The teacher shares a Google Doc with a school trip-booking table already in first normal form: StudentID, StudentName, TripID, TripName, TripDate, TeacherID and TeacherName, with StudentID and TripID as the composite key. Each student adds comments to the attributes they think cause a problem, saying whether each is a partial dependency that breaks 2NF or a transitive dependency that breaks 3NF. The teacher opens the plenary on the attributes with conflicting comments, often TeacherName, which depends on TeacherID rather than directly on TripID, and the class agrees the final set of tables. Students finish by replying to one comment on whether the school should keep TeacherName in the trip table anyway to speed up its reports, and BCNF is offered as an extension for anyone who finishes early.
Tools: Google Docs Nine ideas for your own version in Generate
This page is one of a growing set of PICRAT examples by cell, subject and grade. Page maintained by Andy Perryer.