Excel Lesson Plan
Camping Trip Expense Chart

Assignment: Students create a spreadsheet and chart showing camping trip expenses. Instructions: Students shop for camping equipment using a Camping Trip Supplies Price List. Students should select as many items as they can without going over $300. Students create a spreadsheet using the items and prices chosen from the list. Students use a formula (SUM) to calculate the total cost. Students create a chart illustrating their expenses. Students may add clipart or related images.

Download: excel-camping-trip-expense-spreadsheet-finished example.xlsx

Camping Trip
Expenses Chart - Finished Example

Download: excel-camping-supplies-price-list.pdf

Camping Trip Supplies Price List

Explain the scenario to the students and make this list available for them to view. Students should select several items from the list, and enter their choices and the prices into their spreadsheet.

Download: student-instructions-camping-trip-expenses-spreadsheet.pdf

Student Instructions

Excel Mini-Course in 4 Minutes:

Quickly learn the essentials you need for this lesson with these short, focused video tutorials. Watch all the videos to see how to create a budget and chart from start to finish or just watch the ones you need.

Students Learn and Practice
the Following Basic Spreadsheet Skills:

• Creating and formatting a spreadsheet title using "merge and center"
• Entering data in columns and rows
• Using the simple formula "Autosum" to automatically calculate total expenses
• Formatting numbers as currency and adding $ signs.
• Creating a chart using the expense data entered.
• Using different colors for chart segments to improve visual presentation
• Creating, sizing, and positioning the chart to fit on a single page with the data
• Searching, inserting, sizing, and positioning clipart or pictures
• Using print preview and printing

Download: rubric-for-spreadsheet-with-chart.pdf

Excel Spreadsheet Rubric for Grading Assignments