Title: What Color
Are My Skittles?
Original Idea by - Ellyn Bewes
(This plan has been
changed somewhat from the original idea to meet the needs of this lesson.)
Primary Subject - Computers / Internet
Secondary Subjects - Math
Grade Level 3-6
What Color Are Your Skittles?
Discipline/ Focus: Computer
Applications
State/Local Standard -
Create and manipulate spreadsheets and graphs
Overview/Summary: In this
lesson the child will learn how to create spreadsheets, to chart the different
colors in a package of Skittles. They will collect data, create appropriate
charts and use percentages to describe quantities.
Lesson Time: 4 class periods
Guiding Question: Do all
packages of Skittles have the same number and color combinations?
Learning Objectives: The
student will learn how to create a spreadsheet to chart the different colors in
a package of Skittles. They will collect data, create appropriate charts and
use percentages to describe quantities.
Materials: 1 package of
Skittles
Microsoft EXCEL
Internet Resources: www.skittles.com
Procedure:
Open the package of Skittles and tally the amounts of the different colors of
Skittles found in your packages (write the colors and numbers on the back of
this sheet).
1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Click the mouse in cell B1 and type "My Skittle
Colors" in the entry bar.
3. Highlight "My Skittle Colors" in
the entry bar and change the font size to 14 and BOLD.
4. Press the enter key to move the information from the entry bar to the active
cell.
5. Click the mouse in cell B3 and type in "Green".
Highlight the word green, change the font
color to green, change the font to size 12 and
make it BOLD.
6. Highlight cells B4 through B7, change font to size 12 and BOLD.
7. Enter the names of the different colors of the Skittles into cells, B4, B5,
B6 and B7. Change the font color to the color of the Skittle. Continue until all the colors are entered.
8. After you have labeled all of your candy colors, you will need to enter the
data recorded for each color. Click the mouse in cell C3 and enter the number
of green Skittles found in your package.
Repeat for all the colors, entering the data down column C.
9. Once the data is entered, click on cell B3 and drag the mouse to the end of
where you entered information in Column C. From the Insert
Menu on the Task Bar select Chart.
Select Column Chart. Click next and next again. In the Title Selection space
type ________’s Skittles. (Put your name on the blank
line.) Click on the Data Option tab and select percentages, and then Finish.
10. Move the column chart by clicking in a white space next to the chart and
dragging it underneath the spreadsheet. To increase the size of the column
chart, click once inside the chart which will make boxes around the chart. Click on the corner box and stretch out the
chart to the desired size.
11. Change
the color of each column on the chart by clicking on a column (this will select
all columns), then click on the column again (this will select one column) then
double clicking on the column, selecting the appropriate color from the Pattern
tab color chart. The legend and the column will change to this new color after
you click OK.
12. When you have completed your chart, click on Print Preview to make sure
that the chart and the spreadsheet will be printed. Save your work on your disk
- call it Skittle Colors – and print 2 copies.
Outcome/Assessment: Children
complete their spreadsheet and pie chart graphs. They compare their results to
answer opening question and check the web site to see if their pie charts and
percentages are the same as those advertised on the web.
Extensions: This activity can
also be done with M&M’s, or any other material with multi-colors (colors in
fruit loops, etc.)
E-Mail Ellyn Bewes!