Chapter 11: PowerPoint Notes – Working with slides and layers

(back to Build a TpT Store)

Slide sizes

1. Change the slide size before doing anything else.

Go to Design > Slide Size > Page Setup
Type in the Width and Height
A pop-up will ask you Scale or Don’t Scale. Scale = changing the size of the elements already on the slide. You can try either and undo if it doesn’t work for you.

2. What are the widths and heights?

Printables

Worksheets/Printables (letter portrait): 8.5 in x 11 in
Worksheets/Printables (letter landscape): 11 in x 8.5 in
Worksheets/Printables (A4 portrait): 8.25 in x 11.75 in
Worksheets/Printables (A4 landscape): 11.75 in x 8.25 in

Digital

Boom Cards: 7 in x 5 in (that’s the official size, but 4×3 would work well enough too)
Google slides: standard (4×3) = 10 in x 7.5 in
See Saw: standard (4×3) = 10 in x 7.5 in

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Adding and moving slides

1. New slide

Option 1: INSERT > NEW SLIDE > BLANK

Option 2: RIGHT CLICK > NEW SLIDE

2. Duplicate slide

Duplicating slides can save you a lot of time. The main format is retained, you just have to swap out the clipart and text.

Either right click on the slide, or use the keyboard shortcut.

3. Drag and drop slides

Changes the order in which the slides appear.

4. Add sections

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Slide Master

If you are creating interactive digital activities, try creating in Slide Master mode. Everything that you put into the Slide Master mode will not be editable in the normal mode. So create all the elements there, leaving out only the moveable pieces.

1. Go into Slide Master mode

2. Delete all the existing layouts (the tinier slides) except one

3. Start creating on a blank layout like they are normal slides

Delete all the default text boxes. Create all materials on the slides like as if they are normal slides.

4. Big Master Slide vs Tiny Slide Layouts

Big Master Slide

Some elements are going to be in every slide. E.g. the red header, the boxes, and the thought bubble. Put those in the big master slide and they will automatically appear in the tiny slide layouts. When you make any changes to the big master slide, the changes are also automatically reflected in all the tiny slides below.

Tiny Slide Layouts

Here, add in the elements that you plan to switch up in every slide. E.g. text boxes and clipart.

5. After creating, rename the layouts.

Right Click on the layouts, choose Rename.

6. Close the Slide Master mode to go back to normal slide mode

Look for the Close Master icon. It’s on the right side. The first layout will already be added for you.

7. Insert the layouts you have created as new slides

Under the Insert tab, click on the tiny arrow beside New Slide. You’ll be able to find all the layouts that you have created in Slide Master mode. You’ll also find them in the names you’ve given them.

8. Add the movable pieces

The movable pieces you add in the normal PowerPoint mode will be the only thing that students can ‘edit’ while they are in the normal mode, unless they know how to go into Slide Master mode.

You can still edit the layouts if you go back to Slide Master mode. The edits you make there will be automatically reflected when you go back to the normal slides mode.

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Layers

1. Bring to Front/Send to Back

Select any element.
Right Click > Bring to Front > Bring to Front
or Right Click > Send to Back > Send to Back

2. Reorder objects

This method look really cool, though not always necessary.

Go to Picture Format > Reorder Objects > Reorder Objects

Drag and drop the layers to move them front or back.

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PowerPoint Templates (.potx)

This is PowerPoint’s way to save a template. (I don’t use this method. I just save all my templates as normal PowerPoint Files in a folder)

1. Save as Template (.potx)

File > Save as Template

The File Format will be automatically set for you as PowerPoint Template (.potx)
The saving location will also be automatically set for you as User Content > Templates (the location you save the file is important)
You just have to name the template and click Save.