Spreadsheet Application Workshop

Using Microsoft Excel

 

            Spreadsheet applications have many classroom uses.  For you, the busy teacher, electronic spreadsheets keep record-keeping to a minimum of time and energy.  For you, the ever-so-diligent catalyst for knowledge acquisition, spreadsheets can help you help children see connections and visualize abstract concepts.  The purpose of this workshop is to have you experience some of the “fun” on spreadsheet applications.  Again, I have put the methods I used to achieve the attached handout for your information.  Please follow the basic procedures I used to complete the “Class Roster/Grade Sheet” and the graphic analysis.

 

1.                   All spreadsheets are divided into columns and rows:  thus, a cell identified as B15 represents the column designated by “B” and the 15th row on that particular spreadsheet.  The contents of each cell represent variables – either numeric or alphanumeric.  Those variables can either stand alone or be linked through formulas to determine the value in another cell (see 3 below).

 

2.                   The first thing you must do to create this spreadsheet is to give labels to the columns.  Just type the column headings in each column and either press the “enter” key to move under the cell or the “tab or cursor” key to move to the right.

 

3.                   Fill in the cells with information of your choice – I was in my “J” mood today and I just wanted to give you an example of some grades.  Cell H2 will hold a formula to give a weighted average to the grades.  In this case – the three quizzes are 25% of the grade; Test 1 is 20%; Test 2 is 15%; and the Final test is 40%.  The formula for this is: =(Average(B2:D2)*.25)+(E2*.2)+(F2*.15)+(G2*.4)  -- This formula will now be copied down the column by selecting cell H2 and then going to the “file” menu – select copy – hold down the left mouse key and highlight rows H3-8 – go to File menu and select paste.  Notice that all of the weighted averages are now appearing in Column H.  However, some of the averages may look strange because of the number of decimal places.  Go to Format – select “cells” – reduce the decimal places to “0”.  (NOTE:  the easiest way to do this is to include it in the original formula:  =Roundup((Average(B2:D2)*.25)+(E2*.2))+(F2*.15)+(G2*.4),0)

 

4.                   For #4 you will “paste function” – the funny looking “fx” – go to the cell B8 and press the Fx icon – select Average and press return.  Copy this to the rest of the cells and format.

 

5.                   Select the Class Average row and experiment with the chart mechanisms – (the chart icon on top of page).  View these figures in different chart styles.

 

NAME

QUIZ 1

QUIZ 2

QUIZ 3

TEST 1

TEST 2

FINAL TEST

FINAL GRADE

John

95

93

90

80

85

91

88

Jill

78

89

90

96

75

89

87

Jack

69

79

72

84

86

74

78

Jim

89

90

98

87

76

65

78

Jenny

78

89

56

90

99

83

85

Jane

90

99

98

97

96

65

84

Class Avg

83

90

84

89

86

78

83

Min

69

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max

99