The end of the year is coming up quick and the students are very antsy. I decided to nix some of the typing practice we are doing and do a quick intro on Excel.
You will need a fun sized pack of Skittles (or M&Ms) for each student. Because of allergies, I use Skittles. The dollar store sells six packs for a buck.
I do a quick intro of Excel. I explain the cell address, how to add borders, change fonts and fill the cells. I also show them how to resize rows and columns. I show where they can find graphs and charts and show them some of the very cool formulas you can write. Then I pass out this sheet. (click link for printable page)
It's a very condensed version of the four weeks of Skittles I used to do. This introduces the students to a spreadsheet and how to create one, then it sets them loose to explore the program. I was so surprised at how many students figured out how to add a pie chart showing the percentage of colors they got. I even had a handful that managed to write a formula to add all the Skittles together.
Next week we're back to typing but I may touch back on the Skittles again before the end of the year.
