Teacher Tech blog with Alice Keeler

Paperless Is Not a Pedagogy

Alice Keeler

Make a multiplication table in less than 35 seconds

Make a multiplication table in less than 35 seconds
YouTube video

This will work in any spreadsheet, but I am going to use Google Spreadsheet.

  • Click on the corner of your Google spreadsheet where the rows and columns come together
  • Hold cursor between any two columns (between letters) and resize.  Hold cursor between any two rows (between numbers) and resize.  You want to make square boxes out of the cells.
  • Usually I do not start in the corner, so I put a 1 somewhere in the sheet.
  • Type a 2 next to the cell
  • Highlight the 1 and 2.  Notice a little square appears in the bottom right.  Grab the square and pull it to the right.  This will continue the number pattern horizontally.
  • For the vertical list of numbers you need to place the other 1 kitty corner to the first 1.
  • Place a 2 under the 1 and highlight the two cells.  Again grab the square in the bottom corner. Pull down.
  • This creates the left and top rows of your multiplication table.  The values will be created by using a formula.
  • In the cell where you would have 1 times 1 start with an equals sign.
  • In this example my 1’s are in cells D3 and C4.  Instead of typing 1*1 use cell referencing.  =D3*C4
  • However, before you push enter you want to remember you will ALWAYS be multiplying by that top row (Row 3) and ALWAYS multiplying by the left column (Column C).
    • To lock down Row 3 put a dollar sign in front of the 3.
    • To lock down Column C put a dollar sign in front of the C.
  • After pushing enter the value of 1*1 should appear.
  • Click back on the cell with the formula.  Notice the square in the bottom right of the cell.
  • Grab the square and pull it to the right as long as you have the top row of values.
  • Keep the row highlighted. Grabbing the square in the bottom right pull down to finish filling out the multiplication table.

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