Using Computers and the Internet

You already know the mouse, the keyboard, and the screen. Now you will practice using them for real jobs. You will open programs, find files, save your work, and use websites the safe way to finish small tasks.

A program is a tool on the computer, like a drawing tool or a writing tool. Every program has a small picture called an icon. To open the program, you click the icon one time, or double-click it if it does not open right away.

Once the program opens, you will see buttons and tools inside it. You do not need to know every button. You just need to find the ones you want, like a pencil tool for drawing or a text box for typing.

A file is something you make on the computer, like a picture or a story. When you finish your work, you should save the file. Saving keeps your work safe so you can open it again later.

To open a file that is already saved, you look for its name and click it. To save a file, you often click a button that says save, or a small picture that looks like a floppy disk. If you forget to save, your work might disappear when you close the program.

A folder is like a box that holds your files together. Folders help you keep your pictures, stories, and games in neat groups instead of mixed up in one big pile.

To find a file, you open the folder first by clicking it. Then you look at the list of file names inside. If your file has a name like "my story," you look for those words and click on them to open it.

Sometimes your task is to find something on the internet, like a picture of an animal or a fact for a project. You open a browser first. Then you type a website address, or you type words into a search box to look for what you need.

Not every website is safe to click. Only visit websites that a grown-up or teacher tells you to use. If a strange window pops up, do not click it. Instead, ask a grown-up before you click on anything new.

Program: A tool on the computer that lets you do a job, like drawing or writing.

File: Something you make and save on the computer, like a picture or a story.

Folder: A place that holds files together so they are easy to find.

Save: To keep your file so it does not disappear when you close the program.

Browser: The program you use to open websites on the internet.

Search Box: A box where you type words to find websites or information.

Pop-up: A small window that suddenly appears on the screen, which you should not click without asking first.

Try opening a drawing program, make a small picture, and save it. Then close the program and open it again to find your saved picture.

Practice opening a folder your teacher gives you and finding one file by its name. Try using a safe website to look up one fact, like the name of an animal, with a grown-up nearby.

Related lessons

• Computer and Internet Basics