This week, we will be talking about our “good friend” Excel!
A Couple of FYIs
1. open the links in a "new window" or it will navigate you away from this site
2. if you are not on an Excel unit right now, you might want to go to the links, print and save in case the authors remove the links or the sites are taken down
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Review/Intro Ideas
I always liked to start Excel with the “Skittles” lesson (some use this one from Microsoft with M&Ms) http://www.microsoft.com/education/candy.mspx just to see how much knowledge the students already have from earlier courses as well as a review of key terms.
I also liked to play “Battleship” where the students mark their spreadsheets with their ships as well as their spreadsheet of hits (“Google” – Spreadsheet Battleship – and a great Word Doc from Missouri will be the first link).
Real World Idea
Instead of a spreadsheet from the book have the students create a personal budget for their future self. http://mconn.doe.state.la.us/lessonplans.php?task=LP_view&lesson_id=6040&dispPage=8
Math Integration Idea
This one makes math integration fun – it is about baseball players’ salaries and variance…the students have to figure out who on the roster is overpaid!
http://mste.illinois.edu/malcz/Spreads/VARIANCE-EXCEL.html
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Excel Lesson Ideas from the Web
Shopping Spree:
http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/techknowpark/FreeFall/ShoppingSpree.html
Halloween Candy:
http://scienceblogs.com/digitalbio/2007/11/digital_biology_friday_the_hal.php
Fast Food Nutrition:
http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/techlp/techlp029.shtml#
**The Wake Forrest Link is incorrect in this lesson plan**
http://www2.wfubmc.edu/Nutrition/Count+Your+Calories/dtd.htm
Water Usage:
http://www.microsoft.com/education/wateruse.mspx
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Please post your Excel ideas this week!
Happy Teaching,
Business Education Georgia
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Students create a spreadsheet calculating the money wasted by smoking. Create the spreadsheet with the option of varying the price, # of packs smoked a week, and years smoked. This is a great way to talk about the dangers of addictions and money management.
ReplyDeleteI like that one because it also ties into healthy behaviors!
ReplyDeleteHere is a list with screen shots of 15 "fun" things you can change up using Excel.
http://chandoo.org/wp/2008/08/01/15-fun-things-with-excel/
Great job on your blog Sarah. I just subscribed to your feed and I look forward to reading your future posts. This post from my blog on changing blogger backgrounds may be of interest to you.
ReplyDeleteAlex, CTAE Instructor
Blog:Fantastic Digital Tools
I like to find an Income Sheet online from a popular company (Aeropostle, Nike, Walmart) and print it. Then, I use a marker to blot out some of the digits in some of the numbers, so they can only see something like $2,XX5. My thoughts: (1) I have considered it silly to ask kids to create an exact copy of any Spreadsheet. They will type in the numbers shown instead of using formulas. (2) I leave some digits visible so that they can check their work. (3) If I were to ask them to input their own personal data, that would eat up over half of the classtime. (4) I only provide some of the formulas they need. I make them figure out the rest based on how the numbers add up on the Income Statement. (5) It is difficult to find a company that is not TOO complicated. I often collapse one or more sections (for ex: they may have 14 categories of expenses - I may use scissors on the printout to just show the total amt.) (6) You can often cut off the part after Net Income, before all the per share stuff starts. (7) The students enjoy working with "real" data from a "real" company. (8) Instead of me grading their work, I tell them to go online and check it themselves!!
ReplyDelete-Steve Strickland, Columbia County, (Augusta) MS BCS
Excel & Bead Art using Froot Loops.
ReplyDeleteYou know those bead art kits where kids use plastic beads and string to create bracelets and keychains? http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Beaded-Lizard Well, my classes made them using Froot Loops! (most made a rectangle banner)
Row Ht = 25 Col W= 2
Do dark borders around a grid that is 6 or 7 columns wide by 10 to 12 rows tall.
Have kids color each square using the Paint Bucket tool - but they can only use colors found in Froot Loops! If you aren't using a color printer, have them add a letter to each square to indicate the color before printing. Give each student 5 feet or so of Balloon Curling ribbon,
COmplete weaving instructions & pattern ideas: http://www.nebraskafolklife.org/handouts/nxh-native-amer-beadwork-2.7.pdf
Here are some way more intricate designs, but they illustrate the concept:
http://www.coyotesgame.com/Beadbar5.html
Love the Blog idea. Will post something interesting soon.
ReplyDelete