1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Today you finish and hand up the spreadsheet work for your Specialism project.
You will finish two files in your Specialism folder: a live problem-solving spreadsheet, and a short written explanation of how that sheet answers your question. Together they are the pack your teacher keeps as evidence of your work.
Why a typed total will not do: a neat-looking sheet with a total someone typed in by hand proves nothing. If you change an input and the answer stays frozen, the model is fake. Today every result must recalculate on its own.
What you will be able to do by the end of today
- Use a spreadsheet to answer the real number question you wrote at the start of this module
- Write a short, clear explanation of how your sheet answers that question
- Have both files finished, named correctly and saved where your teacher can find them
Warm-up: open and show
Open {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm3/}} now. Click your problem statement from the start of this module and your strongest workbook from it. Be ready to read your one-sentence question aloud if asked.
If that problem page is missing, write one clear sentence now about a real number question from your Something Real project, Work Experience, enterprise, or Practical Achievement work (for example cost per participant, whether a schedule fits the hours, or profit at a sales target). Keep that sentence on screen before Key concepts.
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
SM3 KA1 is not "make a pretty spreadsheet". It is "use a spreadsheet to answer a real question, then explain how". Use this quality bar while you finish today's pack.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Problem-first spreadsheet — the sheet exists to answer one clear question, not to dump every number you have | Evidence is strongest when a reader can see the question, the inputs, and the answer quickly | "Will I make a profit if I sell 50 phone cases at €12 each?" with costs and a highlighted decision cell |
| Working formulas, not typed totals — results recalculate when inputs change | A fixed number proves nothing; a live formula proves you modelled the problem | Change quantity from 50 to 40 and the profit cell updates automatically |
| Skills explanation — a short written page naming the features you used and why they fit the problem | KA1 needs judgment, not only clicks; the explanation is half the evidence | "I used currency formatting so a reader does not mistake 12 for twelve cent" |
| Bankable pack — spreadsheet + explanation, both named and filed for submission | Teachers verify KA evidence by filename and folder; a loose desktop file is not bankable | {{code:sm3_ka1_problem_solver}} and {{code:sm3_ka1_explanation}} inside {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm3/}} |
What "done" looks like (Aoife's pack)
- Inputs: selling price, unit cost, fixed costs, target units — editable numbers only
- Calculations: live formulas for revenue, costs, and profit at that target
- Answer + explanation: one highlighted decision cell, plus a short write-up of the question, the answer, the features used with reasons, and one next step for the project
Her question was: "Will I make a profit if I sell 50 cases at €12 each, with materials at €4.50 per case and fixed costs of €80?" That shape is the model for your own Something Real numbers today.
3 - Step-by-step Task: Lock the Solver Sheet ~20 mins
Your two KA1 files (course names):
- {{code:sm3_ka1_problem_solver}} (spreadsheet) in {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm3/}}
- {{code:sm3_ka1_explanation}} (short document) in the same folder — you write that in Independent Practice
This guided block finishes the solver spreadsheet only: problem sentence, editable inputs, live formulas, highlighted decision, and a quick model test. You are finishing work you already started in Module 3, not building from a blank page unless you have to. Platform paths are in the tabs below.
4 - Common Issues ~4 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| My "answer" is a number I typed, not a formula | Delete the typed total. Click the result cell and enter a formula that references your input cells (for example {{formula:=B10-B12}}). Change one input to prove the result moves. |
| I see {{code:#DIV/0!}}, {{code:#REF!}}, or {{code:#VALUE!}} | {{code:#DIV/0!}} means a divisor is zero or blank; give that input a real value. {{code:#REF!}} means a referenced cell was deleted; rebuild the formula. {{code:#VALUE!}} usually means text snuck into a number cell; clear and retype the number. |
| I cannot find the Module 3 problem statement | Check {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm3/}} for the kickoff practice page. If it is missing, write a fresh one-sentence problem now that is still true for your Something Real project, then continue. |
| My explanation lists tools but not reasons | Rewrite each point as "I used X because Y". Example: "I used currency format so a reader does not misread the price." |
5 - Independent Practice ~18 mins
Independent Practice
- {{code:sm3_ka1_problem_solver}} sits in {{code:sm3/}} and answers your real problem with live formulas (change an input and the result moves)
- A reader can find the question and the highlighted decision without hunting
- {{code:sm3_ka1_explanation}} is concise and covers the question, the answer, features you used with a clear reason for each, and one next step for your project
- Both filenames match the names given above and are saved where your teacher can open them
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