Computer Skills
Beginner
60 mins
Teacher/Student led
Learning Goals
Learning Outcomes
+65 XP
Pupils work on their own device
What you need:
Chromebook/Laptop/PC or iPad/Tablet

Write It Down: Documents That Get You Taken Seriously

Learn to create a professional one-page proposal using heading styles, formatting tools, and spell-check. You'll practise with a sample proposal, then write a real one for your Something Real project that adults will take seriously.

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    1 - Introduction ~5 mins

    Illustration for Introduction

    Today you will

    • write a one-page proposal for your Something Real
    • make it look neat with headings, bold and spacing
    • check the spelling and save a PDF copy in {{code:Digital_Portfolio}}

    A proposal is a short document asking an adult to say yes to your idea.

    Warm-up

    Think of a letter or poster from an adult that you took seriously. What made it look official?

    👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

    +5 XP

    2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins

    A heading style, like Heading 1, tells every reader which line is the title.

    Line spacing is the gap between lines, and 1.15 keeps the page easy to read.

    Find and replace changes one word everywhere in your document in one click.

    A PDF is a locked copy of a finished document. Send the editable file for feedback, and send the PDF when it's done.

    Example

    You rename your bake sale to a coffee morning, and find and replace changes all six mentions at once.

    Before and after

    The same proposal, typed plainly and then with the styles applied:

    Raw typingWith styles applied

    Proposal: Lunchtime Film Club for Third Years
    A weekly 45-minute film club for Third Years, run at lunchtime in the library on Fridays.
    It gives students a quiet, social space during lunch.

    Proposal: Lunchtime Film Club for Third Years

    A weekly 45-minute film club for Third Years, run at lunchtime in the library on Fridays.

    Why it matters: it gives students a quiet, social space during lunch.

    The words are the same. The heading style, the spacing and one bold label are what make the right-hand one look official.

    👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

    +10 XP

    3 - Step-by-step Task ~18 mins

    You'll practise on a sample proposal for a Lunchtime Film Club. You won't keep this one, so focus on the formatting, not the typing. Copy from the box below, then follow the steps.

    Title:

    Proposal: Lunchtime Film Club for Third Years

    Paragraphs:

    A weekly 45-minute film club for Third Years, run at lunchtime in the library on Fridays.

    Gives students a quiet, social space during lunch and introduces them to a wider range of films.

    One teacher to supervise, a shortlist of age-appropriate films voted on each half-term, and a projector already in the library.

    +15 XP

    4 - Common Issues ~2 mins

    Common snags

    What you'll seeWhat to do
    My title is huge.Select it and pick a smaller font size. The Heading 1 style stays on.
    Find and replace changed too much.Press {{kbd:Ctrl+Z}} (or {{kbd:Cmd+Z}}) to undo. Then click Replace, not Replace All, so you check each change.
    I can't find my PDF.Look in your browser's Downloads folder.
    A correct name is underlined.Right-click it and add it to your dictionary.
    +10 XP

    5 - Portfolio Build: Write Your Proposal Draft ~20 mins

    Independent Practice

    Your goal: Write a one-page proposal for your Something Real that an adult would take seriously.
    Time:~20 minutes
    Task:
    1. In {{code:Digital_Portfolio}}, make a new document called {{code:03_proposal_draft}}.
    2. Type a title and apply {{btn:Heading 1}} to it.
    3. Write three short paragraphs: what it is, why it matters and how you'll do it.
    4. Set the line spacing to 1.15 and fix every red and blue underline.
    5. Download a PDF copy and put it in {{code:Digital_Portfolio}} too.

    If you're stuck, start each paragraph like this:

    This is a…

    It matters because…

    I'll do it by…

    Success criteria:
    • My title says clearly what I'm pitching.
    • I have three paragraphs: what, why and how.
    • There are no red or blue underlines left.
    • My document and its PDF are in {{code:Digital_Portfolio}}.
    +15 XP
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