• UNIT 6:COMPUTER RESEARCH

    Introduction

    Since you are living in a technological world, you can easily find out information that you need from the Internet by browsing. You can also exchange information that you have obtained through emails.

    Look at the following pictures.

    b

    Describe each picture above.
    Predict what you are going to learn in this unit.

    6.1: Browse and the use of e-mails

    E-mail account

    Activity 6.1: Investigating what an e-mail account is

    (i) What is an e-mail account?
    (ii) Research from the Internet or dictionary and write in your notebook its definition.

    E-mail is a message that is sent electronically using e-mail applications such as Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail.
    A real e-mail application enables you to create, send, receive as well as organize e-mail messages.
    You can send and receive e-mails from users across several e-mail service providers.
    For you to start using e-mail services, you need to sign up for an e-mail account.

    Create an e-mail account

    Activity 6.2: To create your new e-mail account

    (i) Open a browser window by clicking on the browse icon.j
    (ii) On the address bar, type a web mail address, for example www.yahoo. com

    h

    (iii) On yahoo home page, click on sign up link.

    b

    A sign up form will open up for you to start filling in your personal details.
    (iv) Click “submit” when you finish entering your correct details.

    Login and logout

    Activity 6.3: Loging in and loging out

    Practise to sign in (logging in) and to sign out (logging out).

    To login:
    1. Click on Sign In.       

     2. Fill in your Username and Password.  

     3. Click on Sign In again.    

    4. Click on Sign out.

    m

    To write and send e-mail

    Activity 6.4: To write and send an e-mail

    (i) Access Browse activity.
    (ii) Sign in/login your e-mail account. Then click “compose”. This provides a small window from where you can start typing your message.
    (iii) Type the recipient address for example, hannah@gmail.fr, adianhabimana@yahoo.com in the recipient text box. Ensure you send the e-mail to one of your classmates.

    l

    (iv) Type the subject for your e-mail for example; happy birthday in the subject text box.
    (v) Go a head and write the birthday message in the text window.
    (vi) Click send.
    (vii) Ask your classmate if she or he has received your e-mail.

    Read inbox e-mails

    Activity 6.5: Reading inbox e-mails

    (i) Click on Inbox folder to display your e-mail. This will display all the available e-mails in your account.
    (ii) The new unread e-mails have purple bullets on them.

    j

    Inbox is a folder where your newly delivered e-mail messages appear. The Inbox is normally opened automatically when you login to read your e-mails.

    6.2: Browse Activity

    Activity 6.6: Browse Activity

    (i) Start Browse Activity from the Home View.
    (ii) What do you see when the browse activity opens up?
    (iii) Name any 2 Internet browsers that you know.

    Navigating and Using the Browse Activity
    When you click on a web page and view its contents, we say you are navigating the web.
    To navigate the web, you will need to type the address you want to go to in the Address Bar. For example www.yahoo.com.

    l

    • The most common website used for finding information is http://www.google.com.
    • Information can also be searched on Wikipedia or yahoo.

    d

    Activity 6.7: Taking a screenshot

    (i) Identify the image or information that you want.
    (ii) Hold down the Alt key and then press 1 (Alt + 1).
    (iii) View your screenshot in your XO Journal.

    Activity 6.8: Navigating using the Browse Activity

    (i) Start Browse Activity.
    (ii) Type http://wiki.laptop.org in the address bar.
    (iii) Read the content on the website.
    (iv) Take a screenshot of information and pictures that you like.

    t

    Accessing the Worldmap, Dictionary, Textbooks and Storybooks

    Activity 6.9: Accessing the Dictionary, Textbooks and Storybooks

    (a) Accessing the dictionary

    (i) Browse the Google website by typing http://www.google.com in the address bar.
    (ii) In the Google search box type the word ‘Dictionary.’

    k

    (iii) Click the search button c to view results.

    (b) Accessing the Textbooks and storybooks
    (i) To access Textbooks and storybooks, use the Google search box.
    (ii) You can search for a specific book or a broad category of books.

    (c) Accessing the World Map

    (i) Start the Browse Activity. Then Google search box
    (ii) Type in the address bar “world map” as your search term.
    (iii) Click on images icon to view images only.

    (iv) Click on various maps to view them. Zoom the maps to see them more clearly. Click on the icon that looks like this  kto zoom.
    To zoom in, click on  bTo zoom out click on j
    (v) Take two screenshots of the map that you can see clearly.
    (vi) View your maps in the Journal.

    You can use the browser to access important learning materials. Examples of learning materials that you can access include: The world map, Dictionary, Textbooks and storybooks among others.
    A world map shows all the continents and oceans of the world.

    Practice Activity 6.1

    John's XO laptop is showing the following screen.
    1. What website did he type in the address bar?
    2. What did he search for?
    3. Write down some responses that he got from his search.

    f

    Share the content from Browse Activity

    Activity 6.10: Sharing Bookmarks

    (i) Create a book mark by clicking on the book mark icon which appears like a star on the top of the browser window.
    (ii) Hover your pointer over the Private icon.
    (iii) Click the My Neighbourhood icon. By doing this, you will be allowing friends to view and share your bookmarks.
    (iv) Ask your friends to see the shared bookmarks. To do this, they will just need to open their Neighbourhood View on their XOs laptops.

    If you wish to show other people what you have been doing in Browse, you can share your bookmarks with them.

    A bookmark is a record of websites that you have visited. You will need to have at least one bookmark already saved.

    Revision Activity 6

    1. Study the following screenshot:

    m

       (a) What is the page above used for?
       (b) (i) Name the parts labelled K and J.
            (ii) Explain briefly how you can share content in the parts labelled J.
        (c) Apart from Google, what other web application can we use to search for information?
    2. (a) Start Browse Activity. In the Google Search box that appears type
             “Map of Africa” as your search term to access the map of Africa.
        (b) Click on images link to view images only. Click on one image you have chosen to have a                    larger clearer view.
        (c) Zoom-in so that you can locate the East African countries.
        (d) Take a screenshot and share it with friends.
    3. What is an e-mail?
        A. Sending text messages electronically
        B. Sending invites electronically
        C. A message that is sent electronically
        D. A message that is flagged electronically
    4. What is the name given to the process of creating an e-mail account?
        A. Login                               B. Make
        C. Design                             D. Sign up

    5. The following picture shows an e-mail that Jane wants to send to her mother. She wants to inform her about her school accommodation balance.

    v

    (a) What is the importance of the parts labelled:
      (i) A         (ii) B          (iii) C         (iv) D

    (b) Using your XO laptop, compose the e-mail that Jane needs to send. Include the subject in your e-mail.
    6. The following features are found in a gmail account except
    A. Sent mail
    B. Drafts
    C. Trash
    D. School
    7. Using Write Activity, outline the steps you will follow to create an e-mail account.
    8. You need to send an e-mail to your friend to invite her to your community
    cleanup exercise. Create an e-mail with a relevant subject and content.
    9. Write a step-by-step procedure you will follow to compose an e-mail message.

    10. (a) Who is the recipient with reference to e-mails?
    (b) Create an email to your friend.
    (c) In the body of the e-mail, add content explaining why you like using XO laptops in your school.
    (d) Give a relevant subject to your email.
    11. (a) Can you send an e-mail with the same message to several recipients?
    (b) Juliane has told Thomas that her e-mail has an attachment.
    (i) Explain what a file attachment is?
    (ii) Give examples of files that can be attached using e-mail?

    Word list
    1. Read the following words in pairs.
    • Empowerment                                • Browse                    • Login
    • Login                                              • Address Bar            • Home Page
    • Sign up                                           • Navigating               • Website
    • Internet                                           • Bookmark                • Downloading
    2. Spell 3 words while your friend writes them in his or her notebook. Let your friend also spell 3 other words as you write them in your notebook.
    3. Discuss with your friend the meaning of any 3 words in the word list.
    Refer to notes in your textbook.

    UNIT 5:WRITING SKILLSUNIT 7:PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN