1 - Start ~3 mins
You already know how to set up a document with a clear name and real heading styles.
Take a short sample, then your own research log, and make it something a reader can skim in ten seconds.
- Consistent headings and sensible spacing
- An image that sits properly
- Page numbers
- A PDF anyone can open
If you do not have a piece open, use the short sample on the board.
2 - Examine and Discuss ~5 mins
There is a difference between decorating a document and structuring one. Decorating is random bold, coloured fonts, or big text that is not a real heading. Structuring is real heading levels and breathing space so a skimmer can see the shape of the thinking in ten seconds.
Most people skim before they read. Walls of text lose them; clear headings and white space keep them. You will practise that structure on a sample first, then apply it to your own piece and export a PDF so the layout stays put on any device.
3 - Hands-on: Format and Export ~16 mins
Open the sample document your teacher has shared with you (not your own piece yet). It is one unbroken block of text with three sections hidden inside it. You need a school Microsoft account for Word online or a school Google account for Google Docs; both are free through school. Follow the walkthrough on screen. Every step has a labelled Word path and a Google Docs path; use the one that matches your tool and stick with it. By the end of this guided block you should have real heading levels, clearer spacing, and a PDF you have opened to check.
4 - Your Turn ~10 mins
Use your research log or an earlier piece from the course, not the sample, and hit the same standard. If you truly have neither, reformat a fresh copy of the sample and still complete every task.
- Apply real Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles, and fix spacing and margins as in the walkthrough.
- Add or fix one image with text wrap so it sits beside a paragraph rather than splitting a sentence.
Word: Insert → Pictures, then Wrap Text (for example Square). Docs: Insert → Image, then the wrap options below the image, not In line. - Turn on page numbers and check page 2 if you have one.
Word: Insert → Page Number. Docs: Insert → Page numbers. - Export a PDF, open it, and check nothing moved.
- Save both files the class way so they are there next session.
A skimmer can see your sections from the headings alone, the page is not crowded, the image supports the text, page numbers are on, and you have opened your own PDF to prove it survived the export.
5 - Make Sense ~3 mins
Each choice you made has a job:
| What you did | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Real heading styles | Structure a reader can skim. Random bold is only decoration. |
| Spacing and margins | For the reader, not for squeezing more words onto a page. |
| An image with proper wrap | Supports the text instead of fighting it. |
| Page numbers and a PDF | A reader can find a place again, and anyone can open the finished layout. Opening the PDF is the only way to know the export worked. |
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