Week 4: Microsoft Word Intermediate | VUB Intermediate Computer Skills

Week 4

Microsoft Word Intermediate

Creating Professional Documents

VUB Intermediate Computer Skills
Week 4 of 8

Document Makeover

Warm-Up Activity (8 minutes)

Which document would you trust more? A messy letter or a clean, formatted one?

The Messy Document

No title or headings - just a wall of text
Multiple fonts and random sizes
No page numbers or dates
Data listed in paragraphs, not tables
Spelling errors throughout
No clear sections or organization

The Professional Document

Clear title and section headings
Consistent font and spacing
Header with name, date, and page numbers
Data organized in formatted tables
Spell-checked and proofread
Logical flow from section to section

Discussion: What Makes It Professional?

Look at the right column - headings, consistent fonts, tables, page numbers. These are the skills we'll learn today!

Connection to Week 3

Last week we mastered email. This week: the documents you'll attach to those emails!

Today's Roadmap

What we'll accomplish in the next 2 hours

📋

Learn (20 min)

Styles, templates, tables, headers, formatting

🔨

Guided Practice (25 min)

Build a VA Appeal Letter with styles, tables, headers

☕

Break (10 min)

Save your work, stretch, recharge

🚀

Independent Practice (35 min)

Polish, spell check, and complete the document

What You'll Build Today

A VA Appeal Letter with Title and Heading styles, a service history table, a medical evidence table, and a header/footer with page numbers.

Workshop Handout

You'll receive a Word Document Workshop handout with step-by-step instructions for all activities. Keep it as a reference!

Why Word Skills Matter

Documents are everywhere in your life

📝

Letters & Correspondence

VA appeals, cover letters, formal complaints

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Resumes

Job applications, volunteer work, education

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Reports & Lists

Medical histories, expense tracking, inventories

📄

Forms & Applications

Fillable forms, applications, requests

            Today's Goals
            Use Styles to format documents consistently
Find and use Templates for common documents
Create and format Tables for organized data
Add professional Headers, Footers, and Page Numbers

          

The Word Interface

Getting familiar with the Ribbon

File

Home

Insert

Design

Layout

Review

View

📋

Clipboard

🔤

Font

📐

Paragraph

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Styles

Key Ribbon Tabs

Home - Basic formatting, styles
Insert - Tables, pictures, headers
Design - Document themes
Layout - Margins, orientation
Review - Spell check, comments

Quick Tip

Can't find a feature? Use the Search bar at the top of the ribbon (or press Alt + Q) and type what you're looking for!

What Are Styles?

Consistent formatting made easy

A Style is a saved set of formatting options (font, size, color, spacing) that you can apply with one click.

Without Styles

Format each heading manually
Inconsistent font sizes
Hard to change later
Time-consuming

With Styles

One click applies formatting
Always consistent
Change once, updates everywhere
Fast and professional

Built-in Styles in Word

Title - For your document title
Heading 1 - For major sections
Heading 2 - For subsections
Normal - For regular paragraph text

Using Built-in Styles

Step-by-step guide

Click in the text you want to format (or select it)
Go to the Home tab on the Ribbon
Look at the Styles group on the right side
Click the style you want to apply (Title, Heading 1, etc.)

Pro Tip: See More Styles

Click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Styles group to see ALL available styles, including options for quotes, lists, and more.

Example Document Structure

VA Benefits Appeal Letter Title Style

Background Information Heading 1

Service History Heading 2

I served in the US Army from 1985 to 2005... Normal

Why Styles Matter

Benefits beyond formatting

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Consistent Look

All headings look the same throughout the document

⚡

Fast Changes

Modify the style once, all instances update

📑

Navigation

Use Navigation Pane to jump between sections

Try the Navigation Pane

Go to View tab → Check Navigation Pane
Now you can see all your headings in a sidebar and click to jump to any section instantly!

Using Templates

Don't start from scratch!

A template is a pre-designed document you can customize. Word has templates for resumes, letters, flyers, and more.

Open Word and click File → New
Browse the template gallery or search (e.g., "resume" or "letter")
Click a template to preview it
Click Create to use it
Replace the placeholder text with your own content

Popular Templates

Resume / CV
Cover Letter
Business Letter
Newsletter
Flyer / Poster

Tips for Templates

Keep the overall structure
Replace ALL placeholder text
Don't delete formatting accidentally
Save as a new file immediately

Creating Tables

Organize information in rows and columns

Tables are perfect for organizing data like schedules, expenses, contact lists, and more.

Click where you want the table
Go to Insert tab → Table
Drag to select the number of rows and columns
Click to insert the table
Click in each cell to add your content

Example: Monthly Expenses

Category	January	February	March
Groceries	$320	$285	$310
Utilities	$150	$165	$145
Transportation	$80	$95	$85

Formatting Tables

Make your tables look professional

When you click inside a table, new Table Design and Layout tabs appear on the ribbon.

Table Design Tab

Table Styles - Pre-made color schemes
Header Row - Bold top row
Banded Rows - Alternating colors
Borders - Line styles around cells

Layout Tab

Insert - Add rows/columns
Delete - Remove rows/columns
Merge Cells - Combine cells
Alignment - Text position in cells

Quick Table Styling

Click anywhere in your table, then click the Table Design tab. Hover over different Table Styles to preview them instantly!

Adding Headers & Footers

Content that appears on every page

Headers appear at the top of every page. Footers appear at the bottom. They're great for document titles, dates, and page numbers.

Go to Insert tab
Click Header or Footer
Choose a built-in design or select Edit Header/Footer
Type your text (it will appear on all pages)
Click Close Header and Footer when done

            What to Put in Headers/Footers
            Header: Document title, your name, date
Footer: Page numbers, "Confidential", contact info

          

Quick Access

Double-click at the very top or bottom of any page to quickly enter the header or footer editing mode!

Page Numbers

Essential for multi-page documents

Go to Insert tab
Click Page Number
Choose position: Top of Page, Bottom of Page, or Page Margins
Select a style (Plain Number, Bold Numbers, etc.)

Page Number Positions

Top of Page (Header)
Bottom of Page (Footer)
Page Margins (sides)
Current Position (in text)

Formatting Options

Start at a specific number
"Page X of Y" format
Different first page
Different odd/even pages

Don't Type Page Numbers Manually!

If you add or remove pages, manual numbers won't update. Always use Insert → Page Number so they update automatically.

Formatting Best Practices

Professional document appearance

DO

Use styles for consistent headings
Stick to 1-2 fonts max
Use readable font size (11-12pt)
Leave adequate margins (1 inch)
Use bullet points for lists
Add white space between sections

DON'T

Use multiple decorative fonts
Center everything
Use ALL CAPS for long text
Add excessive colors
Overuse bold and italics
Forget to proofread

Professional Font Choices

For body text: Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman (11-12pt)
For headings: Same font or a complementary one, slightly larger

Spell Check & Review

Catch errors before sending

Automatic Checking

Red wavy line = Spelling error
Blue wavy line = Grammar issue
Right-click to see suggestions
Click suggestion to fix

Full Spell Check

Go to Review tab
Click Spelling & Grammar
Or press F7
Review each suggestion

Spell Check Isn't Perfect!

Spell check won't catch:

Wrong word spelled correctly (their/there/they're)
Names and proper nouns
Context errors ("I went to store")

Always read your document yourself!

Workshop Time!

Word Document Workshop - Parts 1 & 2 (Guided, 25 min)

Open Your Workshop Handout

Your instructor will hand out the Word Document Workshop. We'll work through the first two parts together.

Part 1: Styles Foundation (15 min)

Create a new blank document
Type your VA Appeal Letter text
Apply Title style to the letter title
Apply Heading 1 to major sections
Apply Heading 2 to subsections
Open the Navigation Pane to see your structure

Follow along with the instructor step-by-step!

Part 2: Tables for Data (15 min)

Insert a service history table (4 columns x 4 rows)
Add headers: Branch, Dates, Rank, MOS
Fill in sample service data
Insert a medical evidence table (3 columns x 4 rows)
Apply a professional Table Style
Format with Header Row and Banded Rows

We'll do this one together!

Need Help?

Raise your hand anytime. Check off each step in your workshop handout as you complete it.

Break Time!

10-Minute Break

☕

            Before You Step Away
            Make sure your document is saved (Ctrl + S)
Verify your styles and tables look correct
Check off completed steps in your workshop handout

          

When we return, you'll work on Parts 3 & 4 of the workshop independently.

            Coming Up Next
            Part 3: Add headers, footers, and page numbers
Part 4: Final polish - spell check, formatting review, and save

          

Knowledge Check

Let's review what we learned!

Question 1

What is the benefit of using Styles instead of manual formatting?

Consistent formatting, easy to change, enables navigation and TOC features.

Question 2

Where do you go to insert a table?

Insert tab → Table

Question 3

What's the keyboard shortcut for spell check?

F7

Question 4

Why should you NOT type page numbers manually?

They won't update automatically if pages are added or removed.

Show & Share

Evaluation Activity (10 minutes)

Partner Check

Pair up with a neighbor and show each other your VA Appeal Letter:

Show Your Partner

Your Title and Heading styles in the document
Your service history table and medical evidence table
Your header with name/date and page numbers

Peer Review Checklist

Does it use Title and Heading styles?
Are the tables properly formatted with headers?
Does it have a header with name/date and page numbers?
Is spell check complete?

Class Discussion

Volunteers: What was the most useful thing you learned today? Did anyone discover a Word feature on their own?

Your Word Challenge This Week

Put your new skills to work!

This Week's Mission

Complete these tasks before the next class meeting:

Create a medication tracking document - Use a table with columns for Medication, Dosage, Time, and Notes
Write a one-page letter - Use Title style, at least one Heading style, and proper formatting
Email your VA Appeal Letter to yourself - Use your Week 3 email skills to attach and send the document
Browse Word templates - Go to File → New and explore at least 3 templates

Keep Your Workshop Handout!

Use it as a reference guide at home. The step-by-step instructions will help you remember how to do everything we practiced today.

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