Spreadsheet Lesson Plans

Students explore spreadsheet data and interpretation.  For this cross curriculum ecology and technology lesson, students create spreadsheets depicting the location and number of groundhog dens in a local park.  Students analyze data about where the groundhog population is most prevalent, and prepare questions for a debate concerning preserving or euthanizing the local groundhogs.

Students use a spreadsheet to solve gas law problems. In this gas laws lesson plan, students use the Express Calc program to load a spreadsheet for the gas law problems. Students compute volume, temperature, or pressure according to the existing conditions in each problem.

Fourth graders examine the process of collecting data and inputting it into a spreadsheet using candy for the data. They make graphs from the spreadsheet data while working in groups and then, compare it in a whole group setting.

Students manage a budget.  In this managing a budget lesson plan, students are given a list of items they need to buy given a budget.  Students must buy 100 items from a list of 8 different items and stay under a budget of $8000.  Students use a spreadsheet on their Ti-Nspire to explore functions within spreadsheets.

Students identify spreadsheet terms, create a spreadsheet about nutritional contents of foods, and add the columns of the spreadsheet.

Young scholars explore the process of reconciling a bank statement.  In this Consumer Math lesson, students transfer paper and pencil information to a spreadsheet application to reconcile a bank statement. 

Students practice using both text and numerical valued columns in a spreadsheet. They design a birthday or holiday wishlist with the spreadsheet program after looking through catalogues and newspaper advertisements. They complete the spreadsheet and use autosum.

Students use Excel spreadsheets to organize purchases, discounts, sales prices, and sales tax. Students follow step by step instructions and enter formulas as well as use the auto sum feature to calculate required calculations.

Students prepare and develop charts and graphs with spreadsheets in preparation for a science fair project. They discuss how to generate and interpret graphs, observe how to enter information into a spreadsheet, and manipulate current data sets to observe how a graph changes.

Third graders explore mathematics by utilizing computers. In this graphing lesson, 3rd graders gather class data based on a particular topic such as the "favorite candy" of the class. Students utilize this information and computers to create spreadsheets on Excel and bar graphs, line graphs and pie charts.