Today you will
- use Find to spot a word in your proposal
- use Replace to change a name everywhere at once
- check your word count
Open {{code:03_proposal_draft}} in {{code:03_documents}}. If you don't have it yet, make a new document in {{code:03_documents}} with that name and paste in the text below.
[project] is my Something Real project for LCA. I chose [project] because it matters to me and to people in my area.
Over the next six weeks, [project] will take one clear step each week. By the end, I will show a real reader what [project] achieved.
Warm-up
Have you ever renamed something halfway through writing it? Did every mention get changed?
Find jumps to every place a word or phrase appears in your document.
Replace swaps a word or phrase for another one, either one at a time or all at once.
Word count tells you how many words are in your document.
A placeholder is stand-in text, like {{code:[project]}}, that marks where the real name will go.
Example
A draft says "The goal of [project] is simple." Replace All changes every {{code:[project]}} to BookMyCut barber booking in one go.
You will practise on a short sample first. Follow the steps in the box below. When a step tells you to paste, copy this paragraph exactly, with the square brackets.
This proposal sets out the plan for [project]. The goal of [project] is to give local customers a simple booking option. [project] will run for six weeks in the local area.
Find says 0 matches
Check that you typed the square brackets and that you are in the right document.
Replace changed the wrong words
Press {{kbd:Ctrl+Z}} or {{kbd:Cmd+Z}} to undo. Next time, search for a longer phrase, not a short common word.
The Replace shortcut does nothing
Use the menu instead. It is {{menu:Home -> Editing -> Replace}} in Word or {{menu:Edit -> Find and replace}} in Google Docs.
Independent Practice
- Open {{code:03_proposal_draft}} in {{code:03_documents}}.
- Use Find to search for {{code:[project]}}. If there are 0 matches, search for any nickname you used instead.
- Replace it with your real project name, spelled exactly how you want it.
- Find the old name again and check there are 0 matches.
- At the end of the document, type Word count after replace: and your word count.
If you have no placeholder, replace a repeated phrase like "my idea" with your project name.
- My project name is the same all the way through.
- Find on the old name shows 0 matches.
- My word count line is at the end.
- The file is still in {{code:03_documents}}.
Unlock the full learning experience
You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.
This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.