Word Processing Lesson - Basic Tables: The Fives

 

Goal
To develop computer skills, to develop job search skills.

Objective
Learners will create a simple table using Microsoft Word.

Skills
Using tables for information layout.

Pre-requisite skills
Creating tables; organizing information; fun brainstorming about your life.

Time
About 45 minutes

Related Activities
My Personal Network

Activity

Ask all participants to take out a paper and pencil. Tell them we’ll be doing a quick exercise and to write down whatever pops into their minds first.

Ask them to write down the numbers 1-5, then ask them to complete the following sentence: “If I could go anywhere tomorrow, I’d go to...”

Give only a couple of minutes to finish, since the idea is to get the imagination flowing actively. If people do not finish, let them know they may complete it later on their own.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 four more times, using the following sentences: “My favorite animals are...” “The five people (famous or not) I’d most like to meet are...” “The five jobs I would love to have are...” “My five favorite things to eat are...”

Explain to the students that the easiest way to make a table in MS Word is to use the tables button on the Standard tool bar.

Ask them to make a table of 6 by 6. Explain the difference between columns and rows. There is an extra column, so they can practice deleting a column. Also, they will need to create an additional row for a total of seven: one for the title, which they choose (My Five Favorites, The Fives for example), and one for the headings: Places, Animals, People to Meet, etc. The lesson intentionally starts with less rows so students can learn how to add one.

The last step is to merge the cells for the title’s row at the top, then center the title and make it larger.

The finished table should look something like this: