1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
A budget only helps if someone else can read it at a glance. Today you tidy {{code:05_project_budget}} with borders, heading shade, and sensible column widths so the sheet stays clear on a phone screen or on a classroom projector. This clean layout is practice for the clear numeric work you may later choose as Key Assignment evidence.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Apply borders and heading shade, and adjust column widths and row heights
- Test whether a sheet stays readable on a phone or projected at the back of a room
- Apply a simple readability rubric to your own work
- Finish a clean, fully visible budget layout
Before you start: You need {{code:05_project_budget}} from earlier spreadsheet lessons. If you do not have it, tell the teacher in the first minute. You will rebuild a short 8–10 row budget straight away while the class does the warm-up, then join the formatting work.
Warm-up
Think of the last time you opened a messy spreadsheet on your phone. What made it hard: cut-off headings, no lines between rows, pale text, or everything jammed into skinny columns?
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
Readability is not decoration. Borders, shade, and column width help a supervisor, club treasurer, or placement mentor find the important numbers in seconds.
Worked example: clean budget layout
This is the finish standard. Your own sheet will have more rows, but it should look this clear.
| Item | Category | Cost (€) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank hoodies × 20 | Stock | 180.00 | Supplier in Galway |
| Heat-press vinyl | Materials | 45.50 | Black and white packs |
| Market stall fee | Selling | 25.00 | Saturday market |
| Zip bags | Packaging | 8.99 | Pack of 50 |
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Borders — thin lines around the data block | Eyes track across a row without slipping | — |
| Heading shade — fill colour on the header row only | Labels stand out from data on a projector | — |
| Column width and row height — how wide or tall each column or row is | Cut-off text or ### means the reader cannot trust the sheet | — |
| Readability test — check at phone size and at distance | Layout that only works full-screen fails on a small screen or at the back of the room | — |
Readability rubric: you will use a short checklist in independent practice (header clear, all text visible, calm grid, distance test). No need to memorise it now.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~16 mins
Choose the Excel Online or Google Sheets tab to match your app. Open {{code:05_project_budget}} and follow the numbered steps to apply the layout tools.
If you do not have {{code:05_project_budget}}: tell the teacher now. Create it in the {{code:05_budget}} folder with headers Item | Category | Cost (€) | Notes and about 8 sample Something Real rows, then continue from the formatting steps.
Finish standard for this guided pass: bold + pale shade on the heading row, All Borders on the used data block only, columns autofitted so text is visible, wrap text where Notes need it, and a quick 50% zoom check.
If the whole sheet goes blue or borders only hit one column, undo and select again. That is the usual snag, not a broken file.
4 - Common Issues ~4 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I cannot find Borders or Fill Color | In Excel Online look on the {{btn:Home}} tab in the Font group. In Google Sheets both icons sit on the main toolbar near Bold. Hover icons until the label appears. |
| My whole sheet turned blue, not just the heading | Undo with {{kbd:Ctrl+Z}} (Windows/Chromebook) or {{kbd:Cmd+Z}} (Mac). Click only the heading row number, then apply Fill Color again. |
| Borders only appear on one column | Select the full used block (from your first heading cell to your last filled data cell) first, then choose All Borders. Do not click a single column letter alone. |
| Text is still cut off after autofit | Drag the column a little wider, or use {{btn:Wrap Text}} (Excel Online Home) / {{btn:Text wrapping}} (Sheets) on Notes cells first, then drag the row boundary down so wrapped lines show. If you see ### in a number cell, the column is still too narrow for the value. |
| The sheet looks fine on my laptop but messy on my phone | Run the 50% zoom test again. Shorten long Notes, keep four clear columns if you can, and avoid tiny fonts. Pale heading shade plus borders usually survives a small screen better than heavy colouring. |
5 - Independent Practice ~20 mins
Independent Practice
- The heading row stands out from the data (bold plus a pale shade)
- Every column shows its full content with no cut-off text or ### values, including at least one clear full-phrase Notes entry
- The used data block has a clear, even border grid
- At 50% zoom (or on a phone), you can still read the column names and the first few costs
- File remains {{code:05_project_budget}} in {{code:05_budget}}
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