Beginner
30 mins
Teacher/Student led
+30 XP
What you need:
Chromebook/Laptop/PC

Applying Basic Excel Formulas

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    1 - Setting the Stage

    Welcome back, data explorer!

    Remember when we compared Excel formulas to magical spells? Well, today we're going to dive deeper into that enchanted world. We'll learn how to apply some basic spells (formulas) to make our data dance and sing!

    2 - But Wait, is Excel Useful for Me?

    Excel can be an incredibly useful tool for children in school, not only for academic purposes but also for developing essential life skills. Here's how:

    Organisation and Time Management:
    Homework and Assignment Tracker: Children can use Excel to create a timetable or a calendar to track when assignments are due, ensuring they never miss a deadline.

    Study Schedule:
    Before exams, students can outline what subjects or topics they need to study each day, helping them manage their time effectively. That would be handy, let's make that next!

    Maths and Science Projects:
    Data Collection and Analysis: For science experiments or maths projects, students can input data into Excel and use formulas to calculate averages, percentages, and other statistics.

    Graphs and Charts:
    Visualising data can make it easier to understand. Whether it's a science experiment result or a maths problem, turning numbers into charts can be both fun and educational.

    Budgeting and Finance:
    School Trip Budgeting: If there's a school trip or event, students can use Excel to budget their money, tracking expenses and savings.
    Fundraising: If they're involved in a school fundraiser, they can track donations and expenses.

    Skill Development:
    Problem Solving: Working with Excel, especially when creating formulas or troubleshooting, can enhance problem-solving skills.
    Attention to Detail: Ensuring data is entered correctly and formulas are accurate can improve a child's attention to detail.
    Preparation for the Future:

    Digital Literacy:
    In today's digital age, being proficient with tools like Excel is a valuable skill. It's likely they'll use such software in higher education and future jobs.

    Creativity:
    Customisation: Excel allows for a lot of customisation. Students can play with colours, designs, and more, allowing them to express their creativity.

    3 - Creating Your School Timetable in Excel:

    Open Excel:
    Click on the Excel icon on your computer to open it.
    Once open, click on "Blank Workbook."

    Set Up Your Table Headers:
    In the first row, starting from cell A1, type the days of the week:
            A1: Monday
            B1: Tuesday
            C1: Wednesday
            D1: Thursday
            E1: Friday

    List Your Subjects:
    In column A, starting from cell A2, list the subjects you have as per the Irish curriculum. For example:
            A2: Gaeilge
            A3: English
            A4: Maths
            A5: History
            A6: Geography
            A7: Science
            A8: Physical Education
            A9: Music
            A10: Art
            A11: Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE)
            (And any other subjects you might have.)

    4 - Fill in Your Timetable

    Now, for each day of the week (columns B to E), fill in the subjects you have on that day. For example, if you have English first on Monday, you'd type "English" in cell B2.

    Add Times:
    If you want to be even more organised, you can add another column before Monday (so everything shifts one column to the right) where you list the times of your classes.

    Make It Colourful:
    Highlight the subjects and days of the week.
    Click on the little paint bucket icon at the top (in the Ribbon) and choose a colour you like. This will fill the cells with that colour.
    You can give different subjects different colours if you want!

    Adjust the Cell Sizes:
    If some of your subjects' names are too long and are getting cut off, you can adjust the cell sizes. Hover your mouse between two column letters (like A and B) until it turns into a double-sided arrow. Then, click and drag to adjust the column width.

    Save Your Timetable:
    Click on the "File" tab in the top left corner.
    Select "Save As" and choose a location on your computer.
    Name your file something like "My School Timetable" and click "Save."
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