Living things database

To carry out this lesson you will need access to a computer and the Living things database. Your teachers should have supplied this database on a CD. There are different files depending on whether you are using a Mac or a PC.

The overall picture

In the unit, you have classified living things into many different groups. Here is a map to help you get an overall look at how everything fits together. This map (or key) shows you how scientists classify living things.

Overall view of classification

It is a useful tool to use a database to classify a group of organisms.

Using a database

A database is a way of organising information. The most useful feature of a database is the ability to search for information using different criteria. For example, if you had a database made up of all your favourite songs and you entered information on the following topics (fields):

Name of song, name of album, band and year,

You could search for the songs of a particular band and then search for all the songs on their latest album. The database will search the files using the two fields and quickly give you the names of the song you are interested in.

Some terms that you will need to know when using a database are:

Field / Store, calculate, and display the data you have entered into a record. Field values can be text, numbers, dates times, pictures, sounds, movies
Record / When you enter data into the database you add a new record
List view / All records visible
Form view / Only one record visible

Living things database

The Living things database gives you the opportunity to use different criteria to group organisms. The picture following is a form view of a record in the Living things database.

The individual fields in this database are: Name, Phylum, Class, Description, Picture.

/ Activity: Living things database
See if you can find the individual fields in the diagram.

Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.

/ Check your response by going to the suggested answers section.

There are also four buttons on the right hand side. Each of these buttons has been given a function. They are:

/ Find gives you a blank record. Type into the Description field the type of organism you are searching for eg. carnivore, mammal.
/ This button gives you all of the records present, in this case there are 41 records.
/ This button allows you to make your own record.
/ This allows you to sort so that the records appear in a particular order, such as based on Phylum.
Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.
/ Use a computer to access the Living things database.
If you do not have access to a computer, you will not be able to do this lesson

Opening the database

Open the database on the CD supplied. Choose either the Mac Version or PC Version folder. And click on the Start here file. Thiswill open the database. Now save the file to your desktop by going to File and then Save a copy. This will allow you to make changes to the database and create new records.

/ Have a look at the database by flipping through the records on the left hand side. You can flip forwards by clicking the bottom part of the icon and backwards by clicking the top page.
In this database there are 41 records.
Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.

Searching in the database

Now carry out a search by pushing the Find button and entering the term mammal into the Description field.

Screen shot of find a mammal.

Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.

/ Then push the find button on the left hand side.
Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation

Screen shot of the results of a search for finding mammals.

Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.

You can see from the left hand side of this screen that there are seven mammals found in the database. Flip through these now and look at the mammals.

Making a new record

You can make a new record card by pushing the New button.

Screen shot of the new record card.

Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.

Now type in the fields the following information

Name / Earthworm
Phylum / Annelida
Class / Oligochaeta
Description / Animal
consumer, omnivore, decomposer, invertebrate, segmented worm

You have been given some pictures to use in a file called Pictures on the CD Living things. To insert a picture of the earthworm go to the top menu in the database and select Insert and then picture from the drop down menu.

Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.

Then browse to the Pictures folder on the CD and choose the file earthworm.jpg.

Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.

Congratulations, you have just made a new record!

Now you will have an opportunity to make your own records and use the database.

Preparing for the Exercise

In this exercise you will need to have the database Living things open at the same time you answer the questions.

/ Go to the exercises section and complete Exercise– Using a database.

What did you achieve?

Tick what you can do.

/ access a database
/ search fields in a database
/ create a new record in a database.

Suggested answers

Check your responses against these suggested answers.

Living things database

Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.


BLANK PAGE

To remove: delete the text and paragraphs on this page and the page break on the previous page.

Exercise

Living things Name

Teacher

Exercise: Using a database

Below is a screen shot of a new record in the Living things database.

Source Screenshot of FileMaker Pro used by permission from Claris Corporation.

1 Create that record in your copy of the database and then print a copy of it for your teacher.

2 Use the database to find the following groups of animals.

a Name two members of the phylum Cnidaria.

b List the producers in the database.

c List the carnivores in the database.

Lesson 19/20 More about classifying plants 11