ABSTRACT
Having some experience of databases will speed up the familiarisation process. If readers are uncertain as to the children's past experiences with databases, they could spend more time in the first activity reinforcing the key features of a database. Some (but not all) educational database and spreadsheet programs enable the children to compare two sets of data in a scattergraph (or scattergram). Readers should check to ensure this feature is provided on their program. A key learning objective for this Project is that children should be able to decide which form of analysis is the most appropriate to answer a particular question. The organisation of the ICT programme of study statements for ‘Finding things out’ implies an enquiry-led approach – deciding what data need to be gathered, gathering (or finding) them, manipulating the data and interpreting them and deciding whether they provide the information required.
