Teacher Notes -- Reports & Title Pages

Reports — Teacher's Notes
Lyman's Business Education Website

Introduction

The writing and formatting of a report is a skill that can be used in many classes and at work. The formatting of a report and the construction of a nice cover/title page is taught.

This formatting used is a report with three levels: (1) Title and Reference, (2) Side headings which are single lines which line up at the left margin. The heading is typed with all important words starting with capitals and the heading bolded. This is the first level of subheading. (3) Paragraph headings which start indented as part of the paragraph but are bolded and written as a sentence with only the first word capitalized. This is the second level of subheading.

Materials & Software

Microsoft Word 97
Microsoft Publisher 97

Objectives

Set margins and page layout
Set font to serif font
Change line spacing.
Set tabs
Use widow/orphan protection
Start a new page
Use hanging indentation for reference section
Use page numbering in header or footer
Insert pictures into report
Set border around page
Use print preview feature

Prerequisite Skills

Use File: Open, Save, Save As, and Print options
Use bold, italics, underlining, etc.

Time Allotted

About three class periods.

How to Begin (Directions & Procedures)

Page Setup

Create a new file.
Set font to 14 points in a serif font. (Times New Roman)
Set margins for bound report (1" top, 1" bottom, 1.5 left, 1 right) or for unbound report (1" top, 1" bottom, 1.25 left, 1.25 right). To change margins select File, Page Setup, and the Margins tab, then change the margins as needed.

Title Entry

Start down about 1" or about 5 or 6 lines from the top margin (2" from the top of the paper).
Turn on double spacing Ctrl-2. Single spacing is Ctrl-1. Line and half spacing is Ctrl-5.
Center and bold title as it is typed in upper and lower case format. (Sometimes all capitals is used for a title.)
Double space after the title which now gives a quadruple spacing.
Align the text now to the left side.

Side, Paragraph Headings, and Paragraphs

Side headings are the first level of subheadings. They are typed at the margin with the bold on and all important words capitalized. The heading is on a line by itself with a double space before and after the heading. No period is used at the end of the heading.
Set a tab for 1/2" if it has not been set.
Paragraph headings are the second level of subheadings. They are indented and typed as part of the paragraph but are bolded and written as a sentence with only the first word capitalized. The paragraph heading ends with a period even though it may not be a complete sentence. The bold is turned off and the regular paragraph follows.
Side and paragraph headings may also emphasized by using a sans serif font or italics.
Paragraphs are all typed indented on the first line by one tab or 1/2" and double spaced.
The widow/orphan protection should be turned on so one line of the paragraph is not left at the bottom of a page or at the top of the next page. This is done by going to Format, Paragraph... and choosing the Line and Page Breaks tab. Then the box with Widow/Orphan control needs to be checked.
Watch that the side headings are not left alone at the bottom of the page. This can be controlled by placing the cursor on the side heading and going to Format, Paragraph... and choosing the Line and Page Breaks tab. Then the box with Keep with next needs to be checked.

Reference Section

The References title is a level one heading. It is a quadruple space below the last paragraph of text or on a new page starting down 1" from the top margin or 2" from the top of the paper.
Since it is a level one heading, it is centered and bolded. It is type the same way as the title using capitals on all important words or in all capitals.
Quadruple down to the first reference.
Align the text back on the left side.
Turn on single spacing. (Ctrl-1)
References are done in alphabetical order by the author's last name.
Hanging indentation is used for all references. (The first line is at the margin and all other lines are indented.) This is done by going to Format, Paragraph... and choosing the Indents & Spacing tab. Then the Special list box is opened and Hanging is chosen.
A double space is used between references by hitting two Enters at the end of a line.
Italics are used for the name of the book or magazine.

Page Numbering

Page numbering can be done on the top right of each page in the header area or at the bottom center in the footer area.
The student's name can also be placed in a header or footer to help keep the right papers with the right student.
To put page numbering in a header or footer, select View, Header and Footer. The header area shows up in a dotted box. Move to the header or footer were you want to place the page numbering, tab to the position you want, if you want the word "page" type it and a space.
Then on the Header and Footer toolbar select the insert page number button. Circled in red.
The student can also add their name in a header or footer by tabbing and typing it where instructed.

Adding Pictures or Graphics

Pictures do a lot to help communicate the ideas the author is tell them about. Pictures can be inserted and then positioned where they are wanted.
To insert a picture from file, choose Insert, Picture, From File..., then Browse the directory or folder where the pictures are found, select the picture and choose Insert.
The picture can then be sized by clicking on one of the square handles in a corner of the picture and dragging it to the desired size.
The picture can be moved to the position desired by clicking on the picture and dragging it.
The text of the report can be made to wrap around the picture by right hand mouse clicking on the picture and choosing Format Picture. The dialog box appears and the Wrapping tab needs to be selected. Then choose the type of wrapping you want, Square or Tight and then choose Both Sides, Right, Left, or Largest Side.
Make sure the picture inside the body of the report and out of the margin area.

Title or Cover Page

The cover page is designed with four elements: (1) a border around the page, (2) a title in a large font, (3) a graphic related to the report, and (4) the details with the student's name, the date, the class, and the school.

Open a new word processing document.
Set margins so they match the report.
Borders. The border around the page is set by going to Format, Borders and Shading..., select the Page Border tab at the top. Once at Page Border the border setting can be chosen. The line style of a box, shadow, or 3-D can be selected. Even an Art border can be selected. A simple line border is probably preferred for a report cover.
Once the line style is selected, the Options... button needs to be clicked so the border can be placed next to the text by choosing the Measure From... list box and selecting Text. OK back to the document.
Title. Title comes next. Choose the font wanted and set it to 36 points. Hit one Enter to give some space between the border and the title. Center and type the title next.
When finished typing the title switch the font back to 24 points and nice readable serif or sans serif style font. Hit one more Enter to give a little space between the title and the picture.
Picture. To insert a picture from file, choose Insert, Picture, From File..., then Browse the directory or folder where the pictures are found, select the picture and choose Insert.
The picture can then be sized by clicking on one of the square handles in a corner of the picture and dragging it to the desired size.
The picture should be centered under the title. It can be moved to the position desired by clicking on the picture and dragging it.
The text of the report can be made above and below the picture by right hand mouse clicking on the picture and choosing Format Picture. The dialog box appears and the Wrapping tab needs to be selected. Then choose the wrapping that puts the text above and below the picture.
Place another Enter below the picture to create "white" space below the picture.
Enter each of the following a separate line: name, class, teacher, date, etc.
Save and print preview. Check to make sure it all fits on one page with a line or two of "white" space a the bottom.
Make any adjustments if needed.
Proofread, save, and print.
Staple the cover to the front of the report.

Resources

Century 21 Keyboarding, Formatting, and Document Processing. South-Western Publishing Co.
Microsoft Office 97 Pro—Step by Step by Bonita Sebastian published by Computer Literacy Press 1997.

Extension Activities

Write a report for another class
Write a story that includes side headings and pictures