Computer Skills
Beginner
60 mins
Teacher/Student led
Learning Goals
Learning Outcomes
+90 XP
Pupils work on their own device
What you need:
Chromebook/Laptop/PC or iPad/Tablet

The Numbers: Spreadsheets for Real Decisions

Students turn their project proposal into a working spreadsheet with real formulas. They learn to build budgets, inventories and data summaries that update automatically when numbers change.

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    1 - Introduction ~5 mins

    Illustration for Introduction

    Today you will

    • Build a practice budget for a class trip to Galway.
    • Write formulas that add up the numbers for you.
    • Make a spreadsheet for your own Something Real project. We call this your Numbers Sheet.
    Warm-up

    Think of one question about your project that starts with "how much" or "how many". Write it down now. At the end, you will check it against your spreadsheet.

    👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

    +5 XP

    2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins

    TermWhat it meansExample
    CellOne box in the grid. Its address is its column letter and row number.{{cell:B2}} is column B, row 2. It holds 25, the coach hire cost per person.
    FormulaA calculation you type into a cell. It always starts with =.{{formula:=B2*C2}} in {{cell:D2}} shows 600.
    AutofillCopies a formula down a column. Each row then works out its own answer.Drag {{cell:D2}} down to {{cell:D6}} to get every item's total.
    FunctionA ready-made formula, such as SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN or MAX.{{formula:=SUM(D2:D6)}} adds up the five totals in column D to give the whole trip cost.

    👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

    +10 XP

    3 - Step-by-step Task: Galway Trip Budget ~20 mins

    You will build a budget for a pretend TY trip to Galway. Follow the steps in the box below and tick each one as you go.

    +15 XP

    4 - Common Issues ~3 mins

    If something goes wrong

    • If a cell shows the formula instead of a number, change its format to Number and type the formula again.

      Excel for the web with D2 showing =B2*C2 as text because the cell is formatted as Text. Red boxes mark D2 and the Number format box set to Text.

    • If autofill gives the same number in every row, check that {{cell:D2}} starts with = and drag again.
    • If you see $ or £ instead of €, change the currency. In Excel, open the Number dropdown, choose More Number Formats, choose Currency, then pick € in the Symbol box. In Google Sheets, click {{menu:Format -> Number -> Custom currency}} and choose Euro.
    +10 XP
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