The Klein Academy for ICT: Data 4.3 Data Capture with Microsoft Forms

Lesson 4.3 Searching for Information

Aim: To understand that information can be stored as numbers, text and choices (e.g. yes/no). To understand that storing information in an organised way helps answer questions.

Be Inspired:

Databases are all around you. You might not realise it, but you almost certainly use some kind of database on a daily basis.

Mobile phone address book
School student database
YouTube
Library database of books
Netflix database of films
Email contact list
…and many, many more!

A database is a large collection of data, stored in a logical and structured way.

Databases store data or information in tables. Tables are made up of records and fields.

Records

Each table contains a lot of records.

A record is all the data or information about one person or thing.

For example, in the table below, each row is a record.

Fields

A record is made up of lots of individual pieces of information.

For example the gorilla’s record in the table below stores information about it’s name, gender, age and food.

Each of these individual pieces of information is called a field.

So, a field can be defined as a single piece of data about a person or thing.

In the table below, each column is a field.

Check It Out: Today we are going to create a class database of imaginary Fairy Tale criminals. We are going to use Microsoft Forms to collect our data and Microsoft Excel to display our data. Once we have created our database we will use it to solve fictitious crimes. Have a look at this database for some inspiration:

Mr. J's Database of Fairy Tale Criminals

Do Your Best: Can you help build our own Fairy Tale Criminal Database?

Click here to create your class database.

Extension Task: For those of you wanting an extra challenge you can start to write a detective story using some clues from the database.

Finally Fun!

If you have finished all your work, you can head to Star Credits.

Lesson 4.2 Data Capture with Microsoft Forms