1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
With your teacher, open your word processor now (Word Online or Google Docs). Glance at the top strip, the page area (your draft or a blank page) and the bottom of the window. Today's job is to name six regions of that screen so those tools stop feeling random.
If you already have {{code:03_proposal_draft}} in your Project Portfolio, open it from {{code:03_documents}}. If you do not, a blank document in {{code:03_documents}} is fine for the whole tour.
Learning this map once means that next time you format a Work Experience reflection or a Key Assignment report, you already know where bold, Insert and word count live.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Identify ribbon or toolbar tabs, groups and common commands in Word and Docs
- Locate the insertion point, selection tools, scrolling and the status bar
- Explain where you are in a document and what the main UI regions do
- Label six regions of the word processor and describe each in one line
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
Your goal artifact is a short labelled map of the screen. Study this finished {{code:03_ribbon_tour}} example first. Your labels should be this clear and this short.
| Region | One-line description |
|---|---|
| 1. Title / document name | Shows the file name so I know I am in {{code:03_proposal_draft}}, not a blank untitled file |
| 2. Ribbon tabs or menu bar | Switches between sets of tools (Home/Insert or File/Edit/Insert) |
| 3. Formatting toolbar or Home group | Quick buttons for bold, italic, font and alignment |
| 4. Document canvas (page area) | The white page area where my proposal text lives |
| 5. Insertion point | The blinking line that marks where my next typed word will go |
| 6. Status bar or word count | Shows page position and length (bottom bar in Word Online, or {{menu:Tools -> Word count}} in Google Docs) |
These six names work in both Word Online and Google Docs. Learn them once and every later formatting lesson gets easier.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~17 mins
Follow the guided tour for your word processor. First you will open {{code:03_proposal_draft}} (or a blank practice page) and point out each main region, then practise selecting text. After that your teacher shows one screenshot-and-paste. You mirror once into a new {{code:03_ribbon_tour}} file so you are ready to label in Independent Practice.
Screenshot tip: capture is a teacher-modelled skill today. Watch one full example on the projector, then copy what you saw. Shortcuts are listed if you need them. If capture is blocked, a six-row table counts as full success in Independent Practice.
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I cannot find the ribbon or the toolbar looks empty | In Word Online, click the tab name (for example {{btn:Home}}) or look for a small arrow that expands the ribbon. In Google Docs, make sure you are not in a full-screen or pageless view that hides controls: open {{menu:View}} and turn on Print layout if the page looks odd or controls seem missing. |
| Bold or another button does nothing | Select the text first (double-click a word or drag across a phrase), then click the button or use {{kbd:Ctrl+B}} / {{kbd:Cmd+B}}. If still nothing changes, click once inside the document so the window has focus, then try again. |
| I scrolled and now I am typing in the wrong place | Scrolling only changes your view. Click where you want the insertion point, check the blinking cursor is there, then type. |
| My screen does not match the screenshots exactly | School accounts and browser widths differ. Match the names of tabs, menus and buttons rather than pixel-perfect layout. If a tab is missing, widen the browser window. |
| Screenshot paste went into the wrong file or nothing pasted | Click the {{code:03_ribbon_tour}} tab first so that document has focus, click on the page, then paste again with {{kbd:Ctrl+V}} or {{kbd:Cmd+V}}. On Mac use {{kbd:Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4}} so the snip copies to the clipboard. On Chromebook choose Copy on the capture preview before you paste. Keep {{code:03_proposal_draft}} open in another tab for reference only. |
5 - Independent Practice ~20 mins
Independent Practice
If the tour already left you with {{code:03_ribbon_tour}} open and an image or table ready, jump straight to writing the six one-line labels. Complete these steps in order:
- Only if missing: Confirm {{code:03_ribbon_tour}} is saved inside {{code:03_documents}} in your Project Portfolio. Create and rename it there now if you still need to. In Word Online open {{code:onedrive.com}}, go to Project Portfolio, open {{code:03_documents}}, click {{btn:New}}, choose {{btn:Word document}}, and name it {{code:03_ribbon_tour}}. In Google Docs open {{code:drive.google.com}} and follow the same folder path, then click {{btn:New}}, choose {{btn:Google Docs}}, and name it {{code:03_ribbon_tour}}.
- Image path (if you have a screenshot ready or can capture): Keep {{code:03_proposal_draft}} (or your practice page) open in another tab. Capture that word-processor window the way your teacher showed, switch to {{code:03_ribbon_tour}}, and paste. Table-only path (if {{code:03_ribbon_tour}} is empty or screenshots are blocked): Skip the image. Insert a clean six-row table and describe each region from the live window instead. That path fully meets the success criteria.
- Under the image (or inside your table), add a numbered list of these six regions using the same titles as the worked example: (1) Title / document name, (2) Ribbon tabs or menu bar, (3) Formatting toolbar or Home group, (4) Document canvas (page area), (5) Insertion point, (6) Status bar or word count.
- Write one plain sentence for each region saying what it does. Someone else should be able to find those regions from your labels alone.
- {{code:03_ribbon_tour}} is saved inside {{code:03_documents}} in your Project Portfolio.
- The document includes one clear screenshot of your word processor UI, or a clean six-row table describing each region from the live window if screenshots are blocked.
- Six regions are labelled with a one-line description each, using the worked-example titles: Title / document name; Ribbon tabs or menu bar; Formatting toolbar or Home group; Document canvas (page area); Insertion point; Status bar or word count.
- Someone else could use your labels to find those regions without extra help.
Screenshot shortcuts (same idea as the guided tour). Use them only if you need a reminder after your teacher's model.
- Windows: Press {{kbd:Windows+Shift+S}}. Drag over the word processor window. Click into {{code:03_ribbon_tour}}. Paste with {{kbd:Ctrl+V}}.
- Mac: Press {{kbd:Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4}} so the snip copies to the clipboard. Drag over the window. Click into {{code:03_ribbon_tour}}. Paste with {{kbd:Cmd+V}}. If a file saved to the Desktop instead, drag that file onto the {{code:03_ribbon_tour}} page.
- Chromebook: Press {{kbd:Ctrl+Shift+Show windows}} (the key above 6 that looks like a rectangle with two lines) to open Screen Capture. Choose Partial if asked. Drag over the window. When the preview or notification appears, choose Copy if shown. Click into {{code:03_ribbon_tour}}. Paste with {{kbd:Ctrl+V}}.
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