While functions and relations are important concepts in the teaching of mathematics, research suggests that many students lack an understanding and appreciation of these concepts. The present paper discusses an approach for teaching functions and relations that draws on the use of illustrations from database management. This approach has the advantage of allowing students to undertake projects which will increase their research skills and provides students with an opportunity to become involved in current, up-to-date technology. The paper focuses attention on the relational database model, which is based on ideas inherent in sets, relations, and functions. The paper shows how the abstract mathematical concepts of Cartesian product, relation, function, domain, range, union, intersection, difference, projection, and transitivity enter into this model. A number of concrete examples from database management that can be used in classroom teaching and which can easily be modified to fall within the individual student's repertoire of experience include: career information obtained from The Occupational Outlook Handbook, a beauty salon appointment schedule, missing persons files obtained from the FBI, blood bank information obtained from the Red Cross, and a database in a school counselor's office. (Author/AA)