Management Information Systems
Professor Chen
NAME: _______________
Due Date: __________
Tornado Sightings Case
Midwest Tornado Institute
Joyce Bishop is a meteorologist at the Midwest Tornado Institute located in Decatur, Illinois. Joyce is preparing
for a talk she is giving to a local civic group on the possible effects of global warming on tornados. She’s
collected data on minor, moderate, and major tornado sightings in five-year periods during the second half of the
twentieth century and wants to create a graph for her talk showing her data. She’s already entered her data into
an Excel workbook; she needs your help in creating the chart. Figure 1 shows a preview of the chart you’ll
create for Joyce.
Data Files needed: Tornado.xlsx and Cloud.jpg
Complete the following:
1. Open the Tornado workbook located in the Data Files folder, then save the workbook as Tornado_
Sightings in your folder. In the Documentation sheet, enter your name in cell B3 and the date in cell
B4.
2. In the Sightings History worksheet, select the range A3:E13, and then insert a 2D clustered column
chart. Move the embedded chart to a chart sheet named Sightings Chart.
3. Change the chart style to Style 32 (Hint: Find the Chart Styles Gallery under the Design tab, style 32
will be found there).
4. Insert the chart title Tornado Sightings: 1950 – 1999 at the top of the chart in a 24-point font (Hint:
Find chart title, along with other similar options, under the Layout tab).
5. Add the vertical axis title Sightings in a 14-point font with horizontal orientation. Add the horizontal
axis title Years in a 14-point font.
6. Move the legend to the bottom of the chart, and then set its font size to 14 points.
7. Change the line style of the horizontal gridline from a solid line to a dashed line (Hint: Use the Dash
type list in the Line Style group in the Format Major Gridlines dialog box).
8. Add vertical gridlines to the major tick marks in the chart. Display the gridlines as dashed lines.
9. Change the chart type of the All data series from a column chart to a 2D line chart (Hint: All here refers
to the name of the data series. To change the chart type, click on and choose the data series required.
You will find the Change chart option under the Design tab). Change the color of the line to a standard
blue.
10. In the Upper-left corner of the chart, insert a cloud shape (Hint: Find Shapes needed under the Layout
tab, the Shapes drop-down menu). Set the width of the cloud to 1.2”. Set the height to 0.5”. Set the fill
color of the cloud shape to a light gray.
11. Adjacent to the cloud shape, insert a lightning bolt shape with a height of 0.48” and a width of 0.42”.
Set the fill color of the shape to yellow.
12. Group the cloud and lightning bolt shapes.
13. Select the plot area and change the fill to a picture fill, using the Cloud.jpg file included in the Data
Files. (Hint: Click the Shape Fill button in the Shape Styles group on the Drawing Tools Format tab,
click Picture, and then locate and select the picture file.)
Tornado Sightings, Page-1
14. Save and close your workbook, and then submit the finished workbook to your instructor, either in
printed or electronic form, as requested.
15. For your convenience a sample solution is shown in Figure 1 (Below).
Figure 1. A Sample Solution
What you should turn in:
1. Create your EXCEL solution file save it as Your_Last_Firstname_Tornado.xlsx). (e.g.,
Chen_Jason_Tornado.xlsx). You should add class and personal information (name, row
number etc.) in the Documentation sheet.
2. write a short report and save it as Your_Last_Firstname_Tornado.docx (e.g.,
Chen_Jason_Tornado.docx) describing what you learn from the case and what you can apply
the experience to what business application in the near future. You should add class and
personal information (name, row number etc.) within the Word documents.
3. What/How you should turn in: email me the two files (*.xlsx and *.docx) with the following
information (Fail to provide me with ALL information, you will lose major points)
a) To: chen@jepson.gonzaga.edu
b) Subject: BMIS235-01 EXCEL-Tornado (or BMIS235-02 EXCEL-Tornado)
c) Message :
Dr. Chen,
Tornado Sightings, Page-2
Attached please find two files (*.xlsx and *.docx) for my Excel#1.
<Your Full Name> at the end of the message line
so that I can record/grade your homework.
Tornado Sightings, Page-3