Mr. Miller's Lesson Plans

This Week's Technology Lab Rotation Schedule

Monday - 
No School
(Ms. Young)

Tuesday -    
Ms. Counts,
Ms. Gilmer
Mr. Achor

Wednesday -
Ms. Lee

Thursday -  
Ms. Deleon,
Ms. Luten, and
Ms. Masopust

Friday -      
Ms. Sexton and
Ms. L. White

Introduction of Unit 2 - World Wildlife: Orange PC with Lesson One.

 Description of the Unit:  In World Wildlife, the second of five units, the children use a database application to identify and locate an animal missing from the World Wildlife Zoo.  They are introduced to basic database functions in the first lesson as they sort a list of zoo animals.  In the lessons that follow, they enter information into new records, and format database tables and forms.  By filtering these accumulated data, they discover why the animal escaped and determine where to locate it.  In the process, the students use their desktop publishing skills to create a MISSING! poster and a newsletter reporting the animal's safe return to the zoo.

  Lesson One ~  In this lesson, the first of the unit, the children will be introduced to basic database skills as they manipulate a list of zoo animals.  They will begin by creating a Venn diagram containing zoo animals with specific environmental needs and then will use the diagram to determine which environment is missing an animal.  Next, they will sort a database table alphabetically to determine which animal fits the environmental criteria.  Finally, once the animal's identity is revealed, the students will complete the diagram.

  Materials ~ 

• Microsoft Publisher 2000

• Microsoft Access 2000

  Opening ~  Introduce students to the idea that in this unit they will assist the World Wildlife Zoo in locating a missing animal by identifying and registering the animal, creating an animal profile, and then locating and returning the animal to the zoo.

Discuss student trips to the zoo.  Which types of animals did they see?  Where did the animals live?  What did the animals do?  Discuss that certain animals have specific environmental needs, such as trees, water, or other animals with which to play.

Explain that students will assist the World Wildlife Zoo in determining which animal is missing.  First, they will complete a diagram indicating which animals live in specific environments and then will use the diagram to determine which environment is missing an animal.  Finally, they will use a database program to determine the animal that lives in the identified environment.

 Steps Covered in the Lesson ~ 

• Introduce the activity

• Launch the Microsoft Publisher 2000 document "DIAGRAM.PUB"

• Discuss the Venn Diagram

• Identify the animals

• Select the animals and where they spend most of their time

• Reposition the animals in the circle to which they belong

• Discuss the intersections of the circles in the Venn Diagram and what they mean

• Identify the environment missing an animal

• Introduce the database activity

• Discuss the database application used in the unit

• Launch the Microsoft Access 2000 document "ANIMAL.MDB"

• Open the Animal Environment Table

• Discuss the information in the table

• Distribute the handout "Guide to Databases"

• Define Field - a column of information in a database table

• Define Field Name - identifies the type of information contained in the field

• Define Record - a row of related information in a database table

• Introduce Form View

• Close the table

• Access Form View

• Compare the Form View to the Database Table View

• Define Form - allows the users to view and enter information in a database one record at a time

• Experiment with the buttons in the form window

• Close the form

• Open the Animal Environment table

• Discuss ways to organize the information

• Define Sort - to arrange the records in alphabetical order

• Sort the table

• Discuss the records

• Determine the missing animal

• Remove the sort and close the table without saving changes

• Close the database and Exit Access

• Go to the background of the desktop publishing page

• Discuss Background vs. Foreground

• Display the Positioning Guides

• Ungroup the rectangle and the graphic

• Layer the rectangle behind the penguin graphic

• Cut the penguin

• Return to the foreground

• Paste the image

• Reposition the penguin

• Apply a line border to the animals

• Save and print the sign

• Exit the program