4 a. Databases

These Computer Merit Badge pages are maintained by Dr. Robert Houghton in the Department of Elementary and Middle Grades Education at the College of Education and Allied Professions, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC.

 There are many ways to solve this problem and many good software applications that enable you to complete this requirement. This work can be done with at least these following programs: Clarisworks for Macintosh or Windows computers from Apple Computer; Appleworks for Apple II series computers; Access from Microsoft for Windows operating systems and Microsoft Works for DOS and Windows operating systems. However the general nature of this work is very similar from one application or set of applications to the next. In other words, if you know how to do it with one application, you are close to being able to do this with another.

How To: Make A Database from the Beginning- an example using Clarisworks

Read this warning on Computing Resources Needed to Play the tutorial movies below.
Once scouters have seen these examples, they will need to modify their work appropriately to meet the needs of this requirement.
 
1. Make a 3 Field Database of Contact Information in which you will enter data in the fields of a record and create a new record.

 
2. Add new fields to the database.

 
3. Change Layouts.

 
4. Sort data in a field.

 
5. Based on what you have learned, create your own database that meets your needs. Once it is completed, practice sorting by rank, by patrol, and alphabetically by name for your meeting with your merit badge counselor.