Title: Grade Master Activity

Other Curriculum Objectives that can be addressed by this lesson plan

English Language Arts: 2.1, 2.3, 4.1; Mathematics: (Gr 7) 1.1, 1.2, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.4; Computer Skills: (Gr. 7) 2.3

Grade: 7

Competency 2.3: Use a prepared spreadsheet to enter and edit data and explain the results of the changes.

Measure 2.3.3: Given a spreadsheet of student grades, change one or more grades and describe how the average changes.

Materials Needed: A folded sheet of paper for each class member with some grades printed or written on the inside; computer in the classroom with the SingleGB file loaded or a lab of computers with the SingleGB file loaded in each system; transparency of the Spreadsheet Illustration black line master; overhead projector.

Time: One class session

Terms: Column, Row, Cell, Label, Value, Formula, Edit, Enter

Grade 7 Glossary

Pre-Activities:

1. Review spreadsheet concepts and terms.

Activity:

1. Announce to the class that they will be using a computer to track the averages of some grades.
2. While handing out a list of some grades, explain that they will be entering their grades into a computer spreadsheet and watching the average change as they add each grade.
3. Project a transparency of the Spreadsheet Illustration black line master #1 for the class to see. Write some sample grades into the appropriate cells to illustrate how students will enter their grades into the spreadsheet. If possible, conduct the demonstration using a computer with an LCD palette to project the computer screen image on the wall for the class to see.
4. Have students enter their grades into the computer, either taking turns at a limited number of computers or all together on a lab.
5. Explain that each student should observe what happens to the average as each new grade is entered.
6. Each student should clear their grades from the spreadsheet when they have gotten their average so that other students will not be able to see their grades in the future.
7. Ask a member of the class to explain what was happening to the average as they typed in each new grade. An appropriate answer might be that as each new grade was entered, the computer re-calculated the average for the grades that were included on the screen at that time.
8. Divide the class into groups of three or four and ask them to identify at least one other way that a computer spreadsheet might be used.
9. After about 10 minutes, ask a representative of each group to report on their idea(s).

Given a prepared spreadsheet for calculating grade averages, students will enter grades and describe how the average changes with the addition or editing of each grade.