1. Open a spreadsheet program.
2. Go to Format in the menu bar and select Insert Header. Select your Font choice and Size 24. Type in title of document ìMagic Square.î To center the title if necessary, press Apple-\.
3. Go to Format and select Document. Change the columns across to 7 and the rows down to 12.
4. Click in the Column Indicator Box above the Row Header #1 and to the left of Column Header A. This highlights the entire spreadsheet. Go to Format, select size and choose 18 to make the words larger. Go to Format, select Font and choose Chicago. Go to Format, select Row Height and type in 50 to make the cells larger.
5. Click in cell F2 and type in Total. Press Apple-\ to center the word and Apple-B to ma
6. ke the word Bold.
7. Click in cell B6 and type in Total. Press Apple-\ to center the word and Apple-B to make the word Bold. (One can also copy Total in cell F2 and paste in cell B6.)
8. Setting up the spreadsheet: Click in cell C3 and drag to cell F6 to highlight a four by four cell block. (I have the student place his/her left finger in cell F6, then click in cell C3 and drag to his/her finger in F6.) Go to Format and select Borders. Select Top, Bottom, Left and Right to draw solid lines around each highlighted cell. Click OK.
    
9. With the four by four cell block still highlighted, go to Options and select Display. Turn off all the selections except Mark Circular Refs by clicking in the boxes with an x so that the boxes are empty. The cell grid, column headings, and row headings are no longer needed. Click OK.
10. Formulas: Click in the cell below the first Total (F3) that was typed. To tell the computer to calculate type in =. To tell the computer to add, type in sum. Type in an open parenthesis. So the computer will know what to add, click in the upper left hand cell in the 4X4 grid and drag right to the third cell. Type in the close parenthesis. Your formula should be =sum(C3..E3). You can delete any info that was inserted by mistake. Be sure to press Return when the formula is correct. A 0 should be in the cell where the formula was typed.
11. Using same formulas: Click in cell where the 0 is (F3) and drag down to the third cell (F5). Go to Calculate and select Fill Down. Or one can Press Apple-D to fill in the formulas in the other two cells. A 0 will appear in each of the other two cells. While the cells are highlighted, go to Options and select Lock Cells or Protect Cells so the formulas will not be lost later.
12. Click in the cell to the right of the second Total typed (C6). Type in the formula starter =sum( and click in the upper left hand cell (C3) and drag down to the third cell (C5). Type in the close parenthesis. Your formula should be =sum(C3..C5). Press Return. Click on the 0 and drag right to the third cell. Go to Calculate and select Fill Right or press Apple-R to fill in the formulas in the other two cells. A 0 will appear in each of the other two cells. While the cells are highlighted, go to Options and select Lock Cells or Protect Cells so the formulas will not be lost later.
13. Click in the upper left hand cell (C3).
14. Save as Stationery: Press Apple-S to Save the document. Title it Magic Square Game. Click on the Stationery icon. Click on the button Desktop. Locate your disk in the dialog box and click on it. Click on Open to place your disk icon above the dialog box, showing that this is where the Magic Square game will be saved. Click on Save.
15. When the student opens the Magic Square document from his/her disk, it will be untitled. Instruct the students to not save again as Magic Square Game or they will lose their blank Magic Square.

View Lesson Plans for a Magic Square