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Lesson Plan: Basic Budgeting in Microsoft Excel (45 minutes)

Outcomes: create budget spreadsheet


enter data into a spreadsheet
write basic formulas in Microsoft Excel

Previous Content Covered:
Budgeting vocabulary
Microsoft Excel vocabulary
Entering numbers and text into cells
Using the Autosum icon to calculate totals

Before Class: turn on all computers
project instructors screen onto whiteboard

1:15pm Entering Data into a Spreadsheet
Ask learners to open their binders to their vocabulary sheets. Explain that I am
going to say some instructions and I want them to follow the instructions and
enter information into their spreadsheets. They can talk to a partner if they
would like.

On the whiteboard, show learners how to open Microsoft Excel from the Start
button. Switch projector off.

Read the following instructions aloud, repeating if necessary:

Note: all vocabulary has been used in problem solving in the previous days
lesson.

Click on cell A1. Enter the word incoming. Press the Enter key.
Click on cell A5. Enter the word total. Press the Enter key.
Click on cell A7. Enter the word outgoing. Press the Enter key.
Click on cell A12. Enter the word total. Press the Enter key.
Click on cell B2. Enter the number 600. Press the Enter key.
Click on cell B3. Enter the number 600. Press the Enter key.
Click on cell B4. Enter the number 300. Press the Enter key.

Turn projector on. Circulate classroom as learners check their spreadsheet to the
projected version and make any corrections.
1:30pm Formatting Data in a Spreadsheet
Enter the following data and have learners do the same on their computers:

Click on cell A2. Enter the words Paycheque Sept. 15. Press the Enter key.
Click on cell A3. Enter the words Paycheque Sept. 30. Press the Enter key.
Click on cell A4. Enter the words Funding Sept. Press the Enter key.

Talk about the spreadsheet. Do learners notice anything about the words? Try
to draw out that they dont fit in the cell into which they were typed. Show
learners how to justify the columns by double clicking between the column
indicators at the top of the spreadsheet.

Next, show learners how to select all of column B and then click the $ icon to
change all of the numbers to dollar figures.
1:45pm Clicking Formulas in Microsoft Excel
Tell learners that they are going to learn how to write a formula in Microsoft
Excel. Explain that formulas are instructions for the computer program.

Ask learners to click on cell B5. Have them press the key on their keyboard with
the equals sign. Explain that this sign tells the computer program to do a
calculation. What do we want to add in this total? Elicit total incoming funds.
Click on cell B2 and have learners take their hands away from their mouses.
Discuss what appears in the formula bar. What do we want to add next? Repeat
with B3 and B4. Then press Enter. What happened? Discuss.

Populate cells A8 - A11 and B8 B11 with various outgoing costs and have
learners copy me. Ask them if they remember how to add the cells together?
Repeat as above.

*Ensure that numbers used for outgoing expenses such as rent, utilities etc do not
exceed the incoming total at the top of the spreadsheet.
1:55pm Saving a Spreadsheet
Have learners follow me as I save the file in a dedicated folder. Repeat as
necessary.
2:00pm End

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