Design a Room While Learning PowerPoint 2010

Use Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Quick and Fun Room Design Layouts

Rearranging your furniture doesn't have to be a trial-and-error chore, and planning a layout does not require expensive, complicated software.

You can quickly create a room layout, a top-down view of a room, using some simple mathematics and a few PowerPoint tips and tricks.

Supplies

Begin by gathering your supplies, then taking and saving digital images of your furniture. If you prefer a quicker, easier method, you can forgo the digital images and use the clip art or simple shapes already available to you in PowerPoint or online. If you prefer to use images of your own furniture, take pictures that place the piece of furniture in the center of the image. You will also need the following:

• A measuring tape
• A computer or mobile device with PowerPoint
• An array of clip art or various digital images of your furniture
• A calculator if you need help with ratios

Steps

1. Carefully measure your furniture’s length and depth. The length and depth measurements of your furniture will later become the height and width measurements of your images.
2. Begin a new slide presentation with a blank slide layout. Go to the “Home” tab, then choose the “Layout” called “Blank.”
3. Next, click on the “View” tab, and choose to show the “Ruler” and “Gridlines.”
4. Once you see the gridlines on the slide, you can determine the scale of your layout. For example, if your room is 16’ x 20’, your scale can be 1 grid square to 1 foot of space, or it can be 1 grid square to 2 feet of space, or it can be 1 grid square to 4 feet of space. The ruler will help you determine the proper sizes of your furniture based on the ratio you choose to use.
5. Use the “Insert” tab and insert a shape to represent the size of your room. Right click on the shape to change the shape’s size, fill, and outline per your preferences.
6. Use the “Insert” tab, then “Picture” to choose to insert your digital images. Use the “Insert” tab, then “Clip Art” to choose pre-existing images. If using Clip Art, search for the type of furniture you’d like include in your room.
7. Use the predetermined ratio and your measurements to size the images appropriately. Double-click the images to bring up the “Picture Tools Format” tab to change the size. For more options, right click on the image and choose “Size and Position.”
8. Finally, click and drag your images, including doors and windows, to the appropriate place inside your “room.” Make as many changes as you’d like, without straining your back, until your room looks right to you!

Helpful Tip for Parents and Teachers

This process, though extremely practical for those designing a room, can also be used for educational purposes. For example, this project can be adapted as a "Design Your Dream House" project to get students interested in learning ratios and utilizing the presentation software. In this project, there is motivation for the students to properly apply the principles of mathematics while stressing the importance of applying skills across the curriculum.

No matter the educational or practical use you find for this project, enjoy the process of being creative while learning something new.




Want to read more about how to use Microsoft Office products?

Get Rid of Extra pages in Word Documents

How to Set a Hanging Indent Using MS Word

Create an APA Running Head in MS Word

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

Secrets to Writing a Great Descriptive Essay

People describe things every day: their dreams, their unique experiences, their lunches, their work, their vacations, and everything else in-between.  Even in some professions, like medical research or law enforcement, professionals rely on strong description on a daily basis in order to do their jobs.

Think about this: Have you ever gone into a hardware or grocery store knowing there was something you needed, but not knowing the name of the item? You may have had to rely on your ability to describe the item in order to explain to the salesperson what you were seeking. In order to make the person understand, you may have had to use metaphors, analogies, and examples.

This is exactly the task of a writer when writing a descriptive essay; to describe for the reader an event, person, place, thing, or idea to such an extent that the reader then understands something or believes something he or she did not understand or believe, before. It's an exceptionally important skill to develop, no matter a student's major field of study.

The secret to successfully completing a descriptive essay lies in the inclusion of three elements: the dominant impression thesis, visceral details, and a spatial structure.

A Dominant Impression

No matter what you're describing, be it a person, place, thing, idea, or event, you must choose a dominant impression to consistently convey throughout your essay. For example, if you are going to describe your messy roommate, you should not include details about how your roommate is also a good dancer because the dominant impression is that your roommate is messy. If you are describing a frightening experience with the dentist, the dominant impression is that it was frightening, not that it was inconvenient or helpful.

In a descriptive essay, the place for the dominant impression is in the thesis statement, the sentence or few sentences that convey the main idea, your opinion about the topic. The same statement of opinion can be included in your topic sentences within the body paragraphs to help maintain unity in your essay. For example, the thesis statement for your essay about your roommate could read, “College living is a lot more stressful than I expected because my roommate is a slob.” A topic sentence that supports that idea could read, “First, whenever my roommate leaves the room, she leaves her books and notes all over the floor, which makes me worry that I might trip and fall when I jump down from my upper bunk.”

You will prove your point by providing details that support these ideas.

Visceral Details

It’s very important, when writing description, to use visceral details. Visceral details are images that relate to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Instead of telling the reader that your roommate’s dirty dishes smell terrible, describe the smell to the reader. Do the dishes smell terrible like old socks, like fish left in the sun too long, or like a swamp at low tide? Are the piles of toothpaste in the sink just annoying, or are they a health concern because they are slimy and growing mold? Telling the reader the toothpaste is annoying can mean any number of things. Telling the reader the toothpaste is slimy and growing mold is a specific example that proves your point; your roommate is a slob.

The Spatial Structure

Although a categorical approach works well in a descriptive essay, another more unique way to organize your ideas is to use the spatial organizational structure. This means your writing moves “through space,” or like a movie camera, as you recall and give details. The movie camera helps determine the point of view and the order of details.

Let’s pick on your roommate one more time: You could describe your roommate’s messy bedroom from top to bottom, or from bottom to top, left to right, or doorway to bathroom door.

If you were to choose top to bottom, you might begin by addressing the spaghetti noodles stuck to the ceiling, then move to the dead goldfish on top of the bureau, then write about the books and papers all over the floor.

On the other hand, if you were to describe the room from doorway to bathroom door, you might start by explaining to the reader how you have to step over piles of papers without touching the bureau for balance because of the dead goldfish stuck to the top of it. Then, you could explain how stressed out you are as you cross to the bathroom because you fear the spaghetti noodles on the ceiling could fall on you at any moment. Last but not least, you could tell the reader that even after making it all the way to the bathroom door, you’re afraid to enter the bathroom when you see that your roommate still hasn't cleaned the moldy toothpaste from the sink.

Whatever the details you choose to include, be sure the details support your dominant impression thesis statement. Then, write the details you choose to include for maximum impact by making them visceral for the reader. Finally, be sure to choose an order for your details that explains your point as clearly as possible for the reader.

Want to learn more about writing essays?

Try my complete online essay writing course on Udemy Writing for English Composition: College Essays.

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

Using Transitional Words to Make Your Essays Flow

Make your writing as smooth as a swan on a tranquil lake.

When an essay has order and flow, we say it has coherence.  One way to add order and flow to an essay is to use transitional words and phrases.  

The transitional words you use in an essay will change depending on the type of essay you're writing; descriptive, narrative, expository, or argumentative.

Each of these four modes, or types of essays, do slightly different jobs, and information is delivered to the readers in slightly different ways for each mode. That ordering of information should be preplanned by the writer in an outline, and implemented in the essay with the inclusion of transitional words and phrases in order to ensure a seamless reading experience for the reader. That means a writer has to help the ideas between paragraphs, and within paragraphs, flow from one idea to another.

Using Transitional Words in a Descriptive Essay

The descriptive mode of writing calls for the inclusion of visceral details, details based on the five senses. The ordering of those visceral details is oftentimes the spatial order. This means the details a writer includes in a descriptive essay "move" the reader's attention over the details much like a lens. For example, details can be ordered from left to right across a room, or from top to bottom when describing the way a person dresses or smells, or from focal point to background when describing a painting's texture, or the way a painting makes a writer feel. That means a descriptive essay writer will order the details in much the same way - with a smooth "panning" sensation.

In a descriptive essay, a reader might come across some of the following uses of transitional words and phrases.

• Upon entering
• Stepping across the threshold
• Just as a visitor leaves the museum
• At the top
• Below the
• The most noticeable

 

Using Transitional Words in a Narrative Essay

The narrative mode of essay writing is reserved for the telling of a true story. When telling a story, a writer uses a chronological order, or time order, to give important details about what happened. Sometimes a writer can use flashbacks or jumps forward in time, but he or she always uses these effects carefully, and uses transitional words and phrases to maintain a flow in the narrative.
In a narrative essay, a reader might come across some of the following uses of transitional words and phrases.

• I ended up in a strange new place with a new name. Little had I known when I woke up that morning seven years ago . . .
• As I got off the train on my way to work
• After lunch
• As the sun was setting
• As we were getting into the car on our way out for dinner
• When she dropped me off after the party
• As I look back, seven years later

 

Using Transitional Words in an Expository Essay

 

An expository essay delivers information to the reader, and the genre is very broad. Details can be ordered in many different ways, including the order of importance, categorical order, deductive or inductive order, cause and effect, or process analysis and step-by-step. After a writer chooses the specific order to use in a particular essay, he or she can then choose from a wide variety of transitional words and phrases - some that introduce researched evidence that lends credibility to the information.
In an expository essay, a reader might come across some of the following uses of transitional words and phrases.

• First
• After the bread rises
• More importantly
• Most convincingly
• This leads to
• Therefore
• As (Author, Source) states, " . . . " (Citation).

 

Using Transitional Words in an Argumentative Essay

 

The purpose of the argumentative mode, sometimes called the persuasive mode, is to change the way a reader thinks or behaves. A writer achieves this purpose by convincing a reader of the truth and logic in a particular argument he or she is presenting in the essay. That means research sources are often used and must be introduced and cited. Additionally, in order to be convincing, a writer should address more than one side of the argument in the essay. The writer will agree with one side, and will refute, or use information to argue against, another side.

In an argumentative essay, a reader might come across some of the following uses of transitional words and phrases.

• On the other hand
• Additionally
• According to (Author, Source), " . . . " (Citation).
• A study conducted by (Source) helped (Source Author) conclude . . . (Citation).
• In fact
• However
• Furthermore
• Although
• Most convincingly

 

In Conclusion

No matter which of the four modes of writing a topic requires, the writer must remember to order his or her details appropriately and help the reader follow the order by including transitional words and phrases. These words and phrases will appear not only at the beginning of each new paragraph, but also within the paragraph, between ideas and before source information.

Want to learn more about writing essays?  

Try my complete online essay writing course on Udemy Writing for English Composition: College Essays.

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

How to Create 6th Edition APA Running Head in MS Word

An APA Running Head in the Header of the Page

Although you might know exactly what an APA header is supposed to look like, you may not know how to get MS Word to help you set it up properly.

How to Create an APA Running Head in MS Word

Although setting up a 6th Edition APA running head seems complicated, it can be completed properly in only a few steps. If you follow these steps in order, setting up the running head will be a breeze.

1. First, it's easiest to set-up your page from the "Print Layout" view. Click the "View" tab and the "Print Layout" button.
2.  Then, be sure you choose to view the ruler by choosing the "View" tab and "Show/Hide" ruler.
3. From the "Print Layout," place your cursor in the header area of the page, and double click. That opens your "Header and Footer" "Design Tools" menu.
4.  From the Header and Footer Design Tools menu, click on "Different First Page" in the "Options" area. Your cursor will stay in the header.
5.  Next, type “Running head: YOUR SHORTENED TITLE.” Make sure the shortened title part of the running head is in all caps.
6.  On the keyboard, type the tab key twice. Word 2010 has a default that will place your cursor on the right margin if you tab twice. Check the position on the ruler.
7.  Click “Insert,” click “Page number,” “Current Position” and “Plain.” Don't be tempted to change the order of these steps!
8.  If the header does not have a 1” margin, set your page margins in the "Page Layout" menu.
9.  If your default font is not set for Times New Roman 12, highlight everything in your header and use your font options in the "Home" tab to set your font and font size.

What's a Running Head Look Like? Why Do I Need One?

Want to check your work? Let's make sure your running head, including your shortened title and page numbers, follows the APA Publication Manual guidelines.

First, be sure you've properly identified your paper by its title and shortened title. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) states "A good title is easily shortened to the running head used within the published article," which implies its importance for publishers and works destined for publication (2010, pg. 23).  However, in academic writing without the intent to publish (like for a term paper or essay), the purpose of a running head is to help a reader quickly identify each page of a paper as being part of the same paper. It's a very useful bit of information for publication editors or university professors who might receive several papers a day. A reader might be interrupted several times while reading and might need a quick reminder about the paper's topic when he or she sits back down to read some more. Or imagine, for example, a person having fifty papers on his or her desk and a strong breeze blowing through and scattering them across the floor. The running head of a paper will make sure the editor or professor can put the paper together, again.

Second, keep in mind that a running head is not the same as a heading, so also be sure you've avoided using Word's autoformatting features for headings when creating your running head. Double-check that you've used Times New Roman 12 point font because it isn't the default unless you've changed the settings on your computer.

Lastly, check the look of the running head on the first and subsequent pages of the paper, including your References page. On the title page, the first page of the paper, the left-aligned words “Running head,” followed by a colon, appear before a shortened title of the paper. The page number, "1" appears at the right margin on the same line. On the second page and all of the following pages of the paper, the words “Running head” do not appear, but the same left-aligned, shortened title, does appear. The shortened title of the paper, both on the title page and subsequent pages, is always in all caps. According to the APA Manual, "The running head should be a maximum of 50 characters, counting letters, punctuation, and spaces between words" (2010, pg. 229).  The margins in the header are one inch on both sides, and the font for the running head and page number is always Times New Roman, in twelve point font. In other words, if my title is "On Top of Spaghetti All Covered in Cheese," My running head might read "Running Head: SPAGHETTI IN CHEESE" on the first page. It will only read "SPAGHETTI IN CHEESE" on all of the other pages, including the References page.

After you complete and check your running head and title page (using the link above if you need help), you can set up your second page running head by repeating these steps. Just remember, only include the words "Running head" on the very first page, the title page. Feel free to bookmark the video or this page to refer to these instructions in the future. Happy writing!

Want to learn more about writing essays?  

Try my complete online essay writing course on Udemy Writing for English Composition: College Essays.

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Contact the author for permission to republish.

How to Create 6th Edition APA Title Page Using Microsoft Word 2010

 Why Do I Need a Title Page?

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association states that "The title page includes five elements: title, running head, author byline, institutional affiliation, and author note" (pg. 229).  The title page should include the page number "1" (pg. 229).  Generally, however, an author note is not required if the paper is part of a college course, and the paper is not meant for publication.

In general, a title page is a greeting to the reader. It quickly offers the reader pertinent information about the paper: its topic and tone, the identity of the writer, and the writer's organization. In professional writing, an APA title page even offers the reader a brief biography of the writer. Just as shaking someone's hand gives a speaker an opportunity to prepare to speak to a listener, a title page gives the writer an opportunity to prepare to communicate with a reader.

What Does a Title Page Look Like?

A title page is a neat and tidy, very specifically formatted, first page of the paper. It includes the running head at the top of the page and the title block in the upper half of the page.  The title block is centered, and it can be three or four lines long. It includes the title of the paper, the writer's name, and the writer's organization. 

Just like a suit and tie can impress a potential employer, a dressed-up title page can impress a reader.

How Do I Create a Title Page in MS Word 2010?

Creating a 6th Edition APA title page can be completed properly in Microsoft Word 2010 pretty simply.

1. Take a look at your whole page by using the "Print Layout" view accessible from the "View" tab.
2. From the "Home" tab, choose to show the hidden formatting marks by clicking on the symbol that looks like a widened backward-facing "P." This is called the pilcrow symbol. You'll now see your hidden formatting marks. They will not print on your final copy.
3. Double-click in the header area of the page. That opens the "Header and Footer" "Design Tools" menu, and that will allow you to create your running head.
4. After you create your running head, double-click back into the center area of the page to leave the header area. The header will display as light grey, but it will print the same as the rest of your text.
5. Now, type CTRL and A on the keyboard at the same time. That's how you select everything in a document. You'll get a light blue box. Without clicking anywhere else on the screen, from the "Home" tab, change your font to Times New Roman 12.
6. If the light blue box disappears, select all, again. Without clicking anywhere else on the screen, from the "Home" tab, now change your "Paragraph" settings by clicking on the square box next to the word "Paragraph."
7. In the popup menu, set your "Before" and "After" spacing to 0, and set your "Line Spacing" to "double." Check "Don't add space between paragraphs of same style."
8. Click "OK." Your font and line spacing is now properly set for your entire paper.
9. Type enter four times. You'll see four double-spaced pilcrow symbols appear.
10. Under the "Home" tab and "Paragraph" menu, click the option to center your text.
11. Type your title in proper title case. If your title is quite long or has a subtitle, you may use two lines for your title.
12. On the next double-spaced line, type your name.
13. On the next double-spaced line, type your organizational affiliation. For example, if you're writing content to deliver to your 4-H club, the name of your club might appear here. If you're writing a paper for school, use the name of your school or class, depending on the preference of your professor.
14. If required, skip a space and complete your short author's biography. This is generally only required for peer-reviewed publication submissions.
15. After typing the final line of your title block, insert a page break from the"Insert" tab and the "Pages" menu. Your cursor will now appear at the very top of the next page.

Want to learn more about APA formatting?  Try

How to Create APA Headings and Subheadings

How to Create an APA Running Head

How to Create a Hanging Indent for an APA Reference Page

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Contact the author for permission to republish.