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Getting started with Microsoft Office PowerPoint: Week 1 - Introduction to PowerPoint

An introduction to creating PowerPoint slide decks.

Introduction

The attached document is a "cheat sheet", containing some pointers to commonly used controls in the ribbon.  You can save it and use it as a reference when reviewing the exercises that follow.

Exercise - Basic Slide Deck

  1. Download the document called “Week 1 Getting to Know MA” from the link below
  2. Save As
    • Location: Desktop
    • Filename: Getting to Know MA
  3. Review the slides in the left panel (thumbnail pane) of the slide deck (scroll up and down)
  4. Review the alternative outline view in the left panel (View/Presentation Views/Outline View)
  5. Go back to the slides tab, click on the “History” slide (slide 3) in the slides thumbnail pane. See how it displays in the main Slide pane.  Slide Pane is where you manipulate the slide.  Notes Pane is where you add your internal notes (that are NOT visible to viewer during presentation)
  6. Change to Slide Sorter view (2nd of 3 buttons in lower right corner of window)
  7. Change back to Normal view (1st of 3 buttons in lower right corner)
  8. Change to Slide Show view and practice navigation: (Slide show is 3rd of 3 buttons in lower right corner)
    • Click the Space bar to move one slide ahead, and P key to go back to the previous slide
    • Use the arrow keys (up and down, or left and right) to move between slides
    • Esc to leave slide show mode and go back to Normal view
  9. Change back to Normal View and add your name and date to the title slide (slide 1)
  10. You decide you want to present in a slightly different order (e.g. government before demographics).
    • Change the agenda by putting Government in front of Demographics (copy and paste or re-type)
    • Move the slide order to match the agenda (click and drag the government slides above demographics in the thumbnail pane)
  11. Move and resize the graphic of Massachusetts on the regions slide, slide 4 (click on slide 4 in the thumbnail pane. In the Slide pane, click on the map graphic. Move and resize it)
  12. Add a new slide to the end of the slide deck (Home/Slides/New Slide/Title and Content)
    • Title and Content slide type
    • Enter title in the top portion “Massachusetts towns I have lived in”
    • In the content section below, create a bullet list with town names
  13. Change the Theme to one in blue (Design/Themes)
  14. Change the Background to one that is grey (Design/Format Background)
  15. Add Notes on the agenda page so you remember to:
    • Welcome & Introductions (5 minutes)
    • Discuss timeframe of presentation (2 hours, with one break)
  16. Print Preview with Notes showing (File/Print/change the “print what” dropdown to Notes Pages

Challenge: Email the slide deck to yourself, and give a presentation to a friend or family member