Digital Drawing with Paint

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Open a photo on a phone and zoom in, and keep zooming. What do you start to see? Tiny coloured squares! Every digital picture is made of them. Today you become a digital artist and find out what those squares mean for your drawings.

In this post:

Drawing programs such as Paint
The main drawing tools
Adding text and pictures
Pixels, resolution and resizing
Saving as JPEG or BMP (and why the sizes are so different)
Three activities and a quiz

Drawing programs

A drawing (or painting) program lets you create pictures with the mouse, a touchpad or a stylus. Microsoft Paint comes with Windows. Free options include Tux Paint (made for young artists, with fun stamps) and KolourPaint. The tools in all of them are very similar.

Image source: File:KolourPaint 4.13 (en).png (Wikimedia Commons)

The main tools

Tool	What it does	Tip
✏️ Pencil	Draws thin, sharp lines	Good for outlines and small details
🖌️ Brushes	Paint with different brush styles and sizes	Change the size before you paint
🪣 Fill with colour	Fills a closed area with colour, like the background or a wall of a house	If the outline has a gap, the colour leaks out! Undo with Ctrl + Z
🔤 Text	Adds words: titles, labels or speech bubbles	Choose the font and size before you click away
🧽 Eraser	Rubs out part of the picture	Make it smaller for careful work
💧 Colour picker	Copies a colour from your picture so you can use it again	Great for matching colours exactly
⬛ Shapes	Draws lines, rectangles, circles, stars and arrows, with an outline and a fill	Hold Shift while dragging for a perfect circle or square
⬚ Select, Crop, Resize, Rotate	Choose part of the picture, cut off the edges, change the size or turn it	Look in the Image group

Colours: Paint has Colour 1 (used when you click with the left mouse button) and Colour 2 (right button, also used as the background or fill colour). To colour the background, pick a colour and click the empty page with the Fill tool. Stamps: Tux Paint has ready-made stamps (animals, plants and more). In Paint you can add a picture by copying it and pasting it in (Ctrl + V), or by using Paste from, found under the Paste arrow in many versions.

Pixels and resolution

A pixel (short for picture element) is one tiny square of a single colour. Thousands or millions of pixels together make a picture. Resolution is how many pixels a picture has, written as width × height, for example 1920 × 1080. More pixels means more detail, but also a bigger file.

The Wikipedia logo with one small part zoomed in. Up close you can see the picture is made of square pixels, each one a single shade.

Image source: File:Fil-Pixel-example-wiki.png (Wikimedia Commons)

To change the size, use Resize (Ctrl + W in Paint). You can type a percentage or an exact number of pixels. Keep Maintain aspect ratio ticked so the picture does not get squashed. Making a small picture much bigger makes it look blocky (pixelated), because the computer has to stretch each pixel.

Saving: JPEG or BMP?

Use File → Save as and pick a type. Here are the main ones:

Type	How it stores the picture	File size	Best for
BMP (bitmap)	Stores every single pixel exactly, with no squashing (no compression)	Very big	Simple use on Windows; you rarely need it today
JPEG (.jpg)	Squashes the file by throwing away tiny details you can hardly see	Small	Photos. Sharp edges and text may look slightly fuzzy
PNG	Squashes the file without losing any detail	Medium	Drawings, diagrams and screenshots with flat colours and text

Watch: Paint in Windows 11

This short video tours the tools in the newest version of Paint. Older versions have the same tools on a Home tab. Which tools from our table can you spot?

Video: How to Use Microsoft Paint in Windows 11 – GeekChamp – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyIigbhjH2E

Activity: pixel painter

Try it: paint with pixels

Each square below is one pixel. Choose a colour and a tool, then click or drag to paint. Try the Fill tool on the background! Watch the real-size picture on the right: see how small 12 × 12 pixels really is?

Tool:

Colour:

Real size (12 × 12 pixels):

Four times bigger:

Activity: how big is a BMP?

Try it: file size calculator

Type the width and height of a picture in pixels to work out how big it would be as a BMP. Try 800 × 600, then try a phone photo of 4000 × 3000.

Width: pixels Height: pixels

Activity: which tool?

Try it: choose the tool

Choose the best tool for each job.

Colour in the whole sky in one click
Draw a perfect circle for the Sun
Add the title “My Dream House”
Rub out a wobbly line
Use exactly the same green as the grass you already drew
Cut off the empty space around your drawing
Make the picture 50% smaller

Group activity: model house or comic strip

In your group, draw either a model house or a three-box comic strip about something from our ICT lessons (for example, computer safety or caring for your computer). Use shapes, fill, the brush and at least one text label or speech bubble. Then:

Save it as a JPEG.
Save it again as a BMP, with the same name.
Open the folder in File Explorer and switch to Details view to see the file sizes.
Write down both sizes. Which is bigger? Why? Show your drawing to the class and explain which tools you used.

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. What is a pixel?

2. You click the Fill tool inside a circle, but the whole background turns blue. Why?

3. Which file type is usually biggest for the same picture?

4. Which type is best for a photo you want to email?

5. How do you draw a perfect circle with the Shapes tool?

6. What does resolution mean?

Updates

2026/10/21

- Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Bringing Slides to Life: Transitions and Animations

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Have you ever watched a presentation where each point slid onto the screen just as the speaker started talking about it? How do you think they did that? It is not magic: it is animation, and you can do it too.

In this post:

The difference between transitions and animations
Adding a transition
Adding and controlling animations
Using effects wisely
Three activities and a quiz

Transitions and animations: what is the difference?

	Transition	Animation
What moves?	The whole slide	One object on a slide: a title, a bullet point, a picture or a shape
When?	As you move from one slide to the next	While the slide is on screen
Examples	Fade, Push, Wipe, Split, Cover	Fly In, Fade, Zoom, Wipe; Pulse and Grow/Shrink; Fly Out
Where?	The Transitions tab	The Animations tab

Adding a transition

Click a slide in the list on the left.
Open the Transitions tab and click an effect, such as Fade or Push. PowerPoint shows you a preview.
Use Effect Options to change the direction, and Duration to make it faster or slower.
Click Apply To All if you want every slide to use the same transition.
Under Advance Slide, choose On Mouse Click (you control it) or After a number of seconds (it moves on by itself).

In PowerPoint 2007, transitions are on the Animations tab. In Google Slides, use Slide → Transition.

Adding an animation

There are four kinds of animation effect: Entrance (how something appears), Emphasis (makes something already there stand out, such as Pulse), Exit (how it leaves) and Motion Paths (it moves along a line you choose).

Click the object you want to animate, for example the box of bullet points.
Open the Animations tab and choose an effect, such as Fly In.
Use Effect Options to pick the direction, or By Paragraph so the bullet points come in one at a time.
Set Start: On Click (waits for your click), With Previous (at the same time as the last effect) or After Previous (straight after it).
Change the Duration (how long it takes) and Delay if needed.
Open the Animation Pane to see every effect on the slide, in order. Drag effects up or down to change the order.

Small numbers appear next to animated objects to show their order. In PowerPoint 2007 use Animations → Custom Animation; in Google Slides use Insert → Animation.

Image source: File:The Water Cycle (SVS30580).png (Wikimedia Commons)

Use effects wisely

Animations should help explain, for example showing the steps of a process one at a time. They should not just be decoration.
Choose one or two transition styles for the whole show.
Keep effects quick, under about one second, so the audience does not get bored waiting.
Skip the sound effects unless they really add something.
Always run the show (F5) to test that everything happens in the right order.

Watch: animating text and objects

This video shows how to add, change and reorder animations in PowerPoint. Look for the Animation Pane.

Video: PowerPoint: Animating Text and Objects – LearnFree – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw_udjD2xwo

Activity: animate a slide

Try it: a pretend water-cycle slide

First click Play slide transition to see the whole slide move in. Then click Next click ▶ to play each animation, one per click, like in a real slide show. Change the effects in the drop-down lists and try again!

Click 1: ☀️ Evaporation –
Click 2: ☁️ Condensation –
Click 3: 🌧️ Precipitation –
Click 4: 🌊 Collection –

The Water Cycle

☀️ Evaporation: the Sun heats water and it rises as water vapour

☁️ Condensation: the vapour cools and forms clouds

🌧️ Precipitation: water falls as rain, snow or hail

🌊 Collection: water gathers in rivers, lakes and the sea

Activity: transition or animation?

Try it: sort the effects

Is each one a transition or an animation? Drag each card into the right box (or tap the card, then tap the box).

The next slide pushes the old one off the screen

Every slide changes with a Wipe effect

Bullet points appear one at a time as you click

A star pulses to grab attention

A shape slides off the slide when you are done with it

A picture of the Sun flies in from the left

Slide 3 fades away and slide 4 fades in

Transition (whole slide)

Animation (one object)

Activity: adding an entrance effect

Try it: put the steps in order

Use ▲ and ▼ to put the steps for making a text box fly in, then click “Check my order”.

▲ First step

Click the text box
Open the Animations tab
Choose the Fly In entrance effect
Use Effect Options to choose the direction
Set Start to On Click
Press F5 to test it in the slide show

▼ Last step

Class activity

Open your All About Me presentation. Add one transition and apply it to all slides. On slide 3, make your bullet points appear one at a time. Then present your show to your group and ask for one compliment and one suggestion.

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. What is a transition?

2. Making bullet points appear one at a time is an example of…

3. Which kind of animation effect makes something appear?

4. Which Start setting waits for you to click?

5. Where can you see and reorder all the animations on a slide?

6. Which is the best advice?

Updates

2026/10/21

- Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Making Your First Slide Show

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Imagine you have three minutes to tell the class about your favourite hobby. Would you rather stand there with nothing behind you, or have big pictures and key words up on the screen to help you? Most people choose the screen. Today you make your first slide show.

In this post:

What presentation software is
Starting a presentation and adding slides
Design (themes) and layouts
Inserting text, text boxes, shapes, images and charts
Running your slide show
What makes a good slide
Two activities, a project and a quiz

What is presentation software?

Presentation software helps you make a slide show: a set of pages, called slides, that you show on a screen while you talk. Popular programs are Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, LibreOffice Impress and Apple Keynote. They all work in much the same way.

Image source: File:LibreOffice Impress 7.1.2 (released in 2021-04, running on Linux and GNOME with the default icon set).png (Wikimedia Commons)

Getting started

Open PowerPoint and click Blank Presentation. A title slide appears.
Click in the dotted boxes, called placeholders (“Click to add title”), and type.
Add a slide with Home → New Slide (or Ctrl + M).
Save it like any other file: File → Save As. PowerPoint files end in .pptx.

Design and layout

Design (theme): the Design tab has ready-made themes that set the background, colours and fonts for every slide at once. Pick one and stick with it, so your slides look like they belong together.
Layout: Home → Layout changes how the placeholders are arranged on one slide: Title Slide, Title and Content, Two Content, Picture with Caption, Blank and more.

Inserting things onto a slide

To add…	Do this
Text	Click in a placeholder and type. Each press of Enter makes a new bullet point.
A text box	Insert → Text Box, then drag on the slide to draw the box and type. Good for labels and captions anywhere on the slide.
A shape	Insert → Shapes, choose arrows, stars, circles or boxes, then drag to draw. You can type inside most shapes.
An image	Insert → Pictures (then This Device), find the picture and click Insert. Drag a corner to resize.
A chart	Insert → Chart, choose a type such as Column, then type your own numbers into the small spreadsheet that opens.

Show time!

Press F5 to start the show from the first slide, or Shift + F5 to start from the slide you are on. (You can also use the Slide Show tab.)
Click, or press the right arrow or Space bar, to move on. The left arrow goes back.
Press Esc to stop the show.

What makes a good slide?

Few words. Use key points, not paragraphs: about six short lines at most. You do the explaining.
Big text: at least 24 point, so the back row can read it.
Pictures that help explain your point.
Strong contrast: dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark one.
Look at your audience, not at the screen, and do not read the slides word for word.

Watch: slide basics

This video shows how to add slides, choose layouts and type into placeholders in PowerPoint. Listen for what a placeholder is.

Video: PowerPoint: Slide Basics – LearnFree – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZfcVbKJs1E

Activity: presentation words

Try it: match the word to its meaning

Choose the meaning of each word.

Slide
Theme (design)
Layout
Placeholder
Text box
Chart
Slide show

Activity: good habit or bad habit?

Try it: sort the slide habits

Drag each card into the right box (or tap the card, then tap the box).

A different font and background on every slide

Text at least 24 point

Reading every word off the screen with your back to the class

Using short key points instead of paragraphs

Copying a whole page of notes onto one slide

Using the same theme on every slide

Adding a picture that explains your point

Yellow text on a white background

Good habit 👍

Bad habit 👎

Project: “All About Me” in five slides

Plan your slides on paper first, then build them. Use a theme, and include at least one text box, one shape, one image and one chart somewhere in the show.

Slide	What to put on it
1	Title slide: “All About Me” and your name
2	My family and where I live (with a picture you are allowed to use, or one you drew)
3	My favourite things: food, music, sport (bullet points)
4	A chart, for example the hours you spend on homework, sport and screens each week
5	My goals for Form 1, in a shape or text box

Rubric	1 – Getting there	2 – Good	3 – Excellent
Content	Some slides missing	All five slides	All five slides, clear and interesting
Design	Hard to read	Readable, mostly matching	One theme, strong contrast, neat
Inserted objects	One or two	Three	Text box, shape, image and chart all used well
Presenting	Reads from the screen	Some eye contact	Confident, looks at the audience

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. What is a slide?

2. Which key starts the slide show from the beginning?

3. What does a theme do?

4. You want a picture on one side and bullet points on the other. What should you change?

5. How do you add a graph of your own numbers?

6. Which is the best advice for slides?

Updates

2026/10/21

– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Inserting Tables, Pictures, Headers and Footers

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Grab any school notice or flyer and look closely. What do you see apart from words? Probably a picture, maybe a table of times or prices, the school’s name at the top and a page number at the bottom. All of these come from one place in your word processor: the Insert tab.

In this post:

Tables
Pictures
SmartArt diagrams
Page breaks
Headers, footers and page numbers
Two activities, a flyer project and a quiz

Tables

A table sets information out neatly in rows (across) and columns (down). Each box is a cell. Tables are perfect for timetables, price lists and results.

Click where you want the table, then Insert → Table. Move the mouse over the little grid to choose, say, 3 columns × 4 rows, and click.
Press Tab to move to the next cell. Pressing Tab in the very last cell adds a new row.
When you click inside a table, extra tabs appear (Table Design and Layout; in older versions Design and Layout under Table Tools). Use them to add or delete rows and columns, merge cells, and change borders and shading.

Image source: File:Calligra Words 3.2.1 screenshot.png (Wikimedia Commons)

Pictures

Click where you want the picture. Go to Insert → Pictures → This Device (in Word 2007 and 2010: Insert → Picture). Find the picture and click Insert.
Resize it by dragging a corner handle, so it does not get stretched out of shape.
Wrap Text (the Layout Options button next to the picture) controls how words flow around it. Square lets text wrap around the picture.
Crop (on the Picture Format tab) trims off parts you do not want.
Using a picture from the Internet? Check that you are allowed to use it, and say where it came from. You will learn more in the copyright lesson.

SmartArt

SmartArt gives you ready-made diagrams: lists, step-by-step processes, cycles and family-tree style hierarchies. Go to Insert → SmartArt, pick a design such as Basic Cycle, and type your words into the text pane. It is a quick way to show the water cycle or the steps of a science experiment.

Page breaks

Remember from last lesson: Insert → Page Break (or Ctrl + Enter) starts a new page at once.

Headers, footers and page numbers

The header is the area in the top margin; the footer is in the bottom margin. Whatever you type there appears on every page. They are good for your name, the school’s name, the title or the date.
Go to Insert → Header (or Footer) → Blank, type your text, then double-click the main page (or click Close Header and Footer) to go back.
Page numbers: Insert → Page Number → Bottom of Page, then choose a style. Word numbers every page for you and keeps the numbers right when pages are added.

Watch: tables in Word

This video shows how to insert a table, type in it, and add rows and columns. Count how many ways there are to add a new row.

Video: Word: Tables – LearnFree – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNBrCEgzddw

Activity: which Insert tool?

Try it: choose the right tool

Choose the Insert tool you would use for each job.

You want to show the times and places of the inter-house sports events in rows and columns
You want a photo of the school building on your flyer
You want a ready-made diagram showing the four steps of the water cycle
You want the next part of your project to start on a fresh page
You want the title of your project at the top of every page
You want your name and class at the bottom of every page
You want every page numbered automatically

Activity: inserting a picture

Try it: put the steps in order

Use ▲ and ▼ to put the steps for inserting a picture in order, then click “Check my order”.

▲ First step

Click where you want the picture to go
Click the Insert tab
Click Pictures, then This Device
Find the picture and click Insert
Drag a corner handle to resize it

▼ Last step

Class project: a one-page flyer

Make a flyer for a real or pretend school event (a sale, a concert or a sports day). Use this checklist, then show your teacher.

Your flyer must have…	Done?
A header with the school’s name
A big formatted title
A picture you are allowed to use, resized neatly
A table (for example times and activities, or items and prices)
A footer with your name and a page number
A check in print preview before you save

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. In a table, rows go…

2. What is one box in a table called?

3. How should you resize a picture so it does not look stretched?

4. Where does text in the footer appear?

5. What is SmartArt?

6. What happens when you press Tab in the last cell of a table?

Updates

2026/10/21

– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Setting Up the Page: Margins, Orientation and Columns

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Why are some posters turned sideways? Why does a newspaper squeeze its stories into narrow strips instead of running each line right across the page? Someone chose that layout on purpose. Today you learn how to set up a page yourself.

In this post:

Page size and orientation
Margins
Columns
Page breaks and section breaks
Page borders
Two activities and a quiz

In Word 2016 and Microsoft 365, most of these tools are on the Layout tab. In Word 2007, 2010 and 2013 the same tab is called Page Layout. In Google Docs, look in File → Page setup and Format → Columns.

Page size

This is the size of the paper. Letter (8½ × 11 inches) is common in Trinidad and Tobago, the rest of the Caribbean and North America. A4 (21 × 29.7 cm, a little narrower and taller) is used in most other countries. Legal (8½ × 14 inches) is longer. Choose the size that matches the paper in your printer: Layout → Size.

Orientation

Portrait: the page is tall, like a door. Use it for letters, reports and most documents.
Landscape: the page is wide, like a TV. Use it for posters, certificates, wide tables and pictures.

Change it with Layout → Orientation.

Margins

Margins are the blank space between the edge of the paper and your text. They stop words being cut off by the printer and make the page look tidy. Layout → Margins gives ready-made choices: Normal (2.54 cm, or 1 inch, all round), Narrow (1.27 cm) to fit more on the page, and Wide for a spacious look. Custom Margins lets you type your own.

Image source: File:Margin vs Gutter.svg (Wikimedia Commons)

Columns

Columns split the page into narrow strips of text, like a newspaper or newsletter. Text runs down the first column and then continues at the top of the next. Use Layout → Columns → Two (or Three). To jump to the next column early, use Layout → Breaks → Column.

Image source: File:Newspaper Column.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)

Page breaks and section breaks

A page break starts a new page straight away, wherever you are. Press Ctrl + Enter, or use Insert → Page Break. Never press Enter lots of times to get to a new page: the layout goes wrong as soon as you add text.
A section break splits your document into parts that can have different layouts. For example, a title across the full width with two columns underneath, or one landscape page in the middle of a portrait report. Use Layout → Breaks, then Next Page (the new section starts on a new page) or Continuous (it starts on the same page).

Page borders

A page border is a frame around the whole page, great for certificates, covers and posters. In Word 2013 and later go to Design → Page Borders; in Word 2007 and 2010 it is Page Layout → Page Borders. Choose a style, colour and width, or a fun Art border.

Watch: page layout

This short video shows orientation, page size and margins in Microsoft Word. Which button would you use to turn the page sideways?

Video: Word: Page Layout – LearnFree – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgNpoksYOLE

Activity: page set-up lab

Try it: set up the page

Read each challenge and use the controls to set up the mini page. Watch the preview change! Then click “Check my page”.

Size: Orientation: Margins: Columns: Page border

Activity: which layout feature?

Try it: match the job to the feature

Choose the page layout feature you would use for each job.

Your table is too wide, so you want the page to be wider than it is tall
Your teacher wants 2.54 cm of blank space all round the edge
You want your class newsletter to look like a newspaper
You want the next chapter to start at the top of a new page
You want one landscape page in the middle of a portrait report
You want a decorative frame around your certificate
Your printer has A4 paper, not Letter

Class activity: a two-column newsletter page

Make a one-page class newsletter. Type a title and three short news items (sports, a club, and a class achievement). Set the margins to Narrow. Put a Continuous section break after the title, then make the news items into two columns. Add a page border, check the print preview, and save it as Class Newsletter – your name.

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. Which orientation is best for a wide poster?

2. What are margins?

3. How do you start a new page properly?

4. What lets one part of a document have two columns while the rest has one?

5. What do columns do?

6. Which page size is common in Trinidad and Tobago?

Updates

2026/10/21

- Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Making Text Stand Out: Font Formatting

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Picture two posters for Sports Day. One is all small, plain black writing. The other has a big, bold, red title and the date picked out in yellow highlighter. Which one would you stop and read? Today you learn the tools that make the difference.

In this post:

What font formatting is
Bold, italic, underline, font type, size, colour and highlight
Subscript and superscript (H₂O and x²)
Tips for text that is easy to read
Three activities and a quiz

What is font formatting?

A font (or typeface) is a style of lettering. Font formatting means changing how your letters look: their style, size, colour and more. You will find all the tools in the Font group on the Home tab.

Image source: File:OnlyOffice document editor.png (Wikimedia Commons)

The golden rule: select first

Select the words, then click the formatting button. (Or click the button first and then type: the new text will have that formatting.) Click the button again to switch it off.

The font tools

Tool	What it does	How
Bold	Makes text thicker and darker, for titles and key words	B button or Ctrl + B
Italic	Slants the text, for names of books and films, or a word you want to stress	I button or Ctrl + I
Underline	Draws a line under the text	U button or Ctrl + U
Font type	Changes the style of lettering, such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman	Font box (click the arrow and pick one)
Font size	Makes text bigger or smaller. Sizes are in points: 11 or 12 for normal text, 16 to 28 for headings	Size box, or Ctrl + Shift + > to grow and Ctrl + Shift + < to shrink
Font colour	Changes the colour of the letters	The A with a coloured bar under it
Text highlight	Colours the background behind the words, like a highlighter pen	The marker-pen button (ab)
Subscript	Makes small text that sits below the line, as in H₂O	X₂ button or Ctrl + =
Superscript	Makes small text that sits above the line, as in x² or 1^st	X² button or Ctrl + Shift + +

Subscript and superscript

Image source: File:Subscript superscript examples.png (Wikimedia Commons)

You will use these a lot in Science and Maths: chemical formulas such as CO₂ (carbon dioxide) use subscript, while powers such as 10³ and dates such as 25^th use superscript.

Tips for text that is easy to read

Stick to one or two fonts in a document. Too many looks messy.
Use clear fonts such as Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman for normal text. Save the fancy fonts for a title.
Use bold, colour and highlight for the important bits only. If everything stands out, nothing stands out!
Pick colours that contrast with the page: yellow text on a white page is very hard to read.
Be careful with underline in work that will go online: readers may think underlined words are links.

Watch: formatting text

This short video shows the font tools in Microsoft Word. Look out for where the Font group is on the Home tab.

Video: Word: Formatting Text – LearnFree – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViGf0RKbCyA

Activity: font formatting lab

Try it: copy the style

Use the controls to make the sample text match your challenge. Then click “Check my formatting”. Click “New challenge” to get another one.

Font: Size: Bold Italic Underline

Font colour: Highlight:

Sports Day is on Friday!

Activity: below or above the line?

Try it: subscript or superscript?

Drag each card into the right box (or tap the card, then tap the box). The small part is in bold.

the 4 in CH₄ (methane gas)

the 3 in 10³ (ten cubed)

the 2 in x² (x squared)

the 2 in H₂O (water)

the th in 25th

the st in 1st

the 2 in cm² (square centimetres)

the 2 in CO₂ (carbon dioxide)

Subscript (below the line)

Superscript (above the line)

Class activity: recreate the sample

Open the About Me document you saved last lesson. Format it to look like this sample, using at least five different font features. Then add the two science and maths sentences at the end, and save.

All About Me
My name is Anya and I am in Form 1. My favourite subject is Science. My birthday is on the 3^rd of May.
Water is H₂O. The area of a square with side x is x².

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. What must you do before you can make some words bold?

2. What is the shortcut for italic?

3. Which needs subscript?

4. Font size is measured in…

5. What does the text highlight tool do?

6. Which is the best advice for a school report?

Updates

2026/10/21

– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Your First Word Document: Create, Edit, Save and Print

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Think about the last time you wrote something long by hand. You made a mistake, so you crossed it out. Then you wanted to move a sentence, so you drew an arrow. Then you had to write the whole thing out neatly again… What if you could fix, move and copy words in seconds, and never rewrite a page again? That is what a word processor is for.

In this post:

What a word processor is
Creating a new document and typing it well
Selecting (blocking) text, then Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo and Redo
Saving, closing and opening your work
Print preview and printing
Three activities and a quiz

What is a word processor?

A word processor is a program for typing, editing, formatting and printing documents such as letters, reports, stories and notices. Popular ones are Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice Writer and Apple Pages.

Different versions look a little different. Word 2010, Word 2016 and Microsoft 365 all have a ribbon of tabs across the top (File, Home, Insert, Layout and so on). In Word 2007, the File tab is a round Office Button in the top-left corner. The good news: the commands, and their keyboard shortcuts, are almost exactly the same everywhere.

Image source: File:Calligra Words 3.2.1 screenshot.png (Wikimedia Commons)

Step 1: create a new document

Open Word and click Blank document.
Already in Word? Click File → New → Blank document, or press Ctrl + N.
In Google Docs, go to docs.google.com and click Blank (the big plus).

Step 2: type like a pro

Keep typing at the end of a line. The text moves to the next line by itself (this is called word wrap). Press Enter only when you want a new paragraph.
Use one space after a full stop or comma.
Backspace deletes the character to the left of the cursor; Delete removes the one to the right.
Hold Shift for one capital letter. Leave Caps Lock off unless you really need lots of capitals.
The blinking line is the cursor (insertion point). Click anywhere in your text to move it there.

Step 3: select (block) text

Before you can cut, copy, move or format words, you must select them, so the computer knows which words you mean. Selected text is shaded. Selecting is sometimes called blocking text.

Drag across the words with the mouse.
Double-click a word to select it; triple-click to select a whole paragraph.
Hold Shift and press the arrow keys to select letter by letter.
Press Ctrl + A to select everything.

Step 4: Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo and Redo

These five commands are on the Home tab (Undo and Redo are also at the very top of the window). When you cut or copy, the computer keeps the text on an invisible clipboard until you paste it.

Command	What it does	Shortcut
Cut	Removes the selected text and puts it on the clipboard. Use it to move text.	Ctrl + X
Copy	Puts a copy of the selected text on the clipboard. The original stays where it is.	Ctrl + C
Paste	Puts whatever is on the clipboard where your cursor is.	Ctrl + V
Undo	Takes back your last action. Press it again to go back further.	Ctrl + Z
Redo	Brings back the action you just undid.	Ctrl + Y

Image source: File:Ctrl Z.JPG (Wikimedia Commons)

To move a sentence: select it → Cut → click where it should go → Paste. To repeat a sentence: select it → Copy → click the new place → Paste.

Step 5: save your work

The first time: click File → Save As. Choose a folder (for example Documents → ICT, like you set up in the files and folders lesson), type a clear file name such as About Me – Anya Ramdass, and click Save.
After that: press Ctrl + S often (every few minutes). It saves the changes to the same file.
Save As again when you want a separate copy with a new name or in a new place.
Word saves as a .docx file. If your document is stored in OneDrive, Microsoft 365 may turn on AutoSave, but you should still give the file a good name. Google Docs saves by itself as you type.

Step 6: close and open

Close: File → Close (or Ctrl + W). If you have not saved, Word asks whether to save your changes. Read the box before you click!
Open: File → Open (or Ctrl + O). Pick the file from the Recent list, or click Browse and find it in your folder.

Step 7: print preview and print

Click File → Print (or Ctrl + P). In Word 2010 and later, the print preview appears on the right, so you can see exactly how each page will look. In Word 2007, use Office Button → Print → Print Preview. Check the preview first; it saves paper and ink.

Choose the printer.
Set the number of copies.
Choose which pages: all of them, the current page, or a range such as 1-2.
Click Print.

Watch: create, format and save a document

This video walks through making a document in Word from start to finish. As you watch, list every command from this post that you see being used.

Video: Microsoft Word Tutorial for Beginners: Create, Format, Save & Share Documents – LearnFree – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpfja0RrbGE

Activity: real cut and paste practice

Try it: fix the mixed-up steps

The steps below are in the wrong order. Use real cut and paste to fix them: select a whole line, press Ctrl + X, click at the start of the line where it belongs, and press Ctrl + V. Made a mess? Press Ctrl + Z. Click “Check my text” when you think you are done.

Activity: shortcut keys

Try it: match the shortcut to the command

Choose the command for each shortcut.

Ctrl + X
Ctrl + C
Ctrl + V
Ctrl + Z
Ctrl + Y
Ctrl + S
Ctrl + O
Ctrl + P
Ctrl + A
Ctrl + N

Activity: saving for the first time

Try it: put the steps in order

Use ▲ and ▼ to put the steps for saving a new document in order, then click “Check my order”.

▲ First step

Click File
Click Save As
Choose the folder, for example Documents → ICT
Type a clear file name
Click Save

▼ Last step

Class activity: follow-along practice file

Your teacher will guide you through these steps. Tick each one off in the checklist as you go.

Task	Done?
Create a new blank document
Type a short paragraph about yourself (at least five sentences)
Save it in your ICT folder as About Me – your name
Copy your first sentence and paste it at the end
Use Undo to take the pasted sentence away again
Cut one sentence and paste it somewhere else
Save, close the document, then open it again
Show the print preview to your teacher

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. What is a word processor used for?

2. What must you do before you can copy some text?

3. What is the difference between Cut and Copy?

4. You deleted a paragraph by mistake. What is the quickest fix?

5. When should you use Save As instead of Save?

6. Why should you look at the print preview before printing?

Updates

2026/10/21

– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Backing Up and Restoring Your Work

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Picture this: it is the night before your project is due, and your laptop will not switch on. Is your work gone forever? If you made a backup, you can relax. If not… Today you learn how to make sure that never happens to you.

In this post:

Why we need secondary storage
What a backup is and why we make one
Choosing the right backup media, including the cloud
How to restore your work
Two activities and a quiz

Why secondary storage matters

The computer’s main memory (RAM) only holds data while the power is on. Secondary storage (hard disks, SSDs, flash drives, discs and the cloud) keeps your files when the power goes off, so you can open them again tomorrow, next term or next year.

What is a backup?

A backup is an extra copy of your files, kept somewhere other than the original, so you can get them back if something goes wrong. Getting the files back from the backup is called restoring.

Why back up? Because things go wrong:

a hard drive or laptop breaks down;
you delete or save over a file by mistake;
a virus or other malware damages or locks your files;
a phone or laptop is lost or stolen;
a power surge, fire, flood or hurricane damages your equipment.

Backup media: which one?

Media	Typical capacity	Good points	Not so good
CD	About 700 MB	Cheap; good for a few documents	Small; many new computers have no disc drive
DVD	About 4.7 GB (single layer)	Cheap; holds photos and short videos	Needs a disc drive; scratches easily
Blu-ray disc	25 GB or 50 GB	Holds HD video and large projects	Needs a Blu-ray drive; discs cost more
External hard disk	1 TB to several TB	Huge space for the price; good for backing up a whole computer	Can be damaged if dropped
USB flash drive	About 16 GB to 1 TB	Small, tough, easy to carry	Easy to lose; not ideal as your only backup
Flash memory card (SD, microSD)	About 16 GB to 1 TB	Tiny; used in phones, cameras and drones	Very easy to lose
Cloud storage	Free plans of about 5–15 GB; more if you pay	Safe from fire and theft at home; open your files on any device	Needs Internet; you must protect your password

Capacity reminder: 1 GB (gigabyte) = about 1,000 MB (megabytes), and 1 TB (terabyte) = about 1,000 GB.

Image source: File:USB flash drive, 1TB.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)

Backing up to the cloud

Cloud storage keeps your files on a company’s computers (servers) on the Internet. Examples are Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Apple iCloud. Your school account may already include one.

Your work is safe even if your device is lost, stolen or damaged in a storm.
You can open your files on a phone, a laptop or a school computer.
Protect your account with a strong password and two-step verification.
Careful: syncing is not always a backup. If a folder is synced and you delete a file on your laptop, it may be deleted from the cloud too. Keep an extra copy of really important work.

The 3-2-1 rule

A simple rule many IT professionals follow: keep 3 copies of important files, on 2 different kinds of storage, with 1 copy kept somewhere else (for example in the cloud or at a relative’s home).

How to restore your work

From a USB drive or external hard disk: plug it in, open it in File Explorer, and copy the files back to your computer.
From the cloud: sign in and download the file. If you deleted it, look in the Bin (Google Drive) or Recycle bin (OneDrive) and choose Restore. Deleted files usually stay there for about 30 days.
An older version: Google Docs and many cloud services keep a version history, so you can go back to an earlier copy if you saved over something by mistake.
Test it! Every so often, try opening a file from your backup. A backup you cannot restore is no use.

Watch: the 3-2-1 backup rule

In this video, a computing teacher explains the 3-2-1 rule for backups. What three copies would you make of your project?

Video: Data Backup: The 3-2-1 Rule – ExplainingComputers – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFO6NyLIP7M

Activity: choose the best backup media

Try it: which media fits best?

Choose the best storage media for each situation.

You want to carry your project to school and back every day
Your family wants to back up 600 GB of photos and videos from the home computer
You want your homework safe even if a hurricane hits your home, and to open it on any device
You want to give your grandmother 3 GB of photos on a disc for her DVD player
Your school wants to keep 40 GB of HD sports-day video on a single disc
Your drone needs a tiny removable card to store its videos

Activity: restore a deleted file

Try it: put the steps in order

You deleted your English essay from Google Drive by mistake. Use ▲ and ▼ to put the steps for getting it back in the right order, then click “Check my order”.

▲ First step

Sign in to Google Drive
Open the Bin
Find your essay in the list
Right-click the essay and choose Restore
Check that the essay is back in My Drive

▼ Last step

Group chart

In your group, make a chart of the storage media in this lesson. For each one, show its capacity, one good point, one bad point, and one situation where it is the best choice for a backup.

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. What is a backup?

2. What does restoring mean?

3. Which media holds the most data?

4. What is one advantage of cloud storage?

5. In the 3-2-1 rule, what does the “1” stand for?

6. Why is it a good idea to test your backup?

Updates

2026/10/21

– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Keeping Your Computer Healthy: Routine Maintenance

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

A car needs regular oil changes and check-ups to keep running smoothly. What do you think a computer needs? In the lesson on caring for computers we looked after the outside. Now we look after the inside: the software and the data.

In this post:

The main routine maintenance tasks and why they matter
A simple maintenance timetable
A matching activity, a fact-or-myth activity and a quiz

Routine maintenance tasks

Task	What it does	Why it matters
Antivirus program	Software that watches for viruses and other malware (harmful programs). Windows has one built in: Microsoft Defender in Windows Security.	Malware can steal information, damage files or slow the computer down.
Virus scan	The antivirus checks files for malware. A quick scan checks the most likely places; a full scan checks everything.	Finds and removes threats that slipped in.
Program and software updates	Installs new versions of the operating system and apps (for example Windows Update or app store updates).	Updates fix bugs and close security holes that criminals could use.
Back-up	Makes a copy of your files somewhere else.	If the computer fails or is stolen, your work is safe. (More in the next lesson!)
Disk clean-up	Removes temporary files, old downloads and other clutter (Windows has Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense).	Frees up storage space; a nearly full drive can slow things down.
Defragmentation	On a hard disk drive, files get split into pieces scattered over the disk. Defragmenting puts the pieces back together (Windows: Defragment and Optimise Drives).	The drive can read files faster. Solid state drives (SSDs) should not be defragmented; Windows optimises them a different way automatically.
Formatting	Prepares a drive for use and erases everything on it.	Used on a new drive or to wipe a drive completely. Only format with permission, after backing up!

Image source: File:Open hard-drive.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)

A simple maintenance timetable

How often	Task
Automatically / every day	Antivirus protection on; let updates install
Every week	Back up new work; restart the computer instead of just closing the lid
Every month	Full virus scan; disk clean-up; check that the backup works
When needed	Defragment a hard disk drive (not an SSD); format a drive (with permission)

Watch: protecting your computer

This video explains the threats your computer faces and the habits that protect it, including antivirus, updates and backups.

Video: Computer Basics: Protecting Your Computer – LearnFree (GCFGlobal) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mMZFoXbKqI

Activity: match the task to the problem

Try it: which task fixes it?

Choose the maintenance task that solves each problem.

Strange pop-ups keep appearing and the computer is acting oddly
A security hole has been found in Windows
The drive is nearly full of temporary files and old downloads
An old hard disk is slow because files are in scattered pieces
You need a spare copy of your project in case the laptop is stolen
A brand-new external drive needs preparing before first use

Activity: fact or myth?

Try it: fact or myth?

Drag each statement into the right box. On a phone or tablet, tap a card and then tap the box. Then click “Check my sorting”.

A full scan checks more of the computer than a quick scan

If you have antivirus you never need updates

Updates often fix security problems

Formatting a drive erases everything on it

You should defragment an SSD every week

Deleted files in Windows disappear forever straight away

Only old computers can get viruses

Disk clean-up can free up storage space

Fact ✔

Myth ✘

Demonstration

With your teacher’s permission, show the class how to do one task: run a quick virus scan, check for updates, or run Disk Cleanup. Your classmates will use a checklist to see that you did every step safely.

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. What does an antivirus program do?

2. Why are software updates important?

3. What does defragmentation do?

4. Which kind of drive should NOT be defragmented?

5. What happens when you format a drive?

6. What is the job of disk clean-up?

Updates

2026/10/21

– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Organising Your Files and Folders

October 17, 2026October 21, 2026 Aven BrisailLeave a comment

Imagine your school bag with every sheet of paper from every subject stuffed in loose. Now imagine finding last week’s Maths homework in a hurry! A computer full of files with no folders is exactly like that bag. Today you learn to keep your files neat and easy to find.

In this post:

Files, folders and sub-folders
Naming files and folders well
Creating, renaming, moving, deleting and restoring
A sorting activity, a practical task and a quiz

Files, folders and sub-folders

A file is one saved piece of work: a document, photo, song, spreadsheet or Scratch project.
A folder is a container that holds files (like a ring binder).
A sub-folder is a folder inside another folder (like a divider inside the binder).

Here is a good way to organise your school work:

📁 School Work
   ├─ 📁 Maths
   │    ├─ 📁 Assignments
   │    └─ 📁 Class Notes
   ├─ 📁 English
   │    ├─ 📁 Assignments
   │    └─ 📁 Class Notes
   └─ 📁 ICT
        ├─ 📁 Assignments
        │    └─ 📄 Typing speed chart.xlsx
        └─ 📁 Class Notes

Naming files and folders

Use names that say what is inside: Fractions homework 2026-10-12 is much better than Document1.
Keep names short but clear.
Adding a date (year-month-day) keeps files in order.
On Windows you cannot use these characters in names: \ / : * ? " < > |

How to manage files and folders in Windows

Task	How to do it
Create a folder	Open File Explorer, go to where you want it, right-click an empty space and choose New › Folder (or press Ctrl + Shift + N). Type the name and press Enter.
Create a sub-folder	Open the folder first, then create a new folder inside it.
Rename	Right-click the file or folder and choose Rename (or click it and press F2). Type the new name and press Enter.
Move a file into a folder	Drag it onto the folder, or use Cut (Ctrl + X) and Paste (Ctrl + V).
Delete	Click the file or folder and press the Delete key. It goes to the Recycle Bin.
Restore	Open the Recycle Bin, right-click the item and choose Restore. It goes back to where it was.

Careful: when you empty the Recycle Bin, the files are gone for good. Files deleted from a USB flash drive usually skip the Recycle Bin, so think twice before deleting from a flash drive! On a Chromebook or in Google Drive the steps are similar, and Google Drive has a Bin instead of a Recycle Bin.

Image source: File:Kubuntu 23.10 Dolphin file manager Breeze theme – English.png (Wikimedia Commons)

Watch: organising files and folders

This video shows how to create folders, move files and keep things tidy in Windows.

Video: How to Organize Files and Folders in Windows for Beginners – LearnFree (GCFGlobal) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY1y_RQxIdg

Activity: put the files away

Try it: which folder?

Drag each file into the right subject folder. On a phone or tablet, tap a file and then tap the folder. Then click “Check my sorting”.

Algebra test revision.pdf

Plant cell diagram.png

Scratch maze game.sb3

Poem – My Island.docx

Book report – Miguel Street.docx

Typing speed chart.xlsx

Water cycle notes.docx

Fractions homework.docx

📁 Maths

📁 English

📁 ICT

📁 Science

Practical task: build your folder tree

On the computer (or in your school Google Drive), create a folder called School Work.
Inside it, create a folder for each of your subjects.
Inside each subject folder, create two sub-folders: Assignments and Class Notes.
Save at least one file into the correct sub-folder, then rename one folder and restore something from the Recycle Bin.
Take a screenshot of your folder tree (on Windows, press Windows key + Shift + S) and hand it in.

Self-check quiz

Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.

1. What is a sub-folder?

2. Which is the best name for your Science homework file?

3. Where do deleted files go first on a Windows computer?

4. How do you get a deleted file back from the Recycle Bin?

5. Which keyboard key lets you rename a selected file in Windows?

6. Why should you organise files into folders?

Updates

2026/10/21

– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.

Drawing programs

The main tools

Pixels and resolution

Saving: JPEG or BMP?

Watch: Paint in Windows 11

Activity: pixel painter

Activity: how big is a BMP?

Activity: which tool?

Group activity: model house or comic strip

Related posts on islandclass.org

Updates

Transitions and animations: what is the difference?

Adding a transition

Adding an animation

Use effects wisely

Watch: animating text and objects

Activity: animate a slide

The Water Cycle

Activity: transition or animation?

Transition (whole slide)

Animation (one object)

Activity: adding an entrance effect

Class activity

Related posts on islandclass.org

Updates

What is presentation software?

Getting started

Design and layout

Inserting things onto a slide

Show time!

What makes a good slide?

Watch: slide basics

Activity: presentation words

Activity: good habit or bad habit?

Good habit 👍

Bad habit 👎

Project: “All About Me” in five slides

Related posts on islandclass.org

Updates

Tables

Pictures

SmartArt

Page breaks

Headers, footers and page numbers

Watch: tables in Word

Activity: which Insert tool?

Activity: inserting a picture

Class project: a one-page flyer

Related posts on islandclass.org

Updates

Page size

Orientation

Margins

Columns

Page breaks and section breaks

Page borders

Watch: page layout

Activity: page set-up lab

Activity: which layout feature?

Class activity: a two-column newsletter page

Related posts on islandclass.org

Updates

What is font formatting?

The golden rule: select first

The font tools

Subscript and superscript

Tips for text that is easy to read

Watch: formatting text

Activity: font formatting lab

Activity: below or above the line?

Subscript (below the line)

Superscript (above the line)

Class activity: recreate the sample

Related posts on islandclass.org

Updates

What is a word processor?

Step 1: create a new document

Step 2: type like a pro

Step 3: select (block) text

Step 4: Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo and Redo