1 - Introduction ~8 mins
Welcome
Your Something Real budget is growing. Today you learn how to reorder it and hide the noise so you can answer real questions fast: which items cost the most, and what does one category alone look like? Sorting and filtering turn a long list into a decision tool you can use in Work Experience logs, club stocktakes, and enterprise pitches.
Open now: open {{code:05_project_budget}} from your Project Portfolio (and {{code:05_budget}} if you use that folder). If you cannot find it, search OneDrive or Drive for {{code:05_project_budget}}. Still missing or incomplete? Ask your teacher for the five-row starter paste before the warm-up so you can finish today’s evidence file.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Sort ascending or descending by a chosen column using the full row range
- Apply filters to show only matching rows
- Avoid breaking row links and formulas when sorting a formatted sheet
- Sort your budget by cost, filter by one category, and capture a screenshot of the filtered view
Warm-up
With your sheet open: if someone asked "what are your three most expensive items?", would you rather scroll and guess, or press one button and see the answer?
2 - Key Concepts ~6 mins
Watch the board first — do not sort yet. Your teacher will show a wrong sort versus a right sort on a small sample. Then lock in the four ideas below so you do not scramble your own budget.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sort — reorders whole rows by one column (smallest→largest or the reverse) | Spot top costs without rewriting the sheet by hand | Sort Cost largest→smallest on a GAA kit budget and the €90 jerseys jump above the €4 bottles |
| Filter — temporarily hides non-matching rows; hidden data stays in the file | Focus on one category without deleting anything | Filter Category to "Materials" so only vinyl and cases stay visible |
| Full-range sort (non-negotiable) — sort every column in the table together, never one column alone | A single-column sort leaves other columns behind and breaks item–cost links | If only Cost is sorted, "Heat press hire" can sit next to the wrong price while SUM still looks fine |
| Header row — top labels (Item, Category, Cost) | Ticking "Data has header row" stops headings landing in the middle of the list | — |
Failure mode: select only Cost and sort it, and prices shuffle while names stay put. The total may still add up, but every "which item costs what" decision is wrong.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~22 mins
Follow the steps for your spreadsheet app. You will open {{code:05_project_budget}}, sort the full data block by Cost (largest to smallest), turn on filters, show one Category only, and leave the sheet ready for your portfolio screenshot.
4 - Common Issues ~4 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Only one column sorted and my items no longer match their costs | Press Undo straight away ({{kbd:Ctrl+Z}} or {{kbd:Cmd+Z}}). Select the full data range (all columns, headings included, Total row excluded), then sort again. |
| My heading row got sorted into the middle of the list | Undo. Sort again with "My data has headers" / "Data has header row" ticked, or make sure the heading row was included correctly in the range. |
| The Total row jumped up among the items | Undo. When you select the range to sort, stop on the last real data row. Keep summary rows outside the sort block. |
| Filter arrows do not appear on the headings | Click a cell inside the heading row first, then use Data → Filter (Excel Online) or Data → Create a filter (Google Sheets). Check you are not still editing a cell. |
| I filtered and think I deleted rows (or my Total vanished) | You did not delete them. Excel Online: use Data → Filter again to turn filters off, or open the column funnel → Select all. Google Sheets: use Data → Remove filter, or open the column funnel → Select all so the hidden rows return. Total often hides when its Category cell is blank — clear the filter to bring it back. |
5 - Portfolio Evidence ~10 mins
Portfolio evidence
- Wrong order — re-sort the full data range by Cost largest to smallest (leave Total out of the selection).
- Wrong or missing filter — open the Category dropdown again and tick only one category.
- Total moved into the list — Undo, then reselect stopping on the last item row above Total.
Your teacher will demo a screenshot once. Then capture the filtered view: Windows {{kbd:Win+Shift+S}} (drag a box, then paste or save the snip), Mac {{kbd:Shift+Cmd+4}} (crosshair, drag a box; file lands on the desktop), Chromebook {{kbd:Ctrl+Show windows}} for full screen or {{kbd:Shift+Ctrl+Show windows}} for a region (Show windows is the overview key). After you capture, rename the file to exactly {{code:05_filtered_view.png}} before or as you put it in your Project Portfolio ({{code:05_budget}} folder if you use it). OS tools often default to Screenshot.png or image.png — change the name so your teacher can bank it.
- {{code:05_project_budget}} still shows costs ordered from largest to smallest, with each item matched to its own category and notes
- A filter is on and only one Category is visible on screen
- {{code:05_filtered_view.png}} is saved in your Project Portfolio ({{code:05_budget}} folder if you use it), shows that filtered view, and uses that exact filename (not Screenshot.png)
- Your Total (or summary) still calculates correctly after the sort (it may be hidden while the filter is on — clear the filter to check)
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