to look at it.

Print your table by choosing File > Print. Then swap printouts with a partner, and:

1. Circle any errors that have been made.
2. Once you have checked the printout, give it back to the person to whom it belongs.
3. Using the corrected printout of your table, correct your mistakes in the database.

 

Round it up

Open Resource 3e to play a database bingo game. Your teacher will read out a series of definitions. When you find a word in your grid that matches the definition, cross it out. When you have crossed out three words in a row, call out “Bingo!”.

When you have finished playing database bingo, discuss the following questions as a class. Can a spreadsheet perform the same task as a database? Can it do the job as well as a database?

Now play Interactive 3 to test your knowledge of data types!

Homework

Imagine you are the chief crime scene investigator working on this murder. Write or type a letter to Detective Turner explaining what information he needs from people, and why it is important that he makes sure the information he gets is accurate.