Objective

Students will be able to…

• format the fonts
• convert text to superscript and subscript
• change line spacing and paragraph alignment
• apply bullets and numbering
• apply drop cap

Prerequisites

• have prior knowledge of the parts of the computer
• know basic computer skills and should be able to navigate the computer
• have good hand-eye coordination
• have the motor skills to type on the keyboard correctly to work on the keyboard
• know how to read and write
• have some typing skills
• know how to open the MS Word document
• focus for an extended period to complete the activities

Goal

Operational Definition

All – This gives the goal, which is the minimum that the teacher must achieve for all students in the classroom.
Some – This gives the goal that the teacher may try to achieve for some students in the classroom who can achieve the suggested goal over and above the goal stated for ‘All’.
Few – This gives the goal that the teacher may try to achieve for few students in the classroom who can achieve the suggested goal over and above the goal stated for ‘Some’ and ‘All’.

Materials Required: 

Technology

• An audio-enabled computer with an internet connection, a smartboard projector, and a screen.
• All devices, like laptops, tablets, and desktop computers, have accessibility features enabled.
• Screen readers like JAWS and NVDA.
• Large keyboards, built-in screen magnifiers, hearing aids, text-to-speech and speech-to-text software.
• Voice recognition software like Siri, Windows Speech Recognition, headsets, etc.
• Student writing or typing tools.
• Ensure that MS Word is installed on the computer and is compatible with the computer’s operating system.
• The computer should have the minimum hardware requirements to run Microsoft Word, which vary depending on the version of Word.
• Ensure that the computers and software used for teaching MS Word are accessible to all students

Teacher Materials

• Whiteboard and markers or blackboard and chalk.
• Printed guides.
• Lesson videos.

Student Handouts

• Handout 1: Worksheets
• Handout 2:  Step by step Printed guides

Print Preparation

• Worksheets
• Handouts

Preparation for the Activity:

1. All the learning and teaching materials needed for this lesson plan must be ready before the lesson begins.
2. Ensure that there are enough copies for all children. Multiple copies can be made by photocopying too.
3. Please have the assistive technologies and accessibility features ready for your inclusive classroom.

Setup for transacting the lesson:

This topic must be taught in a computer lab.

Day 1

1. Formatting Fonts

Font means the style and size of the characters that will be seen on the computer. We can change the size, the style and the colour of the font. This is called formatting.

Steps to be followed while formatting the text:

• Select the text
• In the Home tab, there is a Font group. Click on the drop-down. Many fonts will be shown. Click on the font of your choice.
• Click on the font size drop-down arrow. Select the size that you want.
• Click on the drop-down arrow for the font colour. Select the colour of your choice.

 Using Bold Italic and Underline

 To format text to bold, follow the steps given below.

• Select the text by dragging the pointer over it.
• In the Font group on the Home tab, click B. This button is for making the text bold. You can also use the shortcut key Ctrl + B.
• The selected text is displayed in bold letters. 

To format text to italics, follow the steps given below:

• Select the text that you want to format.
• In the Font group on the Home tab, click I. You can also use the shortcut key Ctrl + I.
• The selected text is displayed in italics i.e., slanting letters.

To underline the text, follow the steps given below:

• Select the text.
• In the Font group on the Home tab, click on U. You can also use the shortcut key Ctrl+ U
• The text will now be underlined.

Video: Formatting Fonts

Video: Formatting Fonts with ISL

2. Lab Activity Time

Aim: To change the font style, font size, and font colour, and apply formatting styles like bold, underline, and italics in MS Word.

Materials Needed:

• Computers with MS Word installed
• Printed handouts with large, clear visuals of each command
• Tactile cards (for motor skill challenges) to represent different commands (font size, bold, etc.)
• Projector for teacher demonstration
• Headphones (for students needing auditory support)
• Font and colour cards for students to select and visualise changes

Procedure:
Open MS Word:

• Open a new blank document by clicking on the MS Word icon.

1. Type a sentence

• Type the following sentence:
• ‘I love learning new things in school!’

2. Changing Font Style:

• Highlight the sentence and change the font style to Arial by clicking on the font dropdown menu.

3. Changing Font size:

• Select the text and change the font size to 20 by using the font size dropdown or keyboard shortcut(Ctrl + Shift + >)

4. Changing Font Colour:

• Highlight the text and change the font colour to your favourite colour by using the font colour button in the toolbar.

5. Applying Bold, Underline, and Italic:

• Bold the word ‘love‘ by highlighting it and clicking the Bold button (or use Ctrl + B).
• Underline the word ‘school‘ by highlighting it and clicking the Underline button (or use Ctrl + U).
• Italicise the word ‘learning‘ by highlighting it and clicking the Italics button (or use Ctrl + I).

Teacher’s Checklist for Assessment:

• Did the student successfully change the font style to Arial?
• Was the student able to change the font size correctly?
• Did the student choose and apply a new font colour?
• Did the student correctly apply bold, underline, and italics to the specified words?

Adaptation:

Day 2

3. Superscript and Subscript

To convert text to ^superscript, follow the steps given below:

• Select the text that you want as a superscript.
• On the Home tab, in the Font group, click Superscript. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl and Equal sign.

To convert text to _subscript follow the steps given below:

• Select the text that you want as a subscript.
• On the Home tab, in the Font group, click Subscript. You can also use the shortcut keys Ctrl, Shift and Plus sign.

Please turn off the Superscript/Subscript button once it’s done

Video: Superscript and Subscript

Video: Superscript and Subscript with ISL

4. Paragraph Alignment and Changing Line Spacing

There are four types of alignments in the Paragraph group.
Left Alignment – Aligns the text to the left 
Centre Alignment – Aligns the text to the centre
Right Alignment – Aligns the text to the Right
Justified alignment – All the lines in the paragraph are of the same length and magazines and newspapers use this alignment.

Line Spacing:

The spacing between lines in a paragraph is called line spacing.
To format line spacing, follow the steps given below

• Select the text
• On the Home tab, in the paragraph group, click on the Line and Paragraph Spacing button.
• There are many choices displayed – 1.0, 1.15, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc.
• Select the line spacing that you want.

Video: Paragraph Alignment and Line Spacing

Video: Paragraph Alignment and Line Spacing with ISL

Day 3

5. Bullets and Numbering

Bullets and numbering are used to emphasise a list of things.
To add bullets or numbering to a list, follow these steps: 

• Select the items that you want to add bullets or numbering to.
• On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click Bullets or Numbering.
• You will find different bullet styles and numbering formats if you click on the drop-down.
• Choose the type of bullet or numbering style you want and click it.
• Now your text will be converted to a bulleted list or numbered list.

Video: Bullets and Numbering

Video: Bullets and Numbering with ISL

Try Me: MS Word Bullets and Numbering

6. Applying Drop Cap

Drop cap makes the first letter of the first paragraph in our document in a larger font.
To add a drop cap, follow the steps as follows:

• Select the letter you want to insert as a drop-cap
• Click on the Insert tab.
• In the Text group, click on the Drop cap button and choose the style you want.

Video: Applying Drop Cap

Video: Applying Drop Cap with ISL

7. Assessment

Aim: To adjust paragraph alignment, change line spacing, and use bullets and numbering in MS Word.

Materials required:

• Computers with MS Word installed
• Projector for demonstration
• Printed step-by-step instructions with large visuals
• Tactile cards with symbols for paragraph alignment, bullets, and numbering
• Headphones for auditory instructions
• Sample text for students to practice on

Procedure:

Open MS Word

• Open a new blank document by clicking on the MS Word icon.

Type a Short Paragraph

Type the following paragraph (or one of your choice):
‘My favourite hobby is playing football. I also enjoy reading books and drawing pictures. Every weekend, I spend time outside with my friends.‘

Paragraph Alignment:

• Highlight the entire paragraph.
• Change the paragraph alignment using the Left Align, Centre Align, Right Align, and Justify options from the toolbar.
• Practice aligning the paragraph in each alignment option to see how it looks.

Line Spacing:

• Select the paragraph again.
• Adjust the Line Spacing to 1.5 lines by clicking on the Line Spacing button in the toolbar.

Bullets and Numbering:

• Type a list of three things you enjoy doing
  1. Football
  2. Reading
  3. Drawing
• Highlight the list and convert it into a Bulleted List using the Bullets button in the toolbar
• Then, change it to a Numbered List using the Numbering button.

Teacher’s Checklist for Assessment:

• Did the student successfully apply the different paragraph alignment options?
• Was the student able to change the line spacing correctly?
• Did the student create and modify a bulleted or numbered list?

Conclusion:

This lab activity will allow all the students to demonstrate their understanding of paragraph alignment, line spacing, and lists in MS Word.

8. Assistive Technologies

Video: Assistive Technologies

Teacher Resource Document

Source and Attribution of images: All images used in the above Assets and Aids are originally created.

This digital material has been developed by the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini Inclusive Education Project, a unit of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, as a collaborative offering in the service of our nation.