This document provides an overview of formatting options in Microsoft Word 2010, including changing paper size and orientation, margins, page breaks, headers/footers, page numbers, columns, backgrounds, watermarks, borders, and themes. The lesson objectives are to work with document formatting, change size and orientation, insert page breaks and numbers, and apply backgrounds or themes.
Pg 89Briefly introduce which topics will be covered in this lesson so students are aware of the new skills they will learn. Remind students also that all the information is available in the book as a reference so they don’t need to commit anything to memory or take notes.
Pg 90Objective 3.1Remind students the number and types of paper sizes displayed depend on the Windows region locale, as well as the type of printer set up in the classroom (some printers may show more if they can handles items such as labels, cardboard, or envelopes).Provide examples of when you may need to change the paper size, such as sending a document to a branch in another part of the world that has different paper sizes than you use, you have personalized note paper you want to use, etc.
Pg 91Objective 3.1Discuss why they may choose to display the dialog box instead of just using the button on the Ribbon (change more than one item such as which tray contains this paper size – often this may be manual if it is different than what most of the office uses).
Pg 91-92Objective 3.1Provide examples of when you may want to change the orientation and for what purposes, e.g., need longer side to enter sales figures, inserting chart, inserting picture of site, creating envelope for letter, etc.Make sure students understand how to activate the Orientation option using both methods although certainly the first one is the fastest.
Pg 92-93Objective 3.1The Page Layout, Margins method introduces them to the common measurements used set for margins and give them a sense of comfort in regards to being able to pick one of these rather than try to customize them.Even if they do want to customize the margins, go through the Custom Margins option so they can see the Page Setup dialog box. This can also be a time saver for them if they want to change several margins at the same time.You may want to point out the last point but it isn’t necessary to spend a lot of time on it as they can enter more precise measurements in the Page Setup dialog box initially.
Pg 92-93Objective 3.1Some people consider this option to change margins as a faster method; you may want to walk the students slowly through the process initially. This can be handy if only one margin needs to be changed, especially if it’s the Top or Left margin.Have them zoom into the ruler so they can see the Left Margin ScreenTip when they point at the margin boundary there. Often students will begin dragging without watching for the prompt first and then wind up moving the indents. Make sure they understand that moving the indent markers is not the same as actually adjusting the margins, even though text appears to start closer to the left edge. Remind them to watch for the visual clues Word provides.
Pg 94-95Objective 3.1Ensure students understand the difference between a soft page break and a manual one, as well as why you would want to insert a break code instead of just pressing Enter to get to the bottom of a page. Some people still use this method to end a page and while it may be fine to mark that there is more content to be entered in this location, they want to avoid putting in more than three as it can be a huge time consumer when editing a document.Discuss how this code is just like regular text and they can delete it as if it was text. Include that in your demo so they become comfortable with that concept.
Pg 96-97Objective 3.1Students can often get confused as to what a section break is and how to use it properly. You may have to include in your demo several clear examples of when or why you might want to use each of these types of breaks. For instance, to create an envelope with the same address as provided in a letter, Word will automatically insert a section break between the envelope paper size/layout and the letter. An example of using odd and even pages would be page numbers on alternating headers and footers. For continuous section breaks, you may want to use the example below (columns are not covered in this level so be careful about getting students excited about this option, unless you want to offer it as a marketing tool at the end of your course for the Expert level);this file is also available in the Extra Files folder for your reference and distribution, if needed:
Pg 97Objective 3.1Students will like this feature as some of them want to spend time working with newsletters or some of the more features for publishing purposes, e.g. flyers, brochures, etc.This can be an exciting feature to teach, especially if you have them try it with a full document first (turn it from one column to three) where they don’t need to worry about where the cursor is positioned. Then move from there to selected text so they can see the section breaks that Word inserts for them automatically; a huge time saver where the user can then focus on their own layout and not have to follow strict guidelines for a specific type of layout.Try it with an existing document as a demo (it doesn’t matter which one as this is only a demo of how columns can be applied to any document). You may want include a discussion on whether how columns can be applied before you begin typing your text although for editing purposes, you will need to use the Draft view or be careful where the cursor is between columns. Often it’s easier to create the text first, and then apply the formatting option as you no longer need to worry about where your cursor is when making changes to the text or page layout.This brings up the point of column breaks versus page breaks … the shortcut keystrokes are faster to activate but can be confusing to students, so make sure they understand the difference when they see it on the screen. Include in your demo the page break option first so they can see how it works similar to regular text, no matter if you have columns set up. Then delete the page break to try the column break so they can see how the text flows and where it flows from, e.g., top of next column versus new page. Make sure to also demo the column break at the end of the last column so they can see how this may look like a page break, but it’s not. Turning on the non-formatting characters can help a lot in recognizing what was done in a document.
Pg 98Objective 3.1Make sure students understand this is an example of how section breaks can be used to set up different layouts on the same page, especially when it’s a one-page newsletter, or even on a page of a multi-page newsletter. You may also want to provide an example of how a column can be blank with the intention of a picture being inserted into this area later. As with many tasks in Word, you can set up the basic structure or layout of the document, and do the fine-tuning after the elements are in place. For instance, using the blank column example, set up 3 columns for text, insert column breaks so one of the three columns is blank. Assume you don’t know how big the picture will be, so it’s wise to leave an entire column blank so you have a general area for the entire document. Once the picture has been inserted, the column breaks can be deleted to allow for correct text flow between columns.In your demo, have students try both methods of applying columns, and how they can be combined to set specific options such as the line between, changing the spacing, changing the width of one column, etc.
Pg 98-99Objective 3.1You may want students to have the Columns dialog box on the screen as you show this slide so they can use both as reference.
Pg 99Objective 3.1Be sure to show students how they can adjust the column widths using the ruler, and in fact, change indents or set tabs using the ruler. Just because the text is in columns doesn’t mean you can’t apply other types of formatting on the text. Demonstrate how flexible Word is in giving you options to create a professional looking document.You may also want to open a discussion regarding whether the lines between columns are necessary, providing examples of different publications that have or don’t have the lines. For instance, some people consider the lines to be distracting and should not ever be used. Others like to see text columns without the lines as it then allows for pictures to be placed between the columns without a line protruding out of the picture at the top and bottom. Lines can be handy to guide the eye to specific information though, such as a table of contents at the bottom left of document, or in the case of multiple columns layouts on a page.
Pg 101Objective 3.1Ensure you discuss how text flow can be handled with hyphenation but that this should also be used with caution, especially in an environment where there may be standards for how text appears in a document. For instance, some businesses do not allow for hyphenation at the end of each line, preferring the user to work on minimizing those wide amounts of spaces (often called rivers of text). You may want to include an example of how rivers can be just as distracting as hyphenation. If you don’t have any, use the screens in the following (in the Gallery folder) as examples of how hyphenation can be handy when text is justified and there are rivers of spaces:With rivers of space:Using hyphenation:
Pg 102Objective 3.5Use the CCI courseware if you do not have other examples of how headers and footers can work. Make sure students understand that headers and footer are two different elements and you don’t need to have both in a report. This can then lead to a discussion about alternating ones, different ones for the first page, and what can be placed in a header or footer.The latter point here will matter when they want to put in a picture such as the company logo only to find the item winds up taking a lot of space at the top or bottom of the document. You may want to include an example in your demo where the student changes the text size and font to emphasize the title (as in a résumé) only to find that when they begin to enter text for the first line of the résumé, they notice the first line of text occurs below the top margin measurement.
Pg 102-103Objective 3.5Ensure students understand that page numbers are entered in a header or footer area by default although you can choose to add them in a different location. Give an example of when else you might need to use a page number elsewhere such as a cross-reference; this topic is covered in the Expert level.Ensure students understand what each of the options does, and as time permits, you may want to take them through the format option.Take note of the new feature to remove page numbers easily without having to delete them from a header or footer location.
Pg 103Objective 3.5Although the topic has been included in the Headers and Footers area of the content, be sure to mention that this feature can be used anywhere in a document where you may want to insert the date or time, e.g., letter. Most people may use this feature in conjunction with a footer to show the creation date or time of the document.Use the analogy of stamping a date on a piece of paper as it is received when you just insert the date and time. The information that appears with this option never changes and will always how as that date and time.The Update automatically feature will display the current date and time, no matter when you open the file. Be sure to provide examples of when you might want to use this feature instead of just “rubber stamping” the document, e.g., merge letter you send out whenever you have a new product to promote, vacation request that you will print out thereby providing a hard copy of the request on that date, etc.You may also want to mark this information in your notes to refer back when in Lesson 10 and discussing inserting fields to set up specific information to appear. For example, instead of showing the complete date, you may only want the year or month and there is an individual field for this information that can be used instead of this option.
Pg 103-104Objective 3.5Point out for students how the options in the pull-down menus are similar except for the location, giving the student a chance to match the themes or designs provided in their reports.
Pg 104Objective 3.5Point out the new contextual ribbon that appears and its color to help differentiate it on the screen. As you walk them through the demo, draw their attention to the visual clues that tell them where they are and what they can do here.Guide them through some of the points here, using the example on the first side for headers and footers. Tell them not to worry at this point if they don’t understand how Link to Previous works as they will understand this better once they look at alternating headers and footers (next slide or exercise).
Pg 106Objective 3.5Use the CCI courseware as an example of when or why you may want to set alternating headers/footers. Point out how there is no page number on the title page and how the page numbers change from the Preface section to the actual Lesson content. This is a perfect example of how all the options for headers and footers are used. As you go from Lesson to Lesson, point out how the page numbers remain sequential but the headers change. Discuss how Link to Previous would work with this example.
Pg 108Objective 3.4Open a discussion with the class in regards to how backgrounds can enhance documents and when they are most useful, e.g., online documents where the color of the report identifies the purpose of the report (all green notices relate to Sales whereas red notices could be expense reports from Accounting).Include in your demo a chance to preview each of the different types of backgrounds that can be used, giving students a chance to see how a report can go from easy to read to hard to view, let alone read. Remind them how there is no right and wrong choice other than if you cannot read the text, but setting a background could be based on company standards or the audience you are trying to reach.
Pg 108Objective 3.4For those who have never seen or used this feature before, you may need to provide a brief explanation as to when or why you would want to use this, e.g., a manager has asked you to distribute a copy of the draft estimates to project leaders for review at a meeting.As you go through your demo with students, use text (as in the exercise) to demonstrate how most watermarks are used for business documents. As time permits, you may want to quickly introduce how pictures can also be set up as watermarks, e.g., company logo.
Pg 109Objective 3.4As with backgrounds, you may want to remind students how this can affect the document readability. Reiterate that if you find it difficult to read, so will your audience.
Pg 109Objective 3.4Briefly discuss how much a color can be customized, especially if you are trying to match the company colors.
Pg 109Objective 3.4Be sure to include a demo on how to set a gradient effect using two different colors and then setting the shading style. This can be a wonderful introduction to how they can fill shapes later in Lesson 8.You will notice that students will begin to play with the options as you introduce them so be sure to allocate time so they can try the different types as there is no live preview from within the dialog boxes. You may need to pull students back to the same spot though or allow them to pick their own once you go through all the options.
Pg 110Objective 3.4Students may find they avoid these two tabs as they can set the harshest view for the audience, especially with dark-colored patterns or a picture that remains in full color.
Pg 110Objective 3.4Page borders are another fun tool that students like to explore, especially the Art option. Be sure to allocate time for students to play with the options here, as the process to select a border will give them a quick introduction to how to set or adjust these when working with tables (Lesson 7).Include in your demo of how a page border can be turned off from one page to another, or removed for all pages.Again, remind students about how busy the document can become with multiple effects.
Pg 110-111Objective 3.4You may want to have the previous slide visible as you go through each of these options for how page borders can be set.
Pg 112-113Objective 3.2Discuss what themes are and when they are best used. Have students display this option so they can follow you in regards tas you look at the options for a theme.Use a document for your demo that is typical of a document you would place on the company intranet (or a personal web site) where you may want to enhance it so it captures the eye but not change it so it becomes too difficult to read.
Pg 113Objective 3.2Have students try the live preview with this option so they can see how applying a theme can affect the document. In most cases it will be obvious with the page background color or the font for the text, especially if it is a font they don’t normally use.Discuss how Word does not leave you with just these choices and that’s how the other three options can come in handy if you prefer a color or theme, or effect, and then want to save your own for future use.
Pg 113-115Objective 3.2Briefly go through these so students know where to find the feature, if needed, although they may not do a lot of this in class. You may want to caution them that any effects chosen may not appear in Word until you go to Web Layout view or publish the document to the intranet or web site. If time permits, you may want to take them through the process to create their own theme so they can see how any option can be used here to set up their own, as well as how to modify a theme option they already like.
Pg 116Briefly review what topics were covered in this lesson so students are aware of the new skills they learned. Remind students also that all the information is available in the book as a reference.
Pg 116As time permits, go through the questions with students, or choose to assign these for groups or homework review.