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Basic 7 · Computing · Introduction to Presentation

Inserting Objects, Special Characters and Formatting Text in PowerPoint

In this topic you will use tools on the Insert ribbon, including special characters, to design a seven-slide presentation, and format text by changing its case, size, colour and decoration.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Use the Insert ribbon to add slides, pictures, shapes, tables and symbols
  • Insert special characters and design a seven-slide presentation
  • Change text case, size, colour and decoration using the Font group

What you already know

  • The MS PowerPoint interface

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Lesson 1

Strand
Productivity Software
Sub-strand
Introduction to Presentation
Indicator
B7.2.2.1.3 – Demonstrate how to use Special Characters: Design a 7-slide presentation in MS-PowerPoint using the tools under the Insert ribbon

Introduction

A presentation with only text is dull. The Insert ribbon lets you add pictures, shapes, tables, charts and even special symbols such as ©, ° and ₵ to make your slides informative and attractive.

1. The Insert Ribbon

Groups and tools on the Insert tab
GroupTools and uses
SlidesNew Slide: adds a slide with a chosen layout
TablesTable: inserts rows and columns
ImagesPictures, Screenshot, Photo Album
IllustrationsShapes, Icons, SmartArt, Chart
TextText Box, Header and Footer, WordArt, Date and Time, Slide Number
SymbolsEquation, Symbol
MediaVideo, Audio, Screen Recording

2. Inserting Special Characters

Special characters: Symbols that are not on the keyboard, such as ©, ®, °, ½, ₵, € and Greek letters like π.

  1. Click where you want the symbol in a text box.
  2. Click the Insert tab.
  3. In the Symbols group, click Symbol.
  4. Choose a font (such as Segoe UI Symbol) and a subset (such as Currency Symbols).
  5. Click the symbol you want, then click Insert and Close.
The Symbol dialog box in Microsoft Office showing special characters
Figure 1: Symbol dialog box Write five special characters and their names.

3. Designing a Seven-Slide Presentation

Plan for a seven-slide presentation on "My School"
SlideContentInsert tools used
1title slide: school name and your nameWordArt, Picture of school crest
2history of the schoolText Box, Date
3school facilitiesSmartArt or bullet list, Icons
4number of learners per classTable or Chart
5school activitiesPictures
6school rulesShapes with text
7conclusion and thank youSymbol (©), Slide Number

4. Steps in Building the Presentation

  1. Open PowerPoint and choose a suitable theme.
  2. Type the title and subtitle on slide 1.
  3. Click New Slide and choose a layout for each new slide.
  4. Use the Insert tab to add pictures, tables, shapes and symbols.
  5. Add slide numbers using Header and Footer.
  6. Save the file with a clear name, such as "My School Presentation".
  7. Press F5 to view the slide show and correct any mistakes.

5. Good Practice with Inserted Objects

Choose pictures that are clear and relevant, and do not stretch them out of shape; drag a corner handle to keep proportions. Keep charts and tables simple, with only the most important data. Use the same style of icons and shapes throughout. Give credit for pictures you did not create.

New words

Insert tab
The ribbon tab used to add objects to slides.
special character
A symbol not found on the keyboard.
SmartArt
Ready-made diagrams for lists and processes.
layout
The arrangement of placeholders on a slide.

Summary

  • The Insert tab adds slides, tables, pictures, shapes, charts, text boxes, symbols and media.
  • Special characters are inserted from the Symbols group.
  • Plan each slide and use suitable insert tools to build a seven-slide presentation.

Class activity: Seven-Slide Project

  1. Plan a seven-slide presentation on your school or community.
  2. Build it using at least five different Insert tools, including one special character.
  3. Present it to your group using Slide Show view.

You need: Desktop computer, Mouse, Printed PowerPoint screenshot

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. Which tab is used to add a picture to a slide?

    • A. Insert
    • B. Review
    • C. View
    • D. Design
    Show answer
    Answer: InsertAdds objects.

  2. 2. The Symbol command is found in which group?

    • A. Symbols
    • B. Slides
    • C. Media
    • D. Tables
    Show answer
    Answer: SymbolsOn the Insert tab.

  3. 3. The Ghana cedi sign ₵ can be inserted as a special character.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueFrom the Symbol dialog.

  4. 4. Ready-made diagrams for lists and processes are called ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: SmartArtInsert tab tool.

  5. 5. Describe the steps for inserting a special character.

    Show answer
    Answer: Click in the text box, click Insert, click Symbol, choose the font and symbol, click Insert and Close.Steps.

  6. 6. Why should you drag a corner handle when resizing a picture?

    Show answer
    Answer: It keeps the picture's proportions so it does not look stretched or squashed.Aspect ratio.

Lesson 2

Strand
Productivity Software
Sub-strand
Introduction to Presentation
Indicator
B7.2.2.1.1 – Demonstrate how to change text case text size text color and decorate text

Introduction

The same words can look plain or powerful depending on how they are formatted. The Font group on the Home tab lets you change the case, size, colour and decoration of text.

1. The Font Group

Font group tools
ToolUseShortcut
Fontchanges the typeface, such as Calibri or Arial
Font Sizemakes text bigger or smallerCtrl + Shift + > or <
Boldmakes text thickerCtrl + B
Italicslants textCtrl + I
Underlinedraws a line under textCtrl + U
Text Shadowadds a shadow behind text
Strikethroughdraws a line through text
Character Spacingchanges the space between letters
Font Colourchanges the colour of text
Change Casechanges capital and small lettersShift + F3

2. Changing Text Case

Change Case options
OptionExample
Sentence case.Our school is great.
lowercaseour school is great
UPPERCASEOUR SCHOOL IS GREAT
Capitalize Each WordOur School Is Great
tOGGLE cASEoUR sCHOOL iS gREAT
The Font group on the Home tab of PowerPoint
Figure 2: Font group Draw the Font group and label five tools.

3. Formatting Text Step by Step

Format a slide title

Make the title "Clean Ghana Campaign" bold, size 44, green and in uppercase.

  1. Select the title text by dragging over it.
  2. Click Bold (or press Ctrl + B).
  3. Click the Font Size box and choose 44.
  4. Click the Font Colour arrow and choose green.
  5. Click Change Case and choose UPPERCASE.

Answer: The title appears as CLEAN GHANA CAMPAIGN in bold, size 44, green.

4. Choosing Fonts and Colours

Use clear fonts such as Calibri, Arial or Segoe UI for slides. Titles should be about 36 to 44 points and body text at least 24 points so everyone can read them from the back of the room. Use dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background for good contrast. Do not use too many fonts or colours on one slide; two fonts and three or four colours are usually enough.

5. Text Decoration with WordArt and Effects

For special titles, WordArt adds outlines, shadows, reflections and glow effects. Use these decorations sparingly. A slide covered in flashing, glowing text is hard to read and looks unprofessional. Format Painter on the Home tab copies formatting from one piece of text to another, saving time and keeping your design consistent.

New words

font
The style or design of text characters.
font size
The height of text, measured in points.
Change Case
A tool for changing capital and small letters.
Format Painter
A tool that copies formatting from one item to another.

Summary

  • The Font group changes font, size, style, colour, spacing and case.
  • Change Case offers sentence case, lowercase, uppercase, capitalize each word and toggle case.
  • Use readable fonts, large sizes and good contrast; decorate text sparingly.

Class activity: Text Formatting Challenge

  1. Type a slide title and three bullet points about your community.
  2. Change the case, size and colour of the title and make one point bold and italic.
  3. Use Format Painter to copy the formatting of one point to another.

You need: Desktop computer, Mouse, Printed PowerPoint screenshot

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. Which shortcut makes text bold?

    • A. Ctrl + B
    • B. Ctrl + I
    • C. Ctrl + U
    • D. Ctrl + P
    Show answer
    Answer: Ctrl + BB for bold.

  2. 2. Which Change Case option gives "Our School Is Great"?

    • A. Capitalize Each Word
    • B. Sentence case
    • C. UPPERCASE
    • D. tOGGLE cASE
    Show answer
    Answer: Capitalize Each WordFirst letter of each word.

  3. 3. Body text on slides should be at least 24 points.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueReadable from far away.

  4. 4. The tool that copies formatting from one item to another is Format ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: PainterCopies formatting.

  5. 5. Describe how to change the colour of text in PowerPoint.

    Show answer
    Answer: Select the text, click the Font Colour arrow on the Home tab and choose a colour.Steps.

  6. 6. Why should you avoid using many fonts and colours on one slide?

    Show answer
    Answer: It makes the slide look untidy and hard to read, and distracts the audience from the message.Clarity.

Homework

  1. Plan a seven-slide presentation on a topic of your choice, writing the title and content for each slide.
Inserting Objects, Special Characters and Formatting Text in PowerPoint – Basic 7 Computing Notes | sirbus