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Computing · Stage 4

Branching Database

Coding & Systems · data — sort a group of things by asking yes/no questions, where each answer splits the group until one thing is left

✦ Computing📘 Stage 4 · S4⏱ ~10 min🧒 Ages 8–9★ Free to start
I can sort things with yes/no questions.
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Kavi the owl for Computing
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Kavi Guesses the Animal

Kavi had four animal cards spread on the table: a bird, a bee, a fish and a cat. "I bet I can find YOUR card by asking only yes/no questions," Kavi hooted. "Does it have wings?" Yes. Kavi pushed the no-wing cards away — half the group was gone! "Can it sing a tune?" No. Only one card was left: the bee. "Each question splits the group in two," Kavi grinned, "so a few good yes/no questions sort things fast. That is a branching database."

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What your child will learn

1How a branching database is builtA branching database sorts things by asking yes/no questions. Every question has two branches — a Yes way and a No way. You follow a branch to the next question, and keep going until you reach one thing at the end. Tap each part to hear its job.
2One yes/no question splits the groupA good yes/no question cuts the whole group into two smaller groups. Ask "Does it fly?" and drop each thing into the Yes box or the No box.
3Where does the fish end up?Follow the yes/no questions one at a time to sort a fish. First: Does it have wings? A fish has none → No. Next on the No branch: Does it live in water? A fish does → Yes. Predict where the fish is sorted, then reveal.
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A peek inside

Kavi asks one question to split these: cat, bird, bee, dog. The question is "Does it have wings?" Which go in the Yes group?
a bird and a bee have wings; a cat and a dog do not

Try this at home: A tool that sorts things by asking yes/no questions is called a ____.

Ready to play and learn?

Start the free interactive lesson, or print the handout for screen-free play.

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Part of Computing · Stage 4 · S4 on KAVI Academy — a secular, whole-child learning platform for ages 5–12.