# Pivot Tables Activities: Step-by-Step Guide

## 📋 Overview
This guide will walk you through completing the pivot table activities using LibreOffice Calc. You'll learn how to create pivot tables, analyze data, and troubleshoot common issues.

## 🎯 Activities Checklist
- **Activity 1:** Manual Data Analysis Challenge (10 minutes)
- **Activity 2:** Create Your First Pivot Table
- **Activity 3:** Recreate Example Pivot Tables (1C and 1B)
- **Activity 4:** Advanced Analysis with Data Set 2

## 🚀 Getting Started

### Step 1: Download and Open the Spreadsheet
1. Download the file: Pivot tables and advanced filtering (XLSX)
2. Open the file in LibreOffice Calc
3. Make sure you're using LibreOffice version 6.0 or higher

## 📊 Activity 1: The Manual Challenge (Learning Hook)

### What to Do:
- Go to the Data 1 worksheet tab
- DO NOT USE PIVOT TABLES for this activity
- Manually calculate for each actor:
  - How many episodes they appeared in
  - Their total earnings

### Step-by-Step:
1. **Sort the data:**
   - Select columns A-F (including headers)
   - Go to Data → Sort
   - Sort by "Surname" (Column A)

2. **Count episodes manually:**
   - For each surname, count how many rows appear
   - Write this in a new column or separate sheet

3. **Sum earnings manually:**
   - For each actor, add up all values in the "Earnings" column
   - Double-check your calculations

### ⏱️ Time: 10 minutes
**Reflection Questions:**
- How many potential errors did you make?
- How tedious was this process?
- How would this scale with 1,000 rows of data?

## 🔧 Activity 2: Create Your First Pivot Table

### Step-by-Step Instructions:

#### Step 1: Select Your Data
- Go to Data 1 sheet
- Select all data including headers (cells A1:F31)
- Click cell A1
- Hold Shift and click cell F31
- Or press Ctrl+A to select all

#### Step 2: Open Pivot Table Wizard
- Go to Data → Pivot Table → Create
- Select Current selection
- Click OK

#### Step 3: Configure Your Pivot Table
- Drag and drop fields in the layout area:
  - Drag "Surname" to ROW FIELDS
  - Drag "Episode" to DATA FIELDS
  - Drag "Earnings" to DATA FIELDS
- Configure calculations:
  - For "Episode": Double-click it → Select Count
  - For "Earnings": Double-click it → Select Sum
- Final layout should show:
  
  ```
  Rows: Surname
  Data: Count - Episode
  Data: Sum - Earnings
  ```

#### Step 4: Place the Pivot Table
- Choose New worksheet
- Click OK
- Your pivot table will appear on a new sheet

#### Step 5: Verify Results
- Compare your pivot table results with the example in Pivot table 1A

## 📈 Activity 3: Recreate Example Pivot Tables

### Task 3A: Recreate Pivot Table 1C
1. Start fresh from Data 1
2. Create a new pivot table
3. Try this configuration:
   - Rows: First Name
   - Columns: Role
   - Data: Count - Episode
   - Data: Average - Earnings

### Task 3B: Recreate Pivot Table 1B
1. Create another new pivot table
2. Try this configuration:
   - Rows: Role
   - Columns: Season
   - Data: Sum - Earnings
   - Filter: Surname (optional)

### 💡 Tips:
- Right-click on any cell in the pivot table → Refresh to update
- Double-click any field in the layout to change its calculation
- Drag fields between areas to experiment

## 🎓 Activity 4: Advanced Analysis (Data Set 2)

### Step 1: Navigate to Data Set 2
- Go to Data 2 worksheet
- Familiarize yourself with the columns:
  - Subject, Session Type, Completed, etc.

### Challenge 4A: Subject Completion Analysis
1. Select all data in Data 2
2. Create a new pivot table
3. Configure:
   - Rows: Subject
   - Columns: Completed (Yes/No)
   - Data: Count - Completed

### Challenge 4B: Detailed Session Analysis
1. Create another pivot table from Data 2
2. Configure:
   - Rows: Subject
   - Columns: Session Type
   - Data: Count - Session Type
   - Data: Count - Completed
3. Hint: You might need to add "Session Type" twice to get both calculations

## ⚠️ Troubleshooting: Cells Not Auto-Recalculating

### Problem: Pivot table doesn't update when source data changes

#### Solution 1: Manual Refresh
- Right-click anywhere in the pivot table
- Select Refresh or Recalculate Pivot Table
- Or use shortcut: F9 or Shift+F9

#### Solution 2: Check Calculation Settings
- Go to Tools → Options → LibreOffice Calc → Formula
- Ensure AutoCalculate is checked
- Under "Formula options", make sure:
  - ☑ Automatically find dependencies
  - ☑ Use OpenCL for formula calculation (if available)

#### Solution 3: Force Complete Recalculation
- Press Ctrl+Shift+F9 - This forces a complete recalculation of all formulas

#### Solution 4: Check Data Range
- Right-click the pivot table → Edit Layout
- Verify the Source data range is correct
- If you added new rows/columns to your source data:
  - Edit the data range to include them
  - Or recreate the pivot table with the new range

#### Solution 5: Pivot Table Corruption
- If nothing works:
  - Copy your source data to a new sheet
  - Create a brand new pivot table
  - Reconfigure it from scratch

## 💡 Pro Tips for Success

### Tip 1: Naming Your Pivot Tables
- Right-click the sheet tab
- Rename it meaningfully:
  - "Pivot_Subject_Analysis"
  - "Pivot_Earnings_Summary"

### Tip 2: Formatting for Readability
- Select the pivot table
- Use Format → AutoFormat for quick styling
- Adjust number formats:
  - Right-click currency values → Format Cells → Currency
  - Right-click counts → Format Cells → Number

### Tip 3: Saving Your Work
- Save frequently as .ods (LibreOffice format)
- If sharing with Excel users, also Save As → .xlsx
- Consider saving pivot tables as separate files for different analyses

### Tip 4: Documenting Your Process
- Create a "Notes" sheet in your workbook
- Document:
  - What each pivot table shows
  - Why you chose that configuration
  - Any insights discovered

## 🔍 Checking Your Work

Compare your results with the example sheets:
- Pivot table 1A: Basic actor summary
- Pivot table 1B: Alternative view
- Pivot table 1C: Different arrangement
- Pivot table 2A: Subject completion analysis
- Pivot table 2B: Detailed session analysis

Note: Your teacher may hide the example sheets. If they're hidden, focus on whether your pivot tables provide meaningful insights.

## 🆘 Getting Help

### Common Issues and Solutions:
| Problem | Solution |
|--------|---------|
| "Field not found" error | Check column names match exactly |
| Numbers showing as text | Use Data → Text to Columns on source data |
| Pivot table looks empty | Check data range includes all rows/columns |
| Can't drag fields | Click "More" button in Pivot Table dialog |

### When to Ask for Help:
- After trying all troubleshooting steps
- When you get consistent error messages
- If your results are significantly different from expected
- When you're spending more than 10 minutes stuck

## 📚 Learning Reflection

After completing all activities, ask yourself:
- What was the most valuable insight you gained from pivot tables?
- How much time did pivot tables save compared to manual analysis?
- What real-world data would you like to analyze with pivot tables?
- What configuration was most challenging to create?

## ✅ Completion Checklist
- [ ] Activity 1: Completed manual analysis (10 min challenge)
- [ ] Activity 2: Created basic pivot table from Data 1
- [ ] Activity 3: Recreated example pivot tables 1C and 1B
- [ ] Activity 4: Created pivot tables for Data Set 2 (Challenges A & B)
- [ ] Verified calculations match examples (or provide meaningful insights)
- [ ] Saved work in both .ods and .xlsx formats
- [ ] Documented process and insights in notes

Remember: Pivot tables are a skill that improves with practice. The more you experiment with different configurations, the more powerful insights you'll discover in your data!

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**Last Updated:** [Date]  
**LibreOffice Version:** 7.0+ recommended  
**File Format:** .ods (LibreOffice) / .xlsx (Excel compatible)