CS 100 Spreadsheets

Unit 1: Introducing the Spreadsheet

Objectives

At the end of this unit you will be able to:

• Identify the basic features of Microsoft Excel.
• Create a simple spreadsheet with text, numbers and formulas.

Lecture

Introducing the Spreadsheet

Skills

The skills covered here are are superset of the skills covered on pages EX-1 through EX-74 in Toliver and Johnson (Overview, Project 1, and Project 2).

• Lesson 1: Creating and Saving a Spreadsheet
• How do you start Microsoft Excel?
• How do you manage toolbars?
• How do you get help from the Office Assistant? (common)
• How do you get help from the Help menu? (common)
• How do you create a new workbook or open an old one?
• How do you navigate around a workbook and worksheet?
• How do you save a workbook?
• How do you preview and print a worksheet?
• How do you close a workbook?
• Lesson 2: Entering Data
• How do you plan a simple spreadsheet?
• How do you enter data (text, numbers, and formulas) into a worksheet?
• How do you correct or edit data in a cell?
• How do you select multiple worksheets?
• How do you enter data on multiple worksheets?
• How do you use formulas and functions to perform calculations?
• Lesson 3: Editing Data
• How do you search for a particular cell or label?
• How do select or highlight a range of cells?
• How do you deselect a range of cells?
• How do you copy, move, or erase data?
• How do you add comments?
• How do you use the Spell checker?

You can, of course, complete the lessons in any order.

Concepts

An understanding of certain concepts is necessary to succeed in the lessons. The following concepts are defined where applicable in the lesson text. You may also click on any concept listed here to see it defined.

1. What is a spreadsheet?
2. When should I use a spreadsheet?
3. What is the difference between a worksheet and a workbook?
4. To remove the content of a cell you can use the Cut, Delete, or Clear command. What are the differences between these three commands?
5. How does a spreadsheet compare to a calculator?
6. How does a spreadsheet compare to a database?
7. What are the different Excel 97 Screen elements?
8. What is a worksheet cell?
9. How do you reference worksheet cells?
10. What is a row or column of a worksheet?
11. Why does one cell have a heavy black border?
12. How is using the arrow keys different from using the Enter and Tab keys for moving around the spreadsheet?
13. What do the Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys do?
14. Why does the cursor keep changing?
15. What is "data"?
16. What are the  buttons that show up when I type?
17. How is pressing the Enter key different from pressing the Tab key?
18. What are formulas?
19. How does the computer figure out which calculation to do first?
20. What are the most common ways that a formula can be flawed?
21. Why does the cell not show my formula?
22. Why does the cell fill up with "#######" sometimes?
23. Why does the spreadsheet keep messing up my formulas when I click on a new cell?
24. What is a range of cells?
25. Why does clicking on a column letter or row number turn the column or row black?
26. What are the most useful number formats?
27. Why does the computer sometimes cut the end off my text labels?

Self-Check

Do you know the difference between a workbook and a worksheet? The following self-check will test your understanding of this and other concepts:

• SS Self-Check #1

Assignments

You must complete the following assignment associated with the lessons above to receive credit for this unit:

Spreadsheet Assignment 1

Copyright 1997 by the Curators of the University of Missouri