LESSON 1: Getting Started with Excel

Today's 15-Minute Lesson: Excel Interface Basics

Excel might look intimidating at first, but think of it as a digital version of the grade books and planning sheets you already use. Let's get familiar with your new workspace.

What You'll Learn Today:

• How to open Excel and understand the main screen

• Navigate between cells and worksheets

• Understand rows, columns, and cells

• Use the ribbon menu system

Key Terms for Teachers:

• Cell: Like a single box on your paper grade sheet (e.g., A1, B2)

• Row: Horizontal lines (numbered 1, 2, 3...) - perfect for individual students

• Column: Vertical lines (lettered A, B, C...) - ideal for different subjects or categories

• Worksheet: One complete sheet - think of it as one subject's grade book

• Workbook: The entire file containing multiple worksheets

Today's Practice Task (5 minutes):

1. Open Excel on your computer

2. Click on different cells and notice how the cell reference changes (A1, B3, etc.)

3. Try typing your name in cell A1

4. Press Enter and see how Excel moves to the next cell

5. Click on the "Sheet1" tab at the bottom - this is where you can add more subjects later

Teacher Tip:

Just like organizing your classroom, Excel works best when you have a system. Rows for students, columns for assignments - it's that simple!

What's Coming Tomorrow:

We'll create your first real teacher spreadsheet - a simple class list that you can actually use in your classroom.