AGRI (CDAE) 85 COMPUTER APPLICATIONS Lab 6

LAB 6: IMPORTING SPREADSHEET TABLES AND GRAPHS INTO A WORD PROCESSOR:

DISCLAIMER:  The Lab Notebook is meant as a quick summary of assignments.  It is not meant to be a complete users manual, or recipe book that tells you the commands you use to complete the assignments.  You need to come to lab and take notes to be able to complete the assignments.

In this lab you will learn how to take a Excel document and graph, and import them into a Word Document. This week we are using Excel as a graphing tool for analyzing data. We will also us PowerPoint to create a cover sheet.

First, for the spreadsheet table. Create your spreadsheet and graph in Excel. With your mouse, block out the part (or all) of the spreadsheet that you want to be a table. Next, pull down the Edit menu and choose Copy.

Open Word and put the cursor where you would like to table to appear. Then either click on the clip-board/paste button, or pull down Edit and choose Paste, and the table should appear in the Word document.

Use the same procedure for copying the graph: Click on the graph so there are small black boxes around the graph. Then choose copy, switch to Word, place your cursor, and choose Paste.

Hints: You must format the graph just the way you want it in Excel first. Have the graph be about the size on the screen that you want it on paper (don?t make it too big). Save your files often as you do this so if things screw up you don?t have to start at the very beginning again. Once the graph is in Word, you may move it around, but you may not easily change the inside of it (like headings, colors, fonts etc.).

MAKING TITLE PAGES WITH POWERPOINT

MS-Powerpoint is an easy to use clip art graphics package where you can make title sheets, cover sheets, small posters, and slide shows. To get into Powerpoint, double click on it from the Start-->Programs menu in Windows. Choose Blank Presentation first, then choose the slide-type. To add a background, pull down the Format menu, and choose Apply Design. To Add clip art, click on the button of the picture of a cartoon-man's profile, or pull down the Tools menu and choose Auto- ClipArt. If you are connected to a color printer, you can print your PowerPoint slides in color. Otherwise they will be black, white and gray-shaded. If there is time in lab, your instructor will demonstrate a slide show presentation.

Assignment:

Create a new spreadsheet and graph with interesting numerical data that you find (do not copy an existing graph). You can find these data in books, journals, magazines, on the Internet, or collect them yourself. Your goal should be to answer a question you had, and to present data to answer that question. Your presentation of the data and graph should reflect some analysis that you have completed. Import the spreadsheet and graph into a word processor. Write a summary of at least 2 paragraphs summarizing what the graph shows, why it is interesting, any trends or surprises, and where you found these data (complete citation somewhere on the graph). The data table and the graph should each be titled and fully labeled including the source of the data, so that each stands alone. Use a Graphics program like PowerPoint or Lotus Freelance to create a title page. The title page should have a clear title, your name, lab section, and clip-art that has something to do with the subject of your data and graph. Print the title page in Portrait orientation. Your assignment should be stapled and arranged with the title page first, and then the spreadsheet table, the graph, and at least part of the discussion (if not all) on the next page in a seamless document. Photocopy or print the original data and include it as the last page. Remember in your discussion, the "data" are plural. Include a complete description of where you found the data. This data source should appear on the Table, the Graph, and in the Discussion. (30 points).

The following URL is a good source for data on the web:  http://www.uvm.edu/~jleonard/cdae85/data.html

Your second page should look something like this:
 
 

World Human Population Estimates
DATA SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 1996, www.census.gov
Year Population in Billions
1950 2.555
1955 2.779
1960 3.038
1965 3.345
1970 3.704
1975 4.086
1980 4.457
1985 4.856
1990 5.295
1995 5.732

Your discussion of the graph should start here.  Be sure that the table and the graph stand alone, that they both contain the source of data, and are fully labeled.  In your discussion talk about what kind of graph it is, what the graph shows, and interesting trends.  In other words, interpret the graph and explain why it is interesting.  Include a complete reference citation to where you found your data here also.  For example, I found these data on the United States Census Bureau's Web page http://www.census.gov.

Your discussion should be two paragraphs long at the very least.

 Return to Lab Notebook Table of Contents