Interactive Excel Spreadsheets:
Constructing Visualization Tools to Enhance Your
Learner-centered Math and Science Classroom
Scott A. Sinex
Department of Physical Sciences and Engineering
Prince George’s Community College
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex
Workshop presented at
Powering Up with Technology Conference
Prince George’s County Public Schools
Northwestern High School
18 November 2006
Interactive Excel Spreadsheets: Constructing Visualization Tools…
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Interactive Excel Spreadsheets:
Constructing Visualization Tools to Enhance Your
Learner-centered Math and Science Classroom
This is a quick guide or introduction to developing interactive Excel spreadsheets
or Excelets (aka – simulations). It assumes that you have a basic knowledge of
working with Excel.
The objectives of this guide are four-fold:
1.
to introduce you to the Forms Toolbar and a number of the tools available;
2.
to create a “just add data” interactive Excel spreadsheet;
3.
to create a dynamic graph with manipulable variables interactive Excel
spreadsheet, and;
4.
to resize the Excelets to fit for full screen viewing on your computer.
Interactive Excel Spreadsheets: Constructing Visualization Tools…
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Getting the Forms Toolbar
Let’s get the forms toolbar. Go to View on the menu bar and select Toolbars and
then select Forms (a check mark will appear when you click on it).
The toolbar will then appear as shown below. You may have to drag it to “dock” it
with the toolbars at the top of the screen.
In Excel, if you move the cursor over each tool it will show you its name.
Constructing a simple “just add data” spreadsheet – The M&M Color Comparison
Open up a blank Excel worksheet. Set up two columns,
one with the M&M colors and the second with the number
of each color (you can make these up here). Label the
columns – color and number. Leave row 1 empty for a title.
Click on the cell A2 (“co