Animal Database Lesson Plan
EDTECH 541
Your Name: Linda Alesi
Lesson Title: Animal Database Lesson
Introduction: Our fourth grade students each research an animal online and through
reference materials in the library. They are responsible to create a PowerPoint presentation
from a template with the following information on their animal; what type of animal is itmammal, describe what it looks like; where does it live, a map of where it lives, the climate
where it live; what does it eat; what is above or below it in the food chain; how does the
mother take care of its young, how does it learn to survive, is it endangered; how long does
it live; five interesting facts about the animal; and a bibliography. They will be required to
input this data into a database. They will be required to find another animals information
from the database and input that into an interactive “Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?”
PowerPoint game.
Grade or Age Level of Student(s): Fourth grade students
Objectives: Students will learn several key facts about their animal. They will learn to input
data into a database using a form. They will learn how to sort, search for information and
identify an animal using the data in the animal database. Students will be shown the
database tables before they input their information. The students will be shown how to use
and create queries. Students will discover ways to group animals and make predictions
based on their groupings. They will use the facts in the database as clues to predict the
animal. Using various queries they will be required to take the information of another
students animal and input those facts into a PowerPoint game on “Are you Smarter than a
Fifth Graders?” (There is a SmartBoard 5th grader template, also.)
Relative Advantage of Using Technology: Using a database enables students to locate
and store information on thousands of animals and make it available instantly. Using
queries they will sort, group and make predications.
Standards Addressed:
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
1:
2:
4:
5:
6:
7:
NYS Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
Information Systems
Science
Technology
Interconnectedness: Common Themes
Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
NYS English Language Arts
Standard 1:
Standard 3:
Language for Information and Understanding
Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
ISTE Standards for Students
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
2
3
4
5
6
Communication and Collaboration
Research and Information Fluency
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Digital Citizenship
Technology Operations and Concepts
Timeline: This lesson will take approx. four hours. The entire animal research project from
start to finish this lesson will require about 7-9 hours using computers. Our computer lab
sessions are one hours once a week. Many classes utilize the computer lab more frequently
for this project. Research for this project will be done during their library sessions. The
animal PowerPoint project generally takes four hours on a computer to complete. Many
utilize the computers in their classroom for this project. Inputting the information into the
database should take about an hour with fifteen minutes for basic instruction and forty five
minutes for typing the information in. Learning about how information is stored, accessed,
sorted in a database will utilize a half hour. Students will locate the information about
various animals and input it into either into PowerPoint style game or SmartBoard game will
require another hour. An hour will be utilized playing the interactive game as a class.
Materials:
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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.

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.
Grouping Strategies:
This lesson will be taught to the class in the computer lab after they have completed their
animal research project and PowerPoint presentation. The students will be introduced to
the database and the form to input the data. They will be assigned to individually input
their information. Students will be assigned locate another students’ animals information
using only the database. They will be assigned to input question and answer set about the
animals into an interactive game. They will play the interactive game as a class, possibly as
a group competing. This interactive game can be shared or played against another fourth
grade class. If the teacher prefers students could work in groups on this project. I
completed a sample one to demonstrate using only the information from the sample records
in the database.
Learning Activities:
Session One- approx. one hour
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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.
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.
Our school library system is another database that stores all the books, teachers and
students. It keeps track of what books students check out.
People relay on databases every day.
The students will be introduced to the animal database and the form to input the
data.
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.
Emphasize the concept of GIGO- garbage in, garbage out and the importance of
entering in accurate, detailed information.
Session Two- approx. one hour
 A brief presentation will show students how to run predesigned reports
Students will run reports from the switchboard items:
o Students will run “Animals in this Database” report
o Students will run “Scientific Names” report
o 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:
o They will run “Animals with Tails Query”
Students will create their own queries from the switch board button “find animal
facts query”.
o We will run some queries together
o 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.
o 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.
Show them the “Query Reference Guide” located on the database switchboard
A group presentation of query criteria will be demonstrated so students have a
reference.
Some key query items such as *, like, not and equal will be discussed and
students will run queries using those five items.
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
o Each student should create a unique query- teacher should go around the
room and check their queries
o
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Session Three – approx. one hour
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A class discussion of queries will be reviewed with them.
Students will run the “Query Reference Guide report as a reference.
Some key query items such as *, like, not and equal will be reviewed
o Students will run a query using one of those five items
The field and animal characteristic can be student generated from the class
discussion
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?
They will be assigned to locate information about a different animal using only the
database to locate information from.
They will be instructed to run various queries and reports
o Predesigned reports include scientific names, biomes, interesting facts
o They should create their own queries from the “Find Animals Fact Query”
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?”
Session Four- approx. one hour
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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.
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.
Diversity: This project contains several different steps to complete, directions are clearly
defined and assistance will be available to students who need it. Teacher aides and
technology assistants will be in the computer lab to help students with the project.
Advanced students will be encouraged to help their classmates. Sharing of resources is
permitted and bonus points will be added for those that do it. Students of all learning
abilities will be able to successfully complete this activity; some may require assistance or
additional time and most will be able to achieve it independently. Accommodations will be
made were they are needed.
Assessment:
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
http://animals.about.com/cs/mammals/p/polarbear.htm
Indian Child- Elephant Facts, Elephant Trivia
http://www.indianchild.com/elephants1.htm
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
San Diego Zoo- Animal bytes- Giant Panda
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-giant_panda.html
The Bear Planet- Panda Bear
http://www.bearplanet.org/pandabear.shtml
National Geographic
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale.html
Sea World – info books- Killer Whale
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/KillerWhale/home.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
Berkeley Education- Internet Search Engines
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/SearchEngines.html
PowerPoint Games Templates
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
To include
records that…
Use this
criterion
Query Results
Exactly match a
value, such as
China
"China"
Returns records where the CountryRegion field is set to China.
Do not match a
value, such as
Mexico
Not
"Mexico"
Returns records where the CountryRegion field is set to a country/region other than
Mexico.
Begin with the
specified string,
such as U
Like U*
Returns records for all countries/regions whose names start with "U", such as UK,
USA, and so on.
Note When used in an expression, the asterisk (*) represents any string of
characters — it is also called a wildcard character. For a list of such characters, see the
article Access wildcard character reference.
Contain the
specified string,
such as Korea
Like
"*Korea*"
Returns records for all countries/regions that contain the string "Korea".
End with the
specified string,
such as "ina"
Like "*ina"
Returns records for all countries/regions whose names end in "ina", such as China and
Argentina.
Contain null (or
missing) values
Is Null
Returns records where there is no value in the field.
Match one of two
values, such as
USA or UK
"USA" Or
"UK"
Returns records for USA and UK.
Match a specific
pattern
Like "Chi??" Returns records for countries/regions, such as China and Chile, whose names are five
characters long and the first three characters are "Chi".
Note The characters ? and _, when used in an expression, represent a single
character — these are also called wildcard characters. The character _ cannot be used
in the same expression with the ? character, nor can it be used in an expression with
the
*Taken from Microsoft Help
This is located in the Animal Database as a switchboard item and as a report called
QueryReference