1.3 – Digital Tools: Gmail
Using email
Do you have an email address? In this class, we will use a Gmail account to communicate. You can use Gmail to send and receive email. You will need to know your Gmail email address and your password. That is why we will make sure that everybody has an email address.
Activity 1: First, read the paragraph. Then, watch Part 1 of the video.
Using Gmail
Email is a way to send letters to people across the internet. In order to send and receive emails, you need an account. An account is like your mailbox. An email account needs a username. A username is the name for your account. Your account will also need a password. Your password is like a key to log in to your account. It should be easy for you to remember, but difficult for another person to guess. A strong password includes numbers, upper-case and lower-case letters, and symbols (%^#). A strong password is long – around 12-16 characters. A strong password does not include your name or family names (they’re too easy to guess). Keep your password a secret to keep your account secure (safe).
Watch Part 1 of this VIDEO [until 5:00]
Activity 2: Discuss what makes these passwords strong or weak.
| Strong Passwords | Weak Passwords |
|---|---|
| L!ttlech!cken@theBarn
My0My1amhappY! |
HOMECOMPUTER
12345 |
Activity 3: Which of these sentences is true for you?
A) I already have and use a Gmail email address and remember my password.
B) I have a Gmail address, but I can’t remember my password and/or username.
C) I do not have a Gmail address.
Activity 4: Read the paragraph and examine the parts of an email.
Parts of an Email
In professional settings, you will frequently type emails to people like your co-workers, your teacher, other students, or your boss. When you type professional emails, you should use polite language. This is called etiquette. Etiquette is a polite, or nice, way of doing something in a professional setting. It is important to be clear and polite in professional emails.
A professional email should have four parts. A professional email should have a:
- Short subject: What is the email about?
- Greeting: In the greeting, you can greet the recipient by saying Hi and the person’s name, or Hello, or Dear. Dear is the most formal.
- Short body: This is the message you want to send.
- Closing: Say, “Thank you,” or maybe “Sincerely,” and always include your name.
Activity 5: Watch the video and send an email to your teacher.
- Watch VIDEO Part 2 [from 5:00-9:09]
- What is your teacher’s email address? Write it down.
- Send a short email to your teacher (like the one above). Be sure to include each part of the email, including the subject, greeting, body, and closing.
OPTIONAL Activity 6: Watch the video (Part 3) and send an email with an attachment.
- Watch the VIDEO Part 3 [from 9:10-10:25] to learn about attaching a file to an email.
- Send a second email to your teacher. Attach a file to this email. The attachment can be, for example, a nature picture, flag of your country, a favorite food, or a poem. (Please do not attach anything personal, such as pictures of your children.)
