This Excel lesson on working with text and text functions helps students understand how Excel handles text data through a fun and creative challenge.

In the Anagram Challenge, students combine letters from different cells using the & (concatenation) operator to form new words. After building their anagrams, they apply text functions to change formatting and explore how Excel processes text. The activity encourages experimentation while reinforcing key concepts in a clear, structured way.

This lesson combines an interactive Excel activity and a printable worksheet, making it an engaging introduction to text manipulation in spreadsheets.

Skills Practiced

• Combining text using the & operator
• Using PROPER, LOWER, and UPPER functions
• Understanding how Excel handles and formats text data
• Transforming and analyzing text within a spreadsheet

What’s Included

• 1 interactive Excel file (Anagram challenge)
• 1 printable and editable worksheet (Word format)
• Completed Excel file and worksheet (answer key)

Key Features

• Creative, puzzle-based approach to learning Excel text functions
• Reinforces correct syntax for text formulas
• Beginner-friendly with clear instructions
• No prep required — ready to use in class or online

Perfect for middle school, high school, or introductory Excel classes, this lesson works well for classwork, independent practice, homework, early finishers, or assessment. Students build confidence working with text in Excel while staying engaged through a fun, word-based activity.