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Using MSWord to Support Maths Teaching
Hints and tips for maths teachers
When we think of MSWord and maths most people think of the equation editor, but
this tool produces a graphic which can be useful but text is often more versatile.
This workbook looks principally at the symbols and shortcuts available to work in
text format. It finishes with a few hints on graphics.
Symbols and shortcuts
Word provides a number of symbols useful for creating maths teaching materials.
 Open a new blank document
From the menu bar choose:
 Insert
 Symbol
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The Symbol dialog box is displayed.
The symbols and characters you can insert depend upon the fonts available on the
printer that is installed with your computer.
There are a variety of fonts and you might need to look through them to find what
you are looking for.
 Click the drop-down arrow next to Font
 Select Verdana
 Scroll down and find the divide sign
 Click the Insert button
The symbol is inserted into the document
 Click close
You treat a symbol in the same way as any other character – if you need to make it
bigger, select the symbol and a larger font size.
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Many, but not all fonts have a divide sign. Some of them are listed below.
If you are only working in Word you can chose the one you like best, but if you
want to transfer your work to other applications, e.g. Autograph then it is best to
stick with Normal Text, the first choice on the drop-down menu.
Avoid the symbol font.
Divide signs
÷
Normal text
÷
Estrangelo Edessa
÷
Garmond
÷
Georgia
÷
Latha
÷
Lucida Consol
÷
Lucida Sans Unicode
÷
Raavi

Symbol
÷
Times New Roman
÷
Tunga
÷
Verdana
÷
Arial (Alt + 0247)
÷
(Alt + 246)
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Attaching a symbol to a key
If there is a symbol you use frequently, you can assign it a custom shortcut key.
Some of the symbols already have keyboard shortcuts attached to them.
 Open the Symbol dialogue box
 Chose the Special Characters tab
The proper minus sign “–” is called ‘en-dash’.
To insert the minus symbol you simply press the three buttons: ctrl,
at the same time.
and - all
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Many (but not all) of the symbols you may want are in the Subset Mathematical
Operators.
For this exercise you are going to assign a shortcut key to a square root sign.
 Open the Symbol dialogue box again
 From the Font list select Comic Sans MS
 With the drop-down arrow next to Subset select Mathematical Operators
 Find the square root symbol
 Click the Shortcut Key button
The Customize Keyboard dialog box is displayed:
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The insertion point is positioned in the Press new shortcut key window ready for
you to enter the combination of keys you would like to use as the shortcut.
 Hold the ALT key down while simultaneously pressing R
A message is displayed directly beneath the Press new shortcut key window telling
you whether or not that key combination has already been assigned to another
symbol.
This gives you the opportunity to choose another key combination if your original
choice is already assigned to a different shortcut.
Take care that you only reassign keys when you are certain that you do not already
use that particular combination.
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When you are satisfied with your key selection:
 Click the Assign button
 Click Close
 Click Close
 Try out your shortcut key combination to ensure that it works
For a full list of al the symbols available and the keystrokes assigned to them:
Start / all programmes / accessories / system tools / character map
The keystroke is always Alt + keys on the number pad
 Turn num lock on
 No number pad on a lap top so does not work on a lap top
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Autotext
Autotext enables you to store and quickly insert regularly used text into a
document.
There are a number of built-in AutoText entries divided into different categories,
and you can also create your own AutoText entries.
This could be words such as Pythagoras’ Therom or something longer, for example
Why not drop-in to the Maths Learning Centre
Gateway House 1.5B
12.30 – 2.30 weekdays in term time?
When selecting an AutoText item, it can either be recalled by name or selected
from a list.
Creating an auto text entry
 Type your name, job title, and department
For example:
Frances Wright
Maths support tutor
Student Services
 Select the text
From the menu bar choose:
 Insert
 AutoText
 AutoText
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The AutoCorrect dialog box is displayed with the AutoText tab on top.
 In the Enter AutoText entries here box, replace the text (your name) with
a short descriptive name, e.g. drop-in
 Click Add
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Inserting autotext into a document
There are different ways of inserting AutoText into a document.
Recall it by name
 Press Enter twice to create blank lines
 Type signature
 Press the F3 key
Select it from the AutoText dialog box
 Press Enter twice to create blank lines
From the menu bar select:
 Insert
 AutoText
 AutoText
 Select Signature from the list of entries
 Click Insert
You can also put symbols directly into auto text.
 From the menu bar chose
 Insert
 Symbols
 In font chose normal text
 Find ∑
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 Click AutoCorrect
You can give this symbol a letter or letters but be careful to de-select ‘replace text
as you type’.
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 Chose the letters sig in replace
Now try to use it
 Type sig
 Follow this with a space a return
You get ∑
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Buttons on the toolbar
The tool bars contain buttons which carry out commands. There are some useful
ones which you may want to add if you use them regularly. For example super and
sub script or the buttons for tables which place text in the centre of a row or make
columns all the same size.
As well as adding extra buttons, there may well be buttons on the toolbars which
you never anticipate using and you can remove these.
Adding a new button to a toolbar
From the menu bar choose:
 Tools
 Customize
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The Customize dialog box is displayed.
In the categories pane you can see a list o the menus on the menu bar.
 Select the format category
A selection of commands that relate to formatting is shown in the Commands pane
on the right of the dialog box. For example font size, font colour.
 Scroll down the list of commands and select
If you are not sure if the command you have chosen is the one you want:
 click the description button
A description of the command is displayed.
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 Click away to close the description
 Point to the X2 command and click and drag it to an existing toolbar
 Drag it to the position you want it to be on the toolbar
The new button must be placed on a toolbar, not the space to the right of one.
 Click Close
 Open a new document
 Click the new button on the toolbar to test it
Removing a button from a toolbar
While the Customize Commands dialog box is displayed, the existing buttons on the
toolbars can be removed or rearranged.
DURING THIS EXERCISE PLEASE ONLY REMOVE THE BUTTON YOU HAVE JUST
ADDED TO THE TOOLBAR.
From the menu bar choose:
 Tools
 Customize
 Point to the button you have just added to the toolbar
 Click and drag the button down from the toolbar
Other useful buttons:
From table:
These buttons enable you to position text exactly where you want it in a row and
to make columns or rows equal size.
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Superscript and subscript
These buttons can be a bit annoying to use because you can stay in super script.
e.g. x2 + 4x when you wanted x2 + 4x
If this happens highlight the bits you don’t want in superscript and click the
superscript button again to turn it off
The answer is to type the whole thing x2+4x
then highlight the 2
Shortcuts:
You can also get super script if, after highlighting you press ctrl and + (ctrl and –
for subscript)
You can move between super or sub script like this:
Ctrl and = for subscript – this puts it on and takes it off again.
Ctrl and shift + + for superscript. Again this puts it on and takes it off.
 Try typing 4x3 + 5x2 – 3 using this method and using the buttons.
Formulae as Text
The equation editor can be used to make equations but it produces a graphic
object. (see below) It is sometimes easier to have formula as text.
If you want formulas as text this button
to the symbols.
found in insert, is useful. It takes you
We have already seen that a symbol can be saved in auto text. So can a formula.
In this exercise we are gong to type the formula ∑(fx2) - µ2 using the symbol menu,
Alt and short cut keys and save it in auto text.
 If you have done section 2 above and set up the auto correct key for ∑, use
it.
 If not chose it from symbols (font: Normal text, Subset mathematical
operators)
 Type (fx2)
 Hold down Alt and type 0150 to get the minus sign
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 Find µ in symbols (row 8 of normal text)
 Type 2
 Now make the 2s into superscript
Now you can save highlight the formula and save it in auto text as above.
Equation Editor
The equations editor can be added to the toll bars
Its symbol is found in insert
To make Equation editor work you have to load it.
If you click the button and get this
You will need the CD with word on it. Put the CD into its drive and click yes.
Equation editor creates a graphic. So the next section looks at graphics.
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Graphics
Word recognises two basic types of graphics: drawing objects and pictures.
Drawing objects include AutoShapes, diagrams, curves, lines, and WordArt.
Pictures are graphics created from another file and include bitmaps, scanned
pictures and photos, and clip art.
Drawing toolbar
The Drawing toolbar can be used to create a whole host of different effects.
 Open a new document
 Ensure that the Drawing toolbar is displayed at the bottom of the screen
Line
Arrow
Rectangle
Oval
Text Box
Word Art
Diagran or Org
Chart
Clip Art
Picture
Fill Colour
Line Colour
Font Colour
Line Style
Dash Style
Arrow Style
Shadow Style
3-D Style
If the Drawing toolbar is not displayed, click the Drawing button
Standard toolbar.
on the
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 Click the AutoShapes button on the toolbar
A list of different types of shapes is displayed.
 Select Basic Shapes
 Point to the cube and click
The AutoShapes dialog box is closed, and the mouse pointer becomes a .
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A drawing canvas is displayed.
Drawing canvas
When you insert a drawing object, a drawing canvas is placed around it. The
drawing canvas helps you to keep parts of your drawing together.
The drawing canvas also provides a frame-like boundary between your drawing and
the rest of the document.
You can drag the drawing canvas so that it fits tightly around your drawing, you can
expand the drawing object and drawing canvas simultaneously, or you can expand
the drawing independently of the drawing canvas.
If you do not want the drawing canvas, you can drag the drawing object off the
canvas, then select the canvas and delete it.
To turn the canvas off so that it does not display when you work with AutoShapes,
from the menu bar choose:
 Tools
 Options
 General tab
 Deselect Automatically create drawing canvas when inserting AutoShapes
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 Deselect the drawing canvas
Resizing a shape
 Click on the shape to select it
With the shape selected, sizing handles are displayed around the edges.
Rotate handle
Changes
dimensions
of the cube
Sizing handles
 Point the mouse at one of the handles
The mouse pointer changes to a double headed arrow.
 With the double headed arrow displayed, click the left mouse button and drag –
this will resize the shape
The way that the shape is resized will depend upon whether you point to the
corner sizing handles, or those at the sides.
If you want to resize proportionally, point to one of the corner handles.
If you want to change the height of the shape, point to the handle at the top or
bottom.
If you want to change the width of the shape, point to the handle at the left or
right.
 Point to the rotate handle and drag to the left or right
 Try another Basic Shape
 Experiment with sizing handles, the rotation handle and the diamond control
 Close the document without saving
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Pictures
Pictures may be found in various locations; as part of a picture gallery supplied
with Word, in Clip Art, downloaded from the Internet, a digital photograph that
you have taken, or perhaps from a photograph you have scanned.
Scanned and downloaded files
A picture downloaded from the Internet may be in one of many formats depending
upon how it was originally saved. You should be aware that there are copyright
restrictions, and for further information on the implications you are recommended
to check the Library Services site at www.library.dmu.ac.uk/About/Copyright/.
If you scan a picture, you will have the option of choosing the format when the
object is saved to disk.
Word will accept the following file formats without the need to install a separate
graphics filter:
Enhanced Metafile (.emf)
Graphics Interchange Format (.gif)
Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpg)
Portable Network Graphics (.png)
Microsoft Windows Bitmap (.bmp, .rle, .dib)
Windows Metafile Graphics (.wmf)
Tagged Image File Format (.TIFF)
Encapsulated PostScript (.eps)
For other file types you will need to install a graphics filter, and you can find further
information from the Word Help menu under the title ‘Graphics file types Word can
use’.
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De Montfort University
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Formatting pictures and drawing objects
Left click to chose the picture
Right click and chose format object (or format picture)
The layout tab is very useful.
In my experience in front of text makes Word work more like a drawing programme
so is the best choice – but you have to use return to create space for the picture.
The materials for this workshop were based on materials produced by IT training at
De Montfort University