Activity
Navigating Google Sheets with JAWS lesson: Arctic animals
Learn arctic animal fun facts while practicing JAWS commands to navigate a spreadsheet!
Allotted time: 45 minutes
Group size: small group
Standards
- Expanded Core Curriculum, Assistive Technology
- Standard – CC.1.2.11- Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Be able to define common element types on the internet such as Headings, Buttons, Links, and Tables as well as text.
- Be able to navigate a Google Sheet using a variety of keyboard commands.
Materials
- Desktop computers with Jaws installed.
- Stable internet connection.
Keyboard commands
- Use the up, down, left, and right arrow keys to navigate between rows and columns of a Google Sheet.
- To add a sheet press shift + F11.
- If you have more than one sheet you can use alt + up or down arrow to move between the sheets.
- Press F2 to edit the contents of a cell.
- To access the menus, press alt + shift, and the corresponding letter of that menu (Ex alt+ shift + F for the file menu).
- To rename a sheet press alt + shift + F followed by R for rename.
Editor’s Note: The commands listed are for navigating Google Sheets, not necessarily JAWS commands.
Vocabulary
- Google Sheets – Google sheets is a spreadsheet application from Google.
- Spreadsheet – Spreadsheets are tables with rows and columns used to input information such as scientific data, surveys, and other information.
- Rows – Rows go from left to right (horizontal).
- Columns – Columns go up and down (vertical).
- Cell – A cell is where information is collected in the spreadsheet. Each cell has a unique identifier made of letters and numbers.
- Menus – Menus in Google Sheets allow you to change various things in a spreadsheet. Menus include file, edit, view, tools, accessibility, etc.
Instruction
- Today we are going to learn how to navigate Google Sheets using Jaws.
- Go over vocabulary and keyboard commands.
- Have students start by turning on Jaws if it’s not already on.
- Next, have students open Chrome.
- Have students go to Google Drive (drive.google.com).
- Have them press the letter C for the create menu.
- Additionally, students could press shift + S to create a new sheet.
- Explain the layout of sheets. After the page loads, most of the screen is where the rows and columns are located. At the top of the screen there is the menu bar with the different menu options like file. Under the menu bar is the tool bar. This is where you can change things like the font, font color and other changes.
Practice/assessment activities
- Have students answer questions about the Arctic animals found in the Google sheet. (Download Link to Arctic Animal Questions Google Doc or Arctic Animal Questions Word)
- Have them share the document once they’re finished.
Closure
- Answer any questions.
Reflection
Notes
The Google sheet is in view mode and a copy will need to be made to edit it.
References
Polar Bears
Resources
- Link to Google Sheets with JAWS lessons (Google Doc)
- Download the Google Sheets with JAWS lessons (Word)
- Link to Arctic Animal Questions Google Doc
- Download the Arctic Animal Questions (Word)
- Link to the Arctic Animal (Google Sheets) or Arctic Animal (Excel) Note: If using the Google Sheet version, make your own copy. DO NOT EDIT the original Google Sheet! To make a copy, go to File > Make a Copy.
By RebeccaWeber
Updated January 21, 2024; originally posted February 2022.
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Attached File(s)
https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/Arctic%20Animals%20Activity.docx https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/Google%20Sheets%20with%20Jaws_0.docx https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/Arctic%20Animals2.xls https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/Arctic%20Animals3.xls.ods
