Unit VI Louisiana's Musical Landscape
Lesson 1 and 2

Creating Tables and Frames with Microsoft Word

Name ______________________________________           Date ____________________

1. Open Microsoft Word. Create a new file by choosing New in the File menu. From the File menu, choose Page Setup, then select Landscape from the Orientation options, to display your table across the length of the paper.

2. Type a title for your Log. Center it, if you choose, by clicking the Center icon on the Standard Toolbar.

3. Add "Fill in the Blank" options by typing a title then inserting a blank line after it using the Drawing Toolbar. Display the Drawing Toolbar by selecting Toolbars from the View menu and clicking the Drawing box.

  • Click the Line icon on the Drawing Toolbar. It looks like a backward slash ( \ ).
  • Position the pointer after the title.
  • Click and drag the pointer to draw a line the desired length, like this:
    Source of Sound _____________________
  • While the line is "active," use the Copy command from the Edit menu to copy it.
  • Use the Paste command from the Edit menu to paste the new line after other titles you typed. Or, drag the pasted line while it is "active" by pointing the cursor in the center of the line until a "cross" icon appears.
  • For longer or shorter lines, "drag" the ends while the line is "active," or draw new lines.

4. Insert a table for organizing your data with one of these options:

A. Position the cursor where the table should be. Click the Insert Table button on the Standard Toolbar. Drag over the grid that appears to select the number of rows and columns you want.
  • To use automatic formatting, choose Table AutoFormat from the Table menu. Select several Formats from the menu on the left to see how the table will look. Select an appropriate format for your Log.
  • Change the size of the columns to suit your needs by:
    • a. placing the cursor over the line between the columns until the double line cursor appears, "grab" the line and move it to the desired position; or b. selecting Cell Height and Width from the Table menu. From the menu that appears, choose the Column tab and type or select the width you need.
B. From the Tables menu, select Insert Table.
  • From the menu that appears, choose the number of Columns and Rows.
  • Use the Auto for the Column width, and make adjustments to accommodate your data after it is entered.
  • Use the directions above for using the AutoFormat command and changing column sizes.

5. The Shortcut menu can be used to carry out most commands inside the table.

  • Position the cursor inside the table.
  • Hold down the CTRL key and click the mouse button.
  • Select options from the menu for editing and formatting the table.

6. New rows can be easily added by placing the cursor in the last cell on the right bottom of the table and hitting the Tab key.

7. Enter your data in the blanks and table. If you are satisfied that your table adequately explains the data you have collected, select Save from the Edit menu, give your file a name and save it to your disk or hard drive. If desired, print the file by selecting Print from the File menu.

8. If you are not satisfied with your table and want to delete it and start over:

  • Click the Show/Hide button (¶) on the Standard Toolbar to reveal the hidden formatting characters.
  • Look for the end-of-row character at the end of each row outside of the table.
  • Select the complete table, including the end-of-row characters and choose the Cut command from the Edit menu.
Extra!!

Insert a Frame Field into your log to record similar items.

  1. Select Text Box from the Insert menu. The cursor changes to a cross-hair (+).
  2. Place the cross-hair where you want the upper left corner of the textbox to be.
  3. While holding the mouse button, drag the cursor diagonally until you have the size box you need.
  4. Type your information inside the text box. Add tabs and text formatting inside the text box if desired
  5. Resize the frame by dragging the sizing handles that surround the text box when it is "active."
  6. To move the frame to a different place, position the pointer on the text box and when it changes to a "positioning pointer" (a cross with triangles at each end), drag the text box to a new place.
  7. To draw a frame around text that is already in the form, select the Rectangle icon in the Drawing Toolbar. Position the cursor above and to the left of the text to be framed, hold the mouse button and drag the cursor diagonally until all text is inside the rectangle, then release.

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