MS Excel Spreadsheet and Graphing Instructions

You can create graphs with Excel after you type the data you want to graph. The place where you type your data looks like a chart of rows and columns. It is called a spreadsheet.

Starting MS Excel

Double click the Excel icon on your launcher.

Setting Titles on the Spreadsheet

  1. Click on the box for row 1, column A and type: Trait
  2. Click on the box for row 1, column B and type: Number of Students
  3. Enlarge the column width as follows:

place the cursor on the line between the A and B columns

you should see a double-sided arrow

click and hold the left mouse button down

drag the double arrow left or right to the size you need

  1. Center "Trait" and "Number of Students" as follows:

click the number 1

click center alignment on the formatting tool bar

Entering Data into the Spreadsheet

  1. Click on the box for row 2, column A and type: Widow’s Peak
  2. Press enter and type the name of the next trait.
  3. Continue entering the name of the traits in column A.
  4. Click on the box for row 2, column B and type in the number of students who have the trait.
  5. Press enter and type the next number.
  6. Continue entering number.

Creating a Graph from a Spreadsheet

  1. Select your data by click on row 1, column A and then dragging to the last number entered.
  2. Click on the graph icon on the standard toolbar.
  3. To view a sample of how the graph will look, click and hold the view sample button.
  4. Choose the type of graph you would like to use by highlighting it and clicking the next button.
  5. Click the title button.
  6. Click in the title box and type: Student Genetic Traits
  7. Click in the x axis box and type: Number of Students
  8. Click in the y axis box and type: Traits
  9. If you are creating a bar graph or line graph, click the legends box and click off the check mark next to show legends. Otherwise, leave the check mark next to show legends.
  10. Click finish and the graph will appear inside your spreadsheet.

Creating a Textbox for Your Paper Heading

  1. Be sure your graph has the black squares around it by clicking the graph.
  2. Click on the textbox (looks like the letter A and lines inside a square) on the draw toolbar.
  3. Draw your textbox on your chart.
  4. Type your name, block, and the date inside the textbox.

Saving a Spreadsheet and Graph

  1. Be sure to save your file every few minutes.
  2. Click file on the standard toolbar, save, drive H (your home drive) and type the name of your document.

Printing Your Graph

  1. Have a teacher preview you graph before printing
  2. Click on the graph before printing to print just the graph, NOT the data.
  3. To print, select file on the standard toolbar, then print
  4. Click OK
  5. Write your paper heading on your graph before you turn it in.