Branching databases in Y3!

This term in computing, we have been learning about something called a branching database. It might sound complicated, but we discovered it is actually a bit like playing a guessing game!

To begin with, we practised asking yes or no questions. These questions help us sort things into groups. For example, we might ask: Does it have glasses? or Does it have wings? Depending on the answer, we move down a different path — just like following branches on a tree.

We started by looking at different attributes and characteristics of people and some very funny cartoon dinosaurs. We had to think carefully about what made each one different. Did the dinosaur have horns? Was it tall? Did the person have a hat? These details helped us decide what questions we could ask.

One of our favourite activities was playing Guess Who. This game helped us practise choosing the best yes/no questions to quickly narrow down the possibilities. We learned that good questions help you eliminate lots of options at once!

After lots of practice, we began thinking about how computers use these questions to identify an object or person step by step. Each answer leads you down a different branch until you reach the final answer.

We are becoming experts at thinking like computers — asking clear questions, spotting important features, and organising information carefully.

Who knew computing could feel so much like solving a mystery?