Lesson 8: Working with Columns

Learning Goals: The goal of this lesson is for the students to successfully create
documents that incorporate columns of varying sizes and styles. Students will learn to
quickly format a document in columns for quick reading.

Learning Objectives
On completion of this lesson, students will be able to do the following:
 Create columns•
 Adjust column width•
 Adjust column spacing•
 Insert a column break•
 Insert a vertical line between columns•

Lesson Notes
To effectively teach students how to use Microsoft Office Word 2010, show examples of
the following documents that incorporate the tasks discussed in the lesson.
 Memos•
 Reports•
 Letters•
 Newspaper Articles•
 Newsletters

Lesson Introduction
Explain to students that the use of columns is just one to the desktop publishing features
that is included in Word 2010. Point out that columns are commonly used in newsletters
as well as newspaper articles. Columns can help to create text that is easy to read.

Creating and Modifying Columns

Instructors should do the following:
1. Define columns.
2. Explain that columns can contain pictures or objects.
3. Point out that you can create up to 12 columns in a document.
4. Explain how to determine the size of the columns based on the margins and page
width.
5. Explain that the amount of space allowed between columns is an option that can
be modified in the Columns dialog box.
6. Explain that columns can be created with equal width or varying widths.
7. Demonstrate how to create columns of equal width, unequal width, and
customized columns.
 8. Demonstrate how to open the Columns dialog box in the Page Setup Group on the
Page Layout Ribbon.
9. Identify the areas of the Columns dialog box.
10. Explain that columns can be modified by using the Columns dialog box.
11. Demonstrate how to create columns using only selected text.
12. Demonstrate how to create columns using all text in a document.
13. Explain a section break and how it will allow for only a portion of a document to
be created in columns.
14. Demonstrate how to alter the width of a column and the spacing between columns
using the Columns dialog box.

Alternative Methods:
1. Column widths can also be modified by using the ruler bar. When altering the
width on the ruler bar, holding down the Alt key shows the measurement as you
move the marker on the ruler bar.
2. The ruler bar can also be used to change the spacing between columns.
3. When using the Columns button on the Page Layout Ribbon, only three columns
will appear in the drop-down menu, but up to twelve columns can be selected by
using the more columns option.

CAUTION
Caution students that making one column wider in the Columns dialog box automatically
alters the other columns to accommodate the change in width.

Inserting a Column Break

Instructors should do the following:
1. Define a column break.
2. Explain that a column break can be inserted anywhere to cause the text to break to
the next column.
3. Explain that Word 2010 automatically breaks columns at the end of the page, but
this setting can be changed by inserting a manual column break.
4. Demonstrate how to insert column breaks into a table by using the Breaks
command in the Page Setup Group on the Page Layout Ribbon.
5. Explain that manual column breaks can be deleted by clicking on the break and
then pressing Delete on the keyboard. To see the manual break, the Show/Hide
Command, located on the Home Ribbon, must be turned on.

HOT KEYS
Create a manual column break — CTRL+ SHIFT + ENTER
Inserting Vertical lines between Columns
Instructors should do the following:
1. Explain how vertical lines can make text easier to read by visually separating the
data.
2. Demonstrate how to insert vertical lines between columns by using the Columns
dialog box.
3. Point out that the line that is inserted between columns will appear along the
length of the longest column in the document.
4. Explain that vertical lines are defaulted to the center area between columns.

Alternative Methods:
1. To control the length of the vertical line that is inserted between columns, use the
line option found under the Shapes Command, to create the vertical line.
2. Remind students that the Shapes Command is opened from the Illustrations Group
on the Insert Ribbon.

CAUTION
Warn students that vertical lines that are created with the Shapes Command will not
automatically adjust if the column length changes.

Discussion Question:
Discuss how inserting a vertical line between columns can add visual appeal to the
document.

Video and Training Resources Links

Microsoft Office Online provides online training, demonstrations, and quizzes that
include detailed explanations, preferred methods, and lesson tutorials for each Microsoft
Office program. These resources are suggested to engage students in hands-on
experience, self-paced lesson participation, and lesson reinforcement.

Microsoft Office Online Help

Microsoft Office Online provides access to help using the latest information available
from Microsoft. Each Microsoft Office program has its own help resource list and step-
by-step instructions that can be accessed by searching for a specific subject or command.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/?redir=0
Class Projects
The class projects provide the student with the opportunity to practice skills that were
taught in the lesson. The projects may be utilized as class, individual, or assessment
activities. Completion of projects helps provide lesson reinforcement and verification of
skill mastery.
Data files to accompany the project are found in the student data files. Each project may
be verified for accuracy using the annotated project answer keys found in the instructor’s
resource files.

Hands-On Projects
Lesson 8—Exercise 1
You are the Human Relations Specialist for Woodland Health Clinic and your job
requires you to provide information to employees regarding their health benefits package.
You have recently received the new health insurance benefit package information from
the company provider. This information must be distributed to the clinic employees but
you prefer to present it in an easy to read format. Using the information below, create a
two column document that contains the health benefit information.

1. Open the file lesson8ex1 from the data files.

2. Insert a line break after the heading Section 1, the subheading Introduction, and
before the section Purpose of the Report.
3. Make the heading and subheading of the document bold and centered.
4. Select the document section that begins Purpose of the Report and format the
document in two columns.
5. Place a break between each section heading and the text.
6. Add bullets to the list of criteria that appears after the second paragraph of text.
7. Insert a column break prior to the section heading Cost to Employee.
8. Insert a vertical line between all columns.
9. Insert the student name centered in the page footer, and insert the page number
right aligned in the page header.
10. Create a folder on your student drive named Lesson 8 Word and save the file as
Lesson8ex1complete in the folder.

Lesson 8—Project 1
The Vice President of Employee Relations at Safe Star Home Monitoring has asked you,
the Employee Relations Administrative Assistant, to create a document pointing out the
dress code revision. It is imperative that the policy revision information be circulated
immediately and in an easy to read format. This information also needs to be eye-
catching so as not to be missed. Using the information below, create a two column
document that contains the dress code revision information.

1. Open the file Lesson8project 1.

2. Center the document heading.
3. Create a two column document body with 1 inch vertical spacing.
4. Create a 2 point, red vertical, dashed line that begins and ends about .5 inch in the
column area.
5. Ensure that the body is easy to read using Arial, 14 point, bold, and red font style.
6. The student name should be centered in the document footer.
7. Save the document as test8project1 in the Lesson 8 Word folder.
8. Print the document.