1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
A multi-page project table still looks unfinished if every page looks the same. Today you give it a cover-style first page (title and your name), then body pages with a page number and date so a reader never gets lost.
You will do this on the table document you already built for your Something Real project.
If you do not have {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v2}}, open the starter file your teacher shares and save it into {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm1}} first.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Create different headers and footers on cover versus body pages
- Insert deliberate page breaks
- Put your project title and name on page 1, and page number plus date on body footers
Warm-up
Your teacher will show a two-page sample on the classroom screen: page 1 with title and name only, page 2 with a page number and date. Notice how the top and bottom bands change after the first page.
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
Three ideas control today's cover-versus-body layout. You will use all of them on your table document.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Different first page — page 1 gets its own header and footer; later pages share another set | The cover should feel like a title board, not a photocopy of the body | Page 1: "Northside Repair Hub: Stock Summary" left and "Alex Murphy" right; page 2 onwards: page number and date only |
| Page break — a deliberate command that forces the next content onto a new page | You choose where the body starts instead of hoping the text wraps neatly | After your main table, a page break starts a clean Notes page |
| Pagination — automatic page numbers (and often a live date) in a header or footer | Printed or PDF copies get shuffled; numbers and dates keep the pack in order | Body footer: plain centred page number, clear day-month-year date on the right (use Tab, right-align, or a borderless table, not the space bar) |
Worked example to aim for
Imagine a two-page table document for a small enterprise stock list:
- First page header: Northside Repair Hub: Stock Summary on the left, Alex Murphy on the right (type the title, then Tab so the name sits on the right)
- First page footer: left blank
- Body page header: left blank
- Body page footer: plain page number in the centre, automatic date on the right (place the date with right-align, Tab, or a borderless table so it stays on the right)
Your Something Real project uses the same pattern with your real title and name.
Later / extension: a section break is a stronger break that can change header rules mid-document (for example a landscape appendix). You do not need one for today's core task.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~20 mins
Follow the steps for your word processor to give a multi-page document a cover-style first page and numbered body pages. Use the sample header text first so you can see the pattern, then you will swap in your own project details in Independent Practice.
Headers feel awkward the first time. If every page suddenly matches, stop typing and check that Different first page is on before you rewrite anything.
Leave this file as v2 for now. In Independent Practice you will put your real project details in and save {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v3}} as your portfolio evidence.
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
If the wrong band updates every page, pause. Check the setting first, then rewrite text. Use this card during the mid-task check and while you finish the guided steps.
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| The same header appears on every page, including the cover | Open the header tools again and turn on Different first page. Then edit the First Page Header separately from the body header. |
| I cannot see any difference because the file is still one page | Insert a deliberate Page break after the main table and add a short Notes line on page 2, then re-check headers. |
| Page numbers also appear on the cover page | With Different first page on, delete the page number from the first page footer only. Leave numbers on the body footer. |
| Title and name both sit on the left in a messy line | Delete the run-on text. Type the title, press Tab (or right-align), then type the name on the right. In Docs, use a borderless 1×2 table only if Tab fails. |
| Page number and date crash together or both sit in the centre | Do not use the space bar after a centred number. Clear the footer, insert a centred page number, then place the date on the right with Tab, right-align, or a borderless footer table. |
| The date looks wrong or will not update | Delete the typed date and insert it again from the Insert menu as an automatic date field, using a day-month-year style that is clear for Irish readers. |
5 - Independent Practice ~20 mins
Independent Practice
- On page 1 only, replace any sample header text with your real project title on the left and your own name on the right. Use Tab (or right-align). In Google Docs, try Tab first; use a borderless two-cell table only if Tab does not move far enough.
- On body pages, keep a plain page number in the centre of the footer and a clear day-month-year date on the right. Place the date with Tab, right-align, or a borderless footer table, not the space bar.
- Open print preview and check page 1 against page 2: cover header on page 1 only; number and date on the body footer.
- Create the finished portfolio version named exactly {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v3}} in the same {{code:sm1}} folder. In Word Online use {{menu:File -> Save as}} (or Save a copy) and set that name. In Google Docs use {{menu:File -> Make a copy}} and set the copy name to {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v3}}. Same base name for everyone; no file extension needed.
- The file is saved as {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v3}} inside your {{code:sm1}} Specialism folder
- Page 1 header shows your real project title on the left and your name on the right, and that cover band does not repeat unchanged on later pages
- Body pages show a plain page number in the centre of the footer and a clear date on the right, visible in print preview
- The document has at least two pages, with any extra page created by a deliberate page break rather than random empty space
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