Lesson Plan

• Describe the main limitations of a file‑based data storage approach.
• Explain how DBMS features such as normalization, data independence, concurrency control, and transaction management resolve those limitations.
• Evaluate the role of SQL, security mechanisms, and backup tools in improving data integrity and recoverability.

• Projector and screen
• Whiteboard and markers
• Slide deck summarising file‑based issues and DBMS features
• Handout with comparison table (issues ↔ DBMS features)
• Sample database (e.g., SQLite) for live demonstration
• Student worksheets for guided activities

Begin with a quick scenario: “What happens when a company stores customer records in dozens of separate spreadsheets?” Connect this to students’ prior knowledge of basic data storage and relational concepts. Explain that today’s success criteria are to identify key DBMS features that overcome those file‑based problems.

1. Do‑now (5') – Short quiz on common file‑based drawbacks.
2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Review the list of problems and introduce the concept of a DBMS.
3. Interactive table activity (12') – Using the handout, students match each issue to the corresponding DBMS feature and discuss “how it helps”.
4. Live demonstration (15') – Show a simple SQLite database, run an SQL query, and perform a transaction rollback to illustrate ACID properties.
5. Group design task (10') – Teams create a normalized schema to eliminate redundancy for a sample scenario.
6. Check for understanding (5') – Exit ticket: write one DBMS feature and the specific file‑based issue it resolves.

Recap the key DBMS capabilities discussed and how each directly addresses a file‑based limitation. Collect the exit tickets as a retrieval check and assign a brief homework: students must research one real‑world DBMS tool and note which feature they find most valuable.