Make a Digital Table of Contents in Google Drive

Digital table of contents? What’s that? That my friends, is how I organize my digital files even more! It’s one thing to have all of your subjects organized by grade level or subject, it is a totally different thing to have a table of contents that you can click on a title and it will take you exactly to the document you need.

While you can get the same sort of idea from using the search bar to find files, it’s not quite as easy to see everything you have (especially if a file is named something else). I use this system in conjunction to my organized digital files. I recommend organizing your files first, then taking it to the next level with these steps.

Step 1: Make the Spreadsheet

In Google Drive, make a Google Sheets (similar to Excel). This is going to be your table of contents page. I added a picture header to mine but you don’t have to! I have a few headers already made if you want to grab that freebie, click here.

To add the picture header open Word/Powerpoint and make your header using whatever fonts you’d like. Then take a screenshot of just the part you want. In your Sheets click Insert-Image-Image over Cells. Add your screenshot and size to fit your space.

In my Sheet I made a row for each unit with the title and number. Then I added columns for what I needed. Because my district pacing guide refers to the textbook lessons, I added both the number and topic. Then I added handouts (for notes), I can page numbers, and activities. Make the columns fit your needs! I wanted this to be a way for me to match up a curriculum I bought on TPT with the lessons for the textbook.

Step 2: Fill your sheet

This is the step for actually filling in your sheet if book lessons/topics, matching up notes pages with those topics. This isn’t the step I put the activities in yet. If you aren’t using a book, think about the units you teach or just general topics like I did for my science one.

Step 3: Link Your Contents

This is where the magic happens! I wanted to be able to see exactly what activities I had for each topic on the order in which my textbook goes. Follow these steps to make hyperlinks to your resources.

*First, I went through each topic and found any activities I had.

*I’d open the file in a new tab using those 3 dots. This is important otherwise you will be using the wrong link.

*Then I’d grab the link to that file.

*Flipping back to my Sheet, I’d type in the name of the activity into a cell.

*Then go up to Insert-Link and then paste your link in the box that pops up and click apply.

*Now your words are the hyperlink for you to click on it will take you right to the exact file you need.

There you have it! Your digital table of contents is complete.

If you want to grab a free template click on over here!