Spreadsheets—Stock Market Project Completion—Teacher Tips
Preparing the
charts:
Concepts:
·
A chart is a graphic representation of spreadsheet
data.
·
A chart cannot be removed from the workbook
containing its data table.
·
The data to be represented on a chart (axes,
legend, bars, circles, lines, etc.) must be selected on the data spreadsheet.
Techniques:
·
Portions of a table that are not continuous can be
selected by holding down the Ctrl key.
·
The Chart Wizard contains many options for
changing the way data is represented.
·
Within dialog boxes, right click on a term to
bring up the What’s This?
label. Click on the label for an
explanation. Click outside it and the
explanation box disappears.
·
The Collapse Dialog
button at the right end of a box is very useful. (This button contains a red
arrow in a miniature spreadsheet. When toggled, it looks like a miniature mail
slot with a red arrow pointing down.)
Use it to go back and forth between spreadsheet and dialog box. It allows selection of a range of cells
for precise reference, eliminating keying errors.
·
The student directions encourage kids to
refer to the direction sheet—“Formula Basics”—in Student Resources. This is linked as a PDF file because the
diagrams don’t convert neatly to HTML.
Feel free to print copies to have available in your classroom and for
students to take home.
·
If students need visual samples
of the charts, find the Excel file—StocksProjectfinal.xls—on your T:
Drive.
·
Students who wish to work on
their own should be invited to make use of the instructions below.
The following instructions list steps for
producing the charts in the sample file:
Line Chart |
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I. Data
Selection
|
II. Chart Wizard |
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|
From Stock Quotes table, select: ·
Column headings (not the ticker names
row) ·
Date column ·
Share price data |
Step 1 |
Step 2 |
Step 3 |
Step 4 |
|
For Chart Type:
choose Line, then choose an
appropriate Chart sub-type by using the Press and Hold to View Sample button. |
For Data Range,
choose Series in: Columns. For Series,
be sure that each stock company name is listed under Series. |
For Title,
type the chart name in the box. For Legend,
select Bottom to
place the legend at the bottom of the chart. |
For Place Chart:
select As object in: to embed the
chart within its data table. |
|
|
III. Format Value Axis
(Y - vertical) |
IV. Format Category Axis
(X – horizontal) |
V. Move & Size |
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|
Right click on Value Axis, select Format Axis… and tabs: ·
Font – size, style as desired ·
Number – Currency, no decimals |
Right click on Category Axis, select Format
Axis… and tabs: ·
Font – as desired ·
Number – Choose date style ·
Alignment – Change to 45° angle |
Click in the chart. Resize: pull corner
or side handles Move: click & drag with
4-point arrow |
||
Column Chart |
||||
I. Data
Selection
|
II. Chart Wizard |
|||
|
From Stock Sales table, select: ·
Purchase Price and Sale Price rows
for each company, including price data |
Step 1 |
Step 2 |
Step 2, Continued |
Steps 3 & 4 |
|
For Chart Type: ·
Choose Column, then choose an appropriate Chart
sub-type by using Press
and Hold to View Sample button. |
For Series: · Change
row labels. – · In Series
box - select row, and in Name: box - delete = + cell reference, and
type in Purchase Price. Do likewise for Sale Price. |
·
Add labels. -
Click in the box for Category axis labels: - Click the Collapse Dialog Button -
Select names of Stock Companies from the data table. - Click Collapse Dialog Button |
·
Title - type in the box ·
Legend - select Bottom
or experiment with placement ·
Place Chart: select As new sheet:
to create new spreadsheet. |
|
|
III. Format Value Axis
(Y - vertical) |
IV. Format Category Axis
(X – horizontal) |
V. Format Colors |
||
|
Right click on Value Axis, select Format Axis… and tabs: ·
Font – size, style as desired ·
Number – Currency, no decimals |
Right click on Category Axis, select Format
Axis… and tabs: ·
Font – size, style as desired ·
Alignment – change if desired, in relation to Legend placement |
Right click item to Format: ·
Chart Area… ·
Plot Area… ·
Data Series… |
||
Pie Charts
|
|||
|
I. Data Selection |
II. Chart Wizard
|
||
|
From Stock Sales table, select: Purchase Price row,
including each company’s price data.
This makes one chart. *** For the 2nd chart, select Sale Price row,
all price data. |
Step 1 |
Steps 2 & 3 |
Step 4 |
|
For Chart Type: Choose Pie, then choose an appropriate Chart
sub-type by using Press
and Hold to View Sample button. |
For Series:
Click in Category Labels: box. Click on the Collapse Dialog Button to move to the table, and select column labels
(company names). Click
Collapse Dialog Button again. *** For Data Labels
click Show value to include dollar
comparisons. |
For Place Chart:
Select As object in: to embed the
chart in the data spreadsheet. *** Follow Wizard steps again and embed the 2nd
graph in the same data spreadsheet. |
|
III. Adjust Placement of Charts |
IV. Adjust Pie Size and Placement |
V. Format Font Color, and Legend |
|
|
·
Click in a chart to select it—corner and
side blocks will appear. ·
Click in the chart until a 4-point arrow
appears, then hold the mouse button down to move the chart. ·
Place the two charts on the page so they
can be compared. ·
Resize charts as needed, using the side
and corner blocks. |
·
Imagine the pie circle inside a square,
touching the 4 sides. ·
Click the mouse in a corner of the
invisible square. ·
A square with corner and side blocks will
appear. ·
Resize the circle as desired. ·
Click and hold to move the pie to another place on the chart. |
Right click item to Format: ·
Chart Area… ·
Title ·
Data Series… ·
Legend *** Coordinate features
of the two charts. |
|
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