Survey your classmates, and use spreadsheet software to organize and calculate the information. Look at the following examples:

Survey Worksheet Example

Survey Chart Example

Think about the following questions, and discuss your ideas with your
partner. You might also consider writing your ideas on a sheet of paper.

• What information would you like to know about your classmates? For example, you might want to know your classmates’ favourite sports, films, or school subjects.
• What question could you ask your classmates to get the information you want? What are four or five possible answers that you could let your classmates pick from? Which answer to you think will be the most popular?
• How would you like to group your classmates? By age? By boys and girls?
• How might your survey information be organized in a spreadsheet? How might you label the rows and columns?
  After you answer the preceding questions, gather the information you need by asking your classmates the survey question and letting them pick from the answers you decided on. Make sure you keep track of the survey group each classmate belongs to when you write down his or her answer.

Remember to use the rubric as a guide as you plan, do, review, and share.

For help on how to do certain skills, look at the following groups in the Help Guide:

• Spreadsheets Group 1: Getting to Know the Spreadsheet Software (NOTE: This group name will change depending on the Help Guide version being used.)
• Spreadsheets Group 2: Selecting Cells, Rows, and Columns
• Spreadsheets Group 4: Adding and Working with Information
• Spreadsheets Group 5: Changing the Look of Information and Worksheets
• Spreadsheets Group 7: Doing Math
• Spreadsheets Group 8: Making Charts

1. Start the spreadsheet software, and open a new, blank spreadsheet.
2. In cell A1, type a title for your spreadsheet.
3. In cell A4, type the first of the possible answer choices that your classmates had to pick from. In the cells below, type the remaining answer choices. Make sure you put each answer choice in its own cell.
4. In cell B3, type a column label that describes the first survey group. Then in the cells to the right, type column labels for each of the other survey groups.
5. Take the information you gathered during the survey, and type the numbers in the correct cells.
6. In the cell to the right of the last column label in row 3, type “Total”.
7. In the cell below the Total column label, insert a Sum function to add the total number of people who chose your first survey answer. (For help, see Spreadsheets Skill 7.1: To sum or add the numbers in a row or column.)
8. Use the Fill Down feature to calculate the total for each of the other survey answers. (For help, see Spreadsheets Skill 7.11: To reuse a formula in many cells in the same row or column.)
   
   

Challenge: Sort the rows in order based on whatever information you think makes the worksheet easier to use. For example, you might sort the answers in column A in alphabetical order, or you can sort the numbers in the Total column from highest to lowest. (For help, see Spreadsheets Skill 6.7: To sort or change the order of rows based on certain information.) (See the Survey Worksheet Challenge Example at the end of this section.)



9. Change the look of the words. You might especially want to make the worksheet title, column labels, and survey answers stand out. Also, try different alignment options to see which one makes the information easiest to read. If needed, make the columns wider.
   
   

   Challenge: Add borders and colour to your worksheet table. Keep in mind that the goal is to make the information easy to read and to help important information stand out. (See the Survey Worksheet Challenge Example.)

   
   
10. Make a column chart that shows how many people from each group chose each of your survey answers. Save the chart as a new sheet. (For help, see Spreadsheets Skill 8.1: To make a column or bar chart that compares values or amounts.)
11. Save your work as directed.

Survey Worksheet Challenge Example

Survey Chart Challenge Example

Look over your survey spreadsheet. Make sure it has the following elements:

• Worksheet with the survey information that you gathered
• Sum function that adds up the total number of survey participants who picked each of the survey answers
• Worksheet title, column labels, and survey questions that stand out from other information in your worksheet
• Column chart that compares the information

If any elements are missing, add them now. If you want, make other changes, as well. Remember to save your work when you are finished.

Be prepared to discuss your answers to the following questions:

• What did you like best about taking the survey and gathering the information? Why?
• What new spreadsheet skills did you learn today? When might you use those skills again?
• How does a chart help make the information in the worksheet clearer?
• What other type of information could you show in a column chart?