Introduction to Word Processing
Ewing SeniorNet Computer Literacy Center
Lesson Plan by Karl Juelch,
(Modified by Art Steinman and Jane Nelson)
Intro to Word Processing - Microsoft Works for Windows
v.4.5
Lesson 1
"Word Processing" is the program that has largely replaced the typewriter. The
program makes the computer more versatile than the typewriter. The typewriter
did little more than place characters on a piece of paper. The "Word Processor"
can do many more things such as electronically erasing our mistakes, moving
words to different places in the document, re-arranging whole paragraphs,
changing size and style of type, saving documents to a disk, re-opening
documents and making changes without retyping the whole thing. This type of
program is the most widely used computer program.
This lesson plan has been prepared using the Word Processing portion of MS
Works for Windows v 4.5
Lesson 1-Part 1
In this lesson we will use a Works Wizard to create a personal letterhead. We will
retrieve data from folders and store data into folders We will create and modify a
document. We will also familiarize ourselves with the features of the View menu.
1. - Turn on your computer.
2. - Start Windows 95 .
3. - When the Desktop screen appears, double click on the MSWorks icon. You
should now see Works Task Launcher . We are now going to use a Task
Wizard . (If the Task Wizard is not in front, click on the Task Wizard tab.)
Note :: Under the category of Common Tasks , there are six Wizards. Single
click on Common Tasks and notice that the list of Wizards disappears.
4. - Click on Volunteer/Civic Activities . Now a list of Wizards relating to that
category appears.
5. - Close that category and open Common Tasks again.
We're going to start by creating a personal letterhead.
1. - Double click Letterhead
2. - Click Yes, run the Task Wizard .
Note that the Wizard gives you a choice of three formats
The green border is around the “Professional” format and the example on
the right is the “Professional” layout.
3. - Click Simple , As you can see in the example, everything is now left justified.
4. - Click Formal . Look at that layout.
5. - Choose one of the styles and click on it, then click Next
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Introduction to Word Processing
Note : At this time you will work on a letterhead. The other options such as the
addressee, the body of the letter and the font you want to use, may be dealt
with later.
6. - Click on Letterhead and continue the process by clicking on Next after each
choice is made.
After you have entered all the information you want on your letterhead, click on
the Create It button. After the letter appears, look at what you have done.
Saving a file
Now you will want to save it.
We are going to put it into a folder that is on a disk in the A drive.
1. - Insert your disk into the A drive
2. - Click on File , then click on Save As...
3. - Click on the u in the drop down window.
4. - Click on 3 1/2 Floppy Drive (A:)
5. - Double click on Saved Files
6. - Type in the name of the file which we’ll call “ Heading ”
7. - Click on Save .
Notice the name of the file at the top of the screen.
You have now created and saved a personalized letterhead.
Close the file by clicking on the x to the extreme right of the file name.
Now that was easy. You saw some of the features built of the MS Works
program. It was easy to create a letterhead. You'll be able to design your own
when you become familiar with the program.
Lesson 1, part 2
1- Let's start over.
a. Click on File , then click on New... ,
b. then click on the tab that says Works Tools
c. then click on the picture to the left of Word Processor
2- Now click on the View menu. Look at those items that are checked.
Normal, All Characters, and Ruler should be checked now
a. Click checked ruler to hide the ruler
b. Click View again. Note that the check mark is missing from Ruler
c. Click unchecked Ruler to see Ruler
d. Watch paragraph marks as you choose All Characters on View menu
e. Choose All Characters again to see hidden marks.
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Introduction to Word Processing
1- Type in the following quickly. Do not worry about typing errors:
Soon the mysteries of Word Processing will be unraveled and aside
from doing my normal correspondence I will be writing either my
autobiography or the great American novel. I haven't decided which
just yet. The politicians better watch it too; I'll be firing letters off left
and right to set them straight. I can't wait! Someone has to tell them
what to do.
I'll be able to keep a diary too. Something I can pass on in the
family. While I'm at it I will put down on paper my memories for my
kids and grandkids.
So much to learn, but I'm getting a start on it. There is nothing to
stop me now.
2- Now go back and correct your errors , delete any characters that you don’t
want, add in ones that you do want.
Do this by moving the I - beam pointer just to the right of any error and then tap
the Backspace key to erase, then retype
3- When you've made the corrections, save the document:
a. On the File menu, choose Save As ... - a dialog box will come on screen
Notice the cursor is blinking where it says File Name .
Type My Words in the File Name text box.
b. Now you have to tell the program where you want to save the
document.
Click on the u in the drop down window.
Click on 3 1/2 Floppy Drive (A:)
Double click on Saved Files
Click on Save .
Look at the title bar and you will see it is now titled, " My Words ".
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Introduction to Word Processing
At this time I want to point out something that you might find helpful in moving
your cursor. Click your cursor in the middle of a sentence in the second
paragraph.
a. Hit Home (on the keyboard.) The cursor moved to the beginning of the
line.
b. Hit End (on the keyboard.) The cursor moved to the end of the line.
c. Press and hold the Control key and hit Home . The cursor moves to the
very beginning of the document.
d. Press and hold the Control key and hit End . The cursor moves to the
very end of the document, regardless of how long or short the document.
Back now to the job.
4. - We want to add another sentence to the document. Click on a blank line after
the last one in the document. Hit Enter and type this:
Hey! I've typed in something and I've saved it to a disk. This is
moving right along. Already I'm adding to what I did before.
5- Now we are going to Save again, but with a difference . We want to keep the
original which we named My Words in its original form but now create
another document with the sentence we just added to it. So.....
6- Go to the File menu, choose Save As , a dialog box appears
7- In the File Name box you will see the name of the file we have been working
on, " My Words ". Move the "I" pointer just to the right of My Words and
type in 2 ". Leave the floppy disk location alone.
8- Click on Save .
Now you have two documents on your disk, My Words and My Words2.
9- Go to the File menu, Close .
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Introduction to Word Processing
Lesson 1, part 3
1 - From the File menu choose Open ... . Double click on Words
Words is in the folder Class Data , not in the folder Saved Files
2 - Now click on the View menu. Look at those items that are checked.
Normal, All Characters, and Ruler should be checked now
a. Click checked ruler to hide the ruler
b. Click View again. Note that the check mark is missing from Ruler
c. Click unchecked Ruler to see Ruler
d. Watch paragraph marks as you choose All Characters on View menu
e. Choose All Characters again to see hidden marks.
3 - Click on View again. Choose Page Layout . Margins are now visible. On View
menu,, choose Normal to hide the margins.
4 - View again. Then Zoom . Double click 200 to magnify the view to 200 percent.
a. On View choose Zoom and change view scale to 50 percent.
b. On View choose Zoom and change view scale to 100 percent.
c. On View choose Normal
5 - On File menu, choose Print Preview . This allows you to see how the
document will look when printed. You may not be able to read it, but that's OK,
this view is only to see how it will lay out on the page(s)
a. Notice the pointer is a magnifying glass; click once to enlarge the view
b. Click twice to return to original scale. Click Cancel to close the preview
6 - Close Words . Click on the File menu, choose Close . Do not save changes.
Document printed June 21, 2001
Introduction to Word Processing
Ewing SeniorNet Computer Literacy Center
Lesson Plan by Karl Juelch,
(Modified by Art Steinman and Jane Nelson)
Intro to Word Processing - Microsoft Works for Windows
v.4.5
Lesson 2
In order for a computer to operate on data, within a file, it must be told which data
is being referred to. We define the desired data by selecting or highlighting it.
a - In this lesson you will learn several ways of highlighting or selecting data.
b - You will learn to chose a font and font size and style .
c - You will learn to use the various shortcuts on the Toolbar and how to
customize the toolbar for your particular needs.
d - You will learn how to keep several files open at the same time and different
ways of viewing them.
e - You will learn how to select clip art, how to insert it into a document and how
to alter the size of the art..
Lesson 2-Part 1
Highlighting
1 - Turn on the computer, Open Windows, Open Works. Put your disk in the A
drive. Open the file Words in the folder Class Data .
Highlighting is a method by which you can make changes to text. So that's what
we need to do next. There are a few ways to do this. We'll try a couple.
2 - Go to the Edit menu, choose Select All . Everything is highlighted. Put your
cursor (pointer, I beam) anywhere in the window and click. Away it goes!
3 - Now for less then all, but a lot. - Place the pointer to the left of the text. Notice
the pointer becomes an arrow. Now hold down the left mouse button and drag
the pointer down the left side of the text. Release the button. See the area you
have selected. Click anywhere on screen to deselect the highlighted area.
4 - Another way of doing it. - Place and click the I - beam pointer somewhere in
the first paragraph. Hold down the Shift key and now click somewhere in the
third paragraph. Release Shift . All text between these points is highlighted. Click
anywhere on the screen to deselect.
5 - Several words - Hold mouse button down and drag I - beam pointer through
words. Release mouse button. Deselect.
6 - Now for smaller bits. - One line - Click the arrow pointer just to the left of any
line in paragraph 1. Click anywhere on screen to deselect.
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Introduction to Word Processing
7 - One paragraph - Double click just left of any line in paragraph 1. Click
anywhere on screen to deselect.
8 - One sentence - Hold down Control (Ctrl) and click inside the sentence.
Deselect
9 - One word - Double click I- beam pointer in a word. Deselect.
Now we put what we've learned to work.....
Lesson 2, Part 2
Changing fonts and size
1- Highlight paragraph 1. (Double click arrow to left of the paragraph)
2- Go to the Format menu, choose Font and Style
3- In the Font box, scroll up to Arial
4- In the Size scroll box, choose 18. Did you see what happened in the Sample
box? Now click on OK . The change affected only the part that was highlighted.
5- Do Format again. Now change font to Courier and size to 10.
6- Give each paragraph a separate font and size
7. Now go to File , Save As and in the File Name box, type in “ Fonts and Sizes ”
and save in Saved Files . (using the Save As command.) Now the folder will
have the document that you typed and saved, and the second, the modified one
with different fonts and font sizes.
8- Lets see if you can change the font and size for an entire document. Use one
of the methods above and change to 12 point Times New Roman.
Now you have a document uniformly formatted, let's look at applying styles.
Lesson 2 - Part 3
Changing styles
1- Double click arrow pointer to left of paragraph 2.
2- Go to Format menu, choose Font and Style , in the Style box click on Bold to
put and X in the box. Look at the sample. Click OK .
3- Paragraph 2 is now BOLD. Repeat step 2. Clicking on Bold removes the X
from the box and the BOLD from the paragraph.
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Introduction to Word Processing
4- Now we'll combine styles. Highlight paragraph 2. Go to Format , then Font
and Style , then click on Bold, Italic, Underline then OK
How's that for changing a paragraph! Same thing could be done for a word, a
sentence, or a whole document.
5- Try giving each paragraph a separate style.
6- Go to the File menu, then Save As , (Are you in the Saved Files folder?)
Name it Styles . Click on OK .
Now the folder Saved Files will have the document that you typed and saved,
My Words , , My Words2 plus the two documents containing modifications of
fonts, sizes and styles.
Lesson 2 - Part 4
Using the Toolbar
Lets take a look at the Toolbar which is under the Menu bar.
1 - Click on the View menu, choose Toolbar . If there is a check mark in front
then the Toolbar is visible. If there is no check mark, click on Toolbar to put a
check mark there. Then click anywhere on the screen.
2 - Now starting on the left end of the Toolbar just move the pointer across each
box and read the label that pops up. Now how do you use what you see?
3 - Double click the arrow pointer to the left of paragraph 1 to select it.
a. Click on the u for the pop up font menu at left end of toolbar.
b. Click a new font for selection --change happens immediately.
c. Click on the u for the pop up menu for size
d. Click on a new size selection -- change happens immediately.
e. Click on the B , click again
f. Click on I , click again
g. Click on U , click again
4 - Go to Tools menu, then choose Customize Toolbar . Take a look at this
dialog box. Read the instructions at the top of the box. Click on some of the
choices in the Categories box and then in the Toolbar Buttons box. Read the
descriptions in the bottom box. To customize your toolbar, click on toolbar button
and, keeping the mouse button depressed, drag the button up to the tool bar. To
take away a button from the Toolbar, click on it and drag it down into the Toolbar
buttons area. Don’t worry about the menu category.
5 - When done, click on Cancel .
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Introduction to Word Processing
6 - Choose the File menu, choose Close .
Lesson 2 - Part 5
Multiple documents open at the same time.
1- Go to File menu, choose Open . . .
If floppy disk is not in drive, insert it now. Click u for MSWorks 4.5. Click
on Saved Files . Double click on first document name in scroll box. Repeat same
procedure to open all files.
2- Click on Window in the menu bar. Look at the names at bottom. Click Fonts
to make it the active window.
3- Go back to the Window menu. Choose Tile . Now you see a part of each file in
its own little window. Count the windows. (Four, I hope.)
4- Now to view one as full screen. Click Words to make it active. Click on the
Maximize button on the far right of the Title bar. word now takes up the full
screen.
5- Back to the Window menu, choose Cascade . You now see most of the active
document and the names of the rest. Click on any window behind the active
window. That document comes forward covering most of the front. Click
Maximize on this document.
6- Go to the File menu and close each document in turn.
Lesson 2 - Part 6
Clip Art
How do you get pictures (clip art ) into a document?
1- Open Word . Click the I beam pointer after the word "politicians" in the third
line of the first paragraph. This is where the art will be inserted.
2- Go to the Insert menu, choose Clip Art
Scroll Through the pictures.
Choose the picture you like and double click it.
3- Insert the cursor to the right of the picture. Tap the right arrow and the left
arrow a few times. Watch the screen as you move over letters to the left and right
of the picture. The picture acts as one big character in the text.
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Introduction to Word Processing
4- Click the picture once. Notice the Square handles at the corners and edges.
Carefully put the pointer at the handle at lower right. Drag diagonally up and to
the left. until outline is half as big. Click away from the picture.
5- To delete the picture: Click on the picture and hit Backspace .
6- To get the picture back: Go to the Edit menu, choose Undo Editing .
7- To delete text and picture: Put the I beam pointer in text to left of the picture.
Drag to the right past the picture. Picture is highlighted like other characters. Hit
Backspace .
8- Close Word s document without saving changes.
Document printed June 21, 2001
Introduction to Word Processing
Ewing SeniorNet Computer Literacy Center
Lesson Plan by Karl Juelch,
(Modified by Art Steinman and Jane Nelson)
Intro to Word Processing - Microsoft Works for Windows
v.4.5
Lesson 3
In Lesson 3 you will learn several ways to manipulate text with Clear, Cut , Copy ,
and Paste instructions
You will learn how to change page margins and to place data in column formats.
You will learn how to align separate parts of a document, (as in laying out a letter
or flyer.
Lesson 3- Part 1
Now for some magic. We are going to do some of the text manipulation
mentioned in the first lesson. Cut, copy, paste and clear.
1- Start Works ; open Words .
2- Highlight the second paragraph and the line after it. (double click to left of
paragraph, then with Shift key held down, click the blank line below the
paragraph or drag down and highlight the second paragraph and the space after
it.)
3- Now that you've got the paragraph selected and the extra line (to make
space)
a. Go to Edit menu, choose Cut . (this command removes what you have
selected and puts it into a part of memory called the " clipboard ".)
b. Click the I beam pointer before the first word in paragraph 1
c. Go to Edit menu, choose Paste and voila! paragraph 2 is now
paragraph 1
4- Let's do the same thing with paragraph 3; but Copy not Cut to move it ahead
of paragraph 2
a. Highlight paragraph 3, plus the blank line after it. (see #2 above)
b. Go to Edit menu, choose Copy . (this command does not remove, but
copies what you have selected and puts it into a part of memory called
the " clipboard ".)
c. Click the I beam pointer before the first word in paragraph 2
d. Go to Edit menu, choose Paste and voila! paragraph 3 appears again
in the document.
We've done a cut and a copy, now for a delete.
5- Highlight paragraph 1 and the blank line after it. Go to Edit menu, choose
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Introduction to Word Processing
Clear.
Suppose this last action was a mistake, could you get it back? Yes!
6- Go to Edit menu, choose Undo Editing , and there you are. Neat!
7- Close Words without saving changes.
Lesson 3- Part 2
Here is another way to move or copy a selection. You may find this one simpler
than the Cut, Copy and Paste commands.
1- Open Words
2- Highlight paragraph 2 and the blank line after it. (double click the arrow pointer
to the left of paragraph 2. Hold down Shift and click blank line below the
paragraph or drag down and highlight the second paragraph and the space after
it.)
3- Put the pointer anywhere in the selection. What is different about it? (The word
"drag" is attached.)
a. With the pointer in the selection, hold down the mouse button and drag
the pointer before the first word in paragraph 1. The insertion point
follows the Move pointer.
b. Release the mouse button. The selected text "drops in" at the insertion
point. This is known as "drag and drop".
4- Let's do it again. Drag copy of paragraph 3 ahead of paragraph 4.
a. Highlight paragraph 3 plus the blank line after it.
b. With the pointer in the selection, hold down the mouse button.
c. Drag the pointer before the first word in paragraph 2. Don't release the
mouse button . With the button down, watch the pointer as you press
and release CTRL .
d. With CTRL held down, release the mouse button, then release CTRL .
e. A copy of the selected text drops in at the insertion point.
5- Close Words without saving changes.
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Introduction to Word Processing
Lesson 3- Part 3
Now we are going to change page margins and create more than one column on
the page.
1- Open Words 15X
2- Go to the View menu, choose Page Layout to see the margins.
3- Go to the File menu, choose Page Setup .
4- A dialog box pops up with cursor blinking in the Top Margin box
a. Type 2 and hit Tab . Do this 3 more times. (this will put a "2" in the "Top",
"Bottom", "Left", and "Right" margins boxes.
b. Click on OK to see the new margins.
Now for the columns.
5- Go to the Format menu, choose Columns . A dialog box pops up.
a. Type 3 in the Number of columns box . Watch the sample box as you
b. Hit Tab
c. Click the box that calls for a line between the columns.
d. Click OK to see the results. (The line between the columns is missing.)
e. Go to the File menu, choose Print Preview.
f. Line now appears. Click Cancel to remove the printed page.
6- Close Words 15X without saving changes
Lesson 3- Part 4
Now we’ll align the text on a page. You will create a new document for this
exercise.
To open a new and empty page:
a. Click on File , then click on New... ,
b. then click on the tab that says Works Tools
c. then click on the picture to the left of Word Processor
1 -
a. Type Ewing SeniorNet Computer Literacy Center , hit Enter twice.
b. Type Mr. Floppy Drive and hit Enter twice
c. Type December 28, 2005 , hit Enter twice
d. Type the following:
When you have completed typing this operation, your left and
right margins should be justified (lined up even). If they are not
justified, then you will have done something wrong. I hope not. Add
another couple of lines to get the full effect of what you have done.
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Introduction to Word Processing
2 - We are going to use the Toolbar to change alignment
a -- Click anywhere in the Ewing SeniorNet . . . line
Click on the Right Align button . Look at the results.
b - Click anywhere in Mr. Floppy Drive
Click on the Center Align button - Look at the results.
c - The date is already left aligned- look at the results
The Toolbar normally does not have the justify button, but it could be added. Go
to Lesson 2- Part 4, you can see an explanation, on screen for adding buttons to
the Toolbar.
But you can also justify in the following way.
Click anywhere in the last paragraph
On the Menu Bar , click on Format
On the drop down screen, click on Paragraph
On the new screen, click on Indents and Alignment
Under Alignment , click the radio button next to Justified .
All this while we've concentrated on using the mouse. Now we'll try the keyboard.
3- Click anywhere in the last paragraph
a. Use Shift + Ctrl + R to align right
b. Use Ctrl + J to justify on right margin
c. Use Ctrl + L to align left
d. Use Ctrl + E to center. (This is a little hard to remember since it does
not use the first letter of the word used to describe the operation, but Ctrl + C is
used as a keyboard instruction to Copy .)
4- Close the new document without saving changes.
Document printed June 21, 2001
Introduction to Word Processing
Ewing SeniorNet Computer Literacy Center
Lesson Plan by Karl Juelch,
(Modified by Art Steinman and Jane Nelson)
Intro to Word Processing - Microsoft Works for Windows
v.4.5
Lesson 4- Part 1
More manipulation of text. Indenting paragraphs and indenting first lines.
Changing of line spacing and the adjustment of Tabs.
1- Open Words
2- (If no ruler at top of page) Go to View menu, choose Ruler
3- Now to set the Left, Right and first line indents ( method 1 )
a. Click inside of paragraph 1
b. Go to Format menu, choose Paragraph
c. Click the tab labeled Indents and Alignment
d. Type 1 and hit the Tab - do this twice more
e. Click OK . Look at the results Look for the markers in the Ruler
Notice that the first line indent is 1 inch from the left indent
4- Now to set the Left, Right and first line indents ( method 2 )
a. Click inside paragraph 2. Look at the indent markers in the ruler.
Each paragraph has its own indent markers.
b. In the ruler put the pointer on the right indent marker.
c. Drag to the left one inch.
d. Put pointer on left indent marker (lower triangle)
e. Drag right one inch. Paragraph with insertion point in it is indented from
each margin .
f. Put pointer on first-line indent marker (upper triangle at left)
g. Drag right one inch. Only first line is indented.
5- Arrange the entire document with a three quarter inch indent on the left, a
three quarter inch indent on the right and a one half inch indent on the first line of
each paragraph.
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Introduction to Word Processing
Lesson 4-Part 2
Now what about if you want the lines spaced differently? Well we can do that too.
As we saw in Lesson 4 Part 1, there are often several ways of doing something.
This is true of spacing lines as well.
2- Change line spacing ( method 1 )
a. Click inside paragraph 1
b. Go to Format menu, choose Paragraph
c. Click tab labeled Spacing
d. Choose Line spacing
e. Type 2 and hit Tab
f. Click on OK . Paragraph is double spaced.
g. Go to Format menu again, choose Paragraph
h. Click tab labeled Spacing
i. Choose Line spacing
j. Type 3 and hit Tab
k. Click on OK . Paragraph is now triple spaced.
3- Change line spacing ( method 2 )
a. Click inside paragraph 2
b. Use Ctrl + 2 to double space
c. Use Ctrl+ 1 to single space
d. Use Ctrl+ 5 for 1.5 line spacing
e. Use Ctrl+ 3 for triple space Notice : Nothing happened. The keyboard
controls for line spacing may be used only for spacing of 1, 1 1/2 and 2 lines.
4- Put a space after a paragraph
a. Double click blank line before paragraph 3 and hit Backspace . Now
the blank line before paragraph 3 is gone.
b. Go to the Format menu, choose Paragraph
c. Hit Tab to highlight After text box
d. Type 1 and hit