Beginner

30 mins

Teacher/Student led

Learning Goals

Learning Outcomes

+10 XP

What you need:
Chromebook/Laptop/PC

Introduction to Excel

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1 Introduction to Excel
2 What is Excel?
3 Why Do We Use Excel?
4 The History of Microsoft Excel
5 The Layout of Excel
6 The Ribbon
7 Next up
Quiz

1 - Introduction to Excel

Hello young data wizard!

Today, we're embarking on a magical journey into the world of Excel. Think of Excel as a magical book, filled with grids known as spreadsheets. These spreadsheets help us organise, analyse, and store data. Just like a wizard uses a spellbook, many professionals use Excel to make sense of vast amounts of information.

Imagine Excel as a magical book filled with tiny boxes. These boxes are like little containers where you can store numbers, words, or even magic spells (which we call formulas). When you put things in these boxes and arrange them in rows and columns, you can do some pretty cool things! You can add your numbers together, sort your words, make tables like in a board game, and even draw colorful charts. It's like having a toy box where you can organize and play with your data. Let's dive in and see how to use this magical book!

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2 - What is Excel?

Excel is a software program developed by Microsoft. It's a part of the Microsoft Office suite, which also includes other tools like Word and PowerPoint. But Excel is special. It's designed to work with numbers, and it's used by businesses, schools, and individuals all over the world.

Imagine you have a giant toy box, and inside are different toys: cars, dolls, Legos, and more. If you wanted to organise them, you might sort them into smaller boxes or sections. Excel is like that toy box, but for data. Instead of toys, we have numbers, words, and information that we can organize in different ways.

A Quick Tour of Excel's Toy Chest (The Ribbon):

At the top, you'll see the Ribbon, which is like a toy chest filled with buttons and tools. The Ribbon has different tabs like "Home", "Insert", and "Page Layout". Each tab is like a drawer in the toy chest with specific toys (or tools) inside. In the "Home" tab, you'll find tools to change how your text looks, tools to add or remove columns and rows, and many other fun things!

3 - Why Do We Use Excel?

Why do you think we use excel? Well, first we need to ask what do it do? Simply put Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets allow us to work with numbers in a organised and easy way!

Why Use Excel?

Organise Data: Just like how you might sort your toys or books, Excel helps us sort and organize data. This makes it easier to find and use.

Perform Calculations: Remember when you tried to count all your candies after Halloween? Excel can do that and much more complex math for us.

Visualise Data: Excel can create charts and graphs. It's like drawing a picture of your data to understand it better.

4 - The History of Microsoft Excel

To move foreword we need to know about the past!

Can you imagine that Microsoft excel has been around since the 1980s? In the tech world that is ancient! But what makes excel special is that is has kept advancing. It's like a football player that keeps learning new skills and tricks. Excel can do maths for us and it can also make charts. This process of using data to make graphs is called? That's right, data visualisation!

The Beginning (1980s): Back in the 1980s, the first version of Excel was introduced for Apple computers. It was made to offer an alternative to other programs like Lotus 1-2-3.

Windows Chapter (1987): By 1987, Excel made its way to Windows computers. Interestingly, they named it Excel 2.0, skipping the first number.

Gaining Recognition (1990s): During the 1990s, more individuals began to appreciate Excel. With the release of Windows 95, Excel 95 became quite favoured.

A Fresh Appearance (2007): In 2007, Excel underwent a transformation. It introduced the Ribbon, offering a different way to interact with the program.

Adapting to Modern Times (2010s): As the internet and mobile phones became integral parts of our lives, Excel adapted. They launched an online version and even a mobile app.

Present Day: Today, Excel is a versatile tool. Beyond just numbers, it offers a range of functions that many, from students to professionals, find valuable. And guess what update is recently developed? Coding within Excel! We can now use Python, a powerful computer programming language, to make charts and so much more.

5 - The Layout of Excel

Cells: These are the little boxes where you can type things in. Each cell has an address, like A1 (which means column A, row 1).

Columns: The vertical stacks of cells. Think of them as tall towers with letters on top.

Rows: The horizontal lines of cells. They're like steps in a ladder, with numbers on the side.

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