A Guide to SQL, Ninth Edition Instructor’s Manual Page 1–1
Chapter 1
Introduction to TAL Distributors, Colonial Adventure
Tours, and Solmaris Condominium Group
At a Glance
Instructor’s Manual Table of Contents
• Overview
• Objectives
• Teaching Tips
• Quick Quizzes
• Class Discussion Topics
• Additional Projects
• Additional Resources
• Key Terms
A Guide to SQL, Ninth Edition Instructor’s Manual Page 1–2
Lecture Notes
Overview
In this chapter, students examine the requirements of TAL Distributors, a company that
will be used in the examples throughout the text. Students also examine the database
requirements for Colonial Adventure Tours and Solmaris Condominium Group, two
databases featured in the end-of-chapter exercises.
Chapter Objectives
In this chapter, students learn about:
• TAL Distributors, a company whose database is used as the basis for many of the
examples throughout the text
• Colonial Adventure Tours, a company whose database is used as a another case that
runs throughout the text
• Solmaris Condominium Group, a company whose database is used as an additional case
that runs throughout the text
Teaching Tips
What is a Database
1. Define database. A database is a structure that contains different categories of
3. The Colonial Adventure Tours database contains information about categories such as
guides, trips, customers, and reservations.
5. Each database also contains relationships between categories. For example:
a. The TAL Distributors database contains information that relates sales reps to
customers and customers to orders.
b. The Colonial Adventure Tours database contains information that relates
customers to reservations and trips to reservations.
A Guide to SQL, Ninth Edition Instructor’s Manual Page 1–3
Teaching
Tip
Make sure that students understand the types of businesses and categories that
are used to describe the databases. Ask them for corresponding real-life
examples of the sample businesses. For example, what distributors are in your
town? Have they ever been on a guided trip? What apartment complexes and
condominium complexes are nearby?
The TAL Distributors Database
1. TAL Distributors, a distributor of wooden toys, games, and puzzles is a fictitious
2. Figure 1-1 shows a sample order for TAL Distributors. Use the figure to point out that
3. Figure 1-2 lists the five tables that make up the TAL Distributors database. Each table
4. Use Figure 1-2 to explain the relationships in the TAL Distributors database. There is a
one-to-many relationship between the REP table and the CUSTOMER table; that is, one
sales rep can represent many customers. There is a one-to-many relationship between
5. Point out the problems with storing data in the table structure shown in Figure 1-3. This
6. Review the embedded questions and answers in this section with students to make sure
that they understand the TAL Distributors database.
Teaching
Tip
Use Figure 1-1 and ask students to analyze the invoice. From which table does
each piece of data come? (All tables in the TAL Distributors database are used.)
Which entries are calculated from data in the database? (Entries in the Total
column are calculated.)
Use one (or more) of the TAL Distributors exercises on page 18 as an in-class
exercise.
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Quick Quiz 1
1. A(n) ____ is a structure that contains different categories of information and the
relationships between these categories.
2. Why does the TAL Distributors database use the table name ORDERS instead of
The Colonial Adventure Tours Database
1. Describe Colonial Adventure Tours. Colonial Adventure Tours is a small business that
2. Use Figures 1-4 through 1-8 to describe the type of data that Colonial Adventure Tours
3. Use Figures 1-4 through 1-8 to explain the relationships. There is a one-to-many
relationship (one customer can make many reservations) between the CUSTOMER
table and the RESERVATION table. The common field between the two tables is
4. Review the embedded questions and answers in this section with students to make sure
that they understand the Colonial Adventure Tours database.
Teaching
Tip
Use one (or more) of the Colonial Adventure Tours exercises on page 19 as an
in-class exercise.
Quick Quiz 2
1. The _____ table in the Colonial Adventure Tours database relates trips to the guides
who can guide the trip.
2. What is the purpose of the OTHER_FEES column in the RESERVATION table?
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The Solmaris Condominium Group Database
1. Describe Solmaris Condominium Group. The company manages condominiums. The
company also provides a variety of maintenance services.
2. Use Figures 1-9 through 1-13 to describe the types of data that Solmaris needs to
3. Use Figures 1-9 through 1-13 to explain the relationships in the database. There is a
one-to-many relationship between the LOCATION table and the CONDO_UNIT table.
The common field is the LOCATION_NUM field. Because an owner could have more
Teaching
Tip
Use one (or more) of the Solmaris Condominium Group exercises on pages 19
and 20 as an in-class exercise.
Quick Quiz 3
1. In the Solmaris Condominium Group database, owner number _____ owns the condo
with the unit number C02.
2. In the Solmaris Condominium Group database, the corresponding description for the
category_num associated with service_id 2 is _____.
3. In the Solmaris Condominium Group database, the number of the condo unit needing
service with service_id 6 is _____.
Class Discussion Topics
1. Students interact with databases daily but often do not recognize that fact. Ask students
whether they have used Google or another search engine recently. Have students
purchased anything online? Did they use the online library catalog? How have they
interacted with any databases in the previous 24 hours? Write the list on the board to
2. Choose one of the three databases in this chapter. Ask students to provide other data
items that could be included. For example, the OWNER table in the Solmaris
Condominium Group could include telephone number. Then, ask the students how the
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data items should be stored; for example, should phone number include area code? Why
or why not?
Additional Projects
1. Have students bring in an invoice for something that they have purchased recently. Can
they identify which items would be calculated and which items would be stored in the
database?
Additional Resources
1. Concepts of Database Management, Eighth Edition by Philip Pratt and Mary Last
Cengage Learning, 2015.
Key Terms
➢ Database: A structure that contains different categories of information and the
relationships between these categories