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Sheets tutorial: Home

Here's a series of narrated videos, walking you through how to use Sheets, the Google spreadsheet tool. Collect data and turn it into charts and graphs.

Why should I use Sheets?

 

Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet app that lets you create and format spreadsheets and work with other people. You can click here to open Sheets official cheat sheet, with a diagram of all its commands and a list of functions.

 

Doing calculations in Sheets

  • COUNT Counts the number of values in a dataset
  • MIN Finds the lowest number in a dataset
  • MAX Finds the largest number in a dataset
  • SUM Adds up all the numbers in a dataset
  • AVERAGE Sums the numbers in a dataset and then divides by total quantity

Sorting, filtering and error messages

        

Use charts and graphs to become a better data storyteller!

Making charts

  • Bar Graph Display single data points that summarize a group and compare multiple groups
  • Scatter Plot Show how datasets are related without a time component
  • Line Graph Display information about how data changes over time
  • Pie Chart Display information about how a total is split up into subgroups
  • Beautiful Charts How to format your chart to create a clear story for the viewer

Unsure which chart or graph to use? Check out this graphic for useful information.

                                                                    

Here's the datasets used in the video

The tutorials on this page use one of the four datasets below to demonstrate how to use Google Sheets. You can make a copy of a sets if you want to follow along with the tutorial.

  • Energy ISO-New England 2019 power generation data
  • Happiness World Happiness Index data 2015-2019
  • Video Highest grossing video game sales 
  • Weather Boston weather data (NOAA) 2019

 

Sara Harari, Lead Solar and Storage Product Developer at National Grid, created these videos.  National Grid supports the work of employees volunteering on behalf of the customers and communities it serves.