Computer – Second Level

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Course Description — Students will understand basic computer and internet usage and obtain word processing skills, as well as practice in-depth with the following: first grade, typing; second grade, Paint, Publisher; third grade, PowerPoint; fourth grade, Scratch (computer programming); fifth grade, WordPress blogs; sixth grade, HTML; seventh grade, graphic design, including photo manipulation; eighth grade, spreadsheets; high school computer courses are listed on the high school page. (Equivalent free software can be used for any of the listed programs.)


Week 1

Welcome to your first day of school! I wanted to give you one important reminder before you begin. Many of your lessons below have an internet link for you to click on. When you go to the different internet pages for your lessons, please DO NOT click on anything else on that page except what the directions tell you to. DO NOT click on any advertisements or games. DO NOT click on anything that takes you to a different website. Just stay focused on your lesson and then close that window and you should be right back here for the next lesson. Okay?

  1. If you didn’t get here through My EP Assignments, I suggest you go there and create an account.
  2. Internet Safety Reminders: Do not download anything onto your computer without permission. Do not click on any advertising on a website even if it looks like a game to play. Don’t give out your name, address, phone number, email address, photo, etc., online without permission.
  3. Do you remember these words: browser, desktop, window, crash, loading, refresh, download? Tell someone what they mean or ask them if you don’t remember.
  4. This is the end of your work for this course for today. You are allowed to move at your own pace (this is homeschooling), but it’s intended you complete one lesson each week.


Week 2

  1. Internet safe search — When you want to find something on the internet, you have to be careful how you look for it. Here are some tips. Be as specific as possible in your search. Type as many words as you know that will help you find what you are looking for. That will help keep things you are not looking for from coming up. Also, use kid friendly search engines. I suggest turning on Google safe search. You can turn on YouTube’s restricted mode by clicking on it at the bottom of the list when you click on your little account circle in the top right corner. (You can also turn off advertising, so you don’t see bad images.)
  2. Internet Safety — Here are some tips for staying safe when you use the internet. Never sign up for anything online without permission. When a site asks for a username, you are not supposed to give your real name. Make up a pretend name for yourself. Never tell anyone online your real name, address, phone number or email address, unless your parents tell you it is okay. Even if it’s a friend online, don’t give them information about yourself unless you have permission.


Week 3

  1. Internet security — There are different tools that are used for security on the internet. One is passwords. A password is a secret word that you use to let the computer or website know that you are you. The best passwords have letters and numbers in them. I use a really good password for important websites (that you don’t use–like for my bank information) but I use a silly password for websites where it is not important, like to play a game. Use only one or two passwords or you’ll forget which password you used where! So many places ask for passwords now. Choose passwords that are at least 6 letters/numbers long. Sometimes 8 is required.
  2. Another tool is software that protects your computer from viruses and adware. A computer virus is a command that sneaks into your computer and tells it to do something you don’t want it to do, like erase everything on your computer! Adware sneaks advertisers info onto your computer.
  3. You probably have anti-virus software on your computer. A free program is called Avast. Your computer should block ads that are called “pop-ups.” Sometimes you’ll see a note that says a “pop-up” was prevented from opening. This was a website trying to force their advertisement on you. Sometimes worse. Most of the time you don’t want to see the pop-up that was blocked, but sometimes you need that pop-up for whatever you are doing. If you want to see the pop-up that was blocked, go and ask a parent if it is okay.
  4. If something should pop up, just look for an X to close it down. It is often hidden. Look in the top right corner. Sometimes you have to click on No Thanks. It’s usually written in smaller letters and in a font that makes it harder to see. They don’t want you to close it and refuse their offer. But you can out smart them.


Week 4

  1. Let’s see if you remember what you learned last year. Open a new document in your word processing program.
  2. Type “I am ready to learn something new.”
  3. Change the color and size of the font.
  4. Save it as “New” in a folder with your name on it.
  5. Ask for help if you can’t remember any of those steps.


Week 5

  1. Open your document from last week.
  2. Insert a picture and clip art into your document and save it again.


Week 6

  1. Make an “I love you, Mom” mini poster. (You can do dad or grandma or someone else.)
  2. Open a new document.
  3. See if you can find something called “Word Art” or something that lets your write words in special ways.
  4. Write “I love you, Mom!” in a special way.
  5. Add a picture of you and her (him) if you can find one.
  6. Decorate the page.
  7. Click on “insert.”
  8. Choose shapes.
  9. Maybe you want to put stars on the page?
  10. Choose “fill” to color in your shapes.
  11. Do you want to add clip art? Can you do it?
  12. Ask for help if you can’t find something.
  13. Print it out.


Week 7

  1. Make a mini poster for your dad (or someone else). Open your word processing program. Open a new document.
  2. Use Word Art or fancy font and color to write DAD (or someone else) at the top.
  3. Save it in the folder with your name on it.
  4. Now you are going to “insert” a “text box.” You might need to click on “insert” and then click on “text box.” If there are choices of text boxes, choose what you like.
  5. Insert four text boxes. In each text box write a word that describes your dad (or whomever you are making a mini poster for).
  6. Use different fonts and colors. Use “fill” to color in your text box. Experiment.
  7. Click and drag on the corners of the text box to make it bigger.
  8. When you like your poster, save it.
  9. Print it out.


Week 8

  1. Click on lesson 1 for beginners. Watch the lesson and practice.
  2. Try to use the correct fingers, but mostly this will help you learn where the letters are on the keyboard. If it’s too hard to use the correct fingers, it’s okay. We’ll practice typing again next year when it’ll be a little easier for you.


Week 9

  1. Click on lesson 2 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.


Week 10

  1. Click on lesson 3 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. (Parents: You can decide to wait on typing lessons and hold off until next level. I will add the “thinking” link to the other typing assignments in case you choose to do that.)


Week 11

  1. Click on lesson 4 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 12

  1. Click on lesson 5 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 13

  1. Click on lesson 6 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 14

  1. Click on lesson 7 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 15

  1. Click on lesson 8 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 16

  1. Click on lesson 9 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 17

  1. Click on lesson 10 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 18

  1. Click on lesson 11 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 19

  1. Click on lesson 12 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 20

  1. Click on lesson 13 for beginners.
  2. Watch the lesson and practice.
  3. This is going to be your last typing lesson this year.
  4. In third level you’ll work on typing words
  5. If you aren’t doing typing, do a thinking game.


Week 21

  1. Today we are going to use your computer’s Paint program. If you have a Windows computer, then go to the little Windows circle in the corner and click on “All Programs” and then click on “Accessories” and find a program called Paint.
    • If you use a Mac computer, you will have to ask your parents if you can download Paintbrush which is just like Paint. For Chromebooks, you can use the PaintZ.
      • Anyone can use PaintZ.
    • Open the program.
    • Look along the top. There are different symbols we will learn about. Look for the word “Tools.” Above it do you see the letter A? In some programs they use the letter T instead of A. Find the letter and click on it.
    • Now click on the white box which is your drawing board.
    • A box shows up. Type “My Paint Project” in the box.
    • Can you figure out how to save it? Save it in the folder with your name on it.


Week 22

  1. Open up the document you made last week called “My Paint Project.”
    • You are going to try two different things today. The first is fill in a background color. Find a bucket of paint. Click on it. (If you are using a Mac, this might be a little different.)
    • Click on a color.
    • Click on the white board which is your painting canvas.
    • Did the whole thing turn the color you chose?
    • Change it to other colors.
    • Then find brushes. Click on brushes. There are lots of different choices: thick, thin, calligraphy pen, marker… Choose one and click on it.
    • Click on a color.
    • Click and drag your mouse on the canvas. Are you making a line?
    • Try different colors with different brushes.
    • Save your document.


Week 23

  1. Open up the document you saved called “My Paint Project.”
    • Today you are going to make shapes.
    • Click on a shape. Then click and drag on the white board, your painting canvas. Did you make a shape?
    • Make different shapes of different sizes by choosing different shapes and dragging them to be bigger or smaller.
    • Click on a shape you already made. Click on one of the corner boxes that appear and drag that corner to change the size of the shape.
    • Now click on a color and then a shape. Did you make the shape in the color you chose?
    • Make shapes in different colors.
  2. Let’s look again at shapes.
    • Last time you drew shapes in different colors. Now let’s color them in.
    • Draw a shape. Click on the bucket picture. The same one that changed the background color. Click on a color. Now click INSIDE the shape. Did the shape fill in with that color.
    • Make another shape and fill it with a different color.
    • Now click on the picture of an eraser. Erase some of your picture.
    • Click on the pencil. Draw a circle shape as best as you can. Make sure the circle is closed. Make sure there is no opening. Now click on the bucket and a color and fill in the circle you drew with a color.
    • You can click on the pencil again. Choose a “Size.” Choose a wider line to draw with.
    • Draw another shape and color it in.


Week 24

  1. Open up your Paint project.
    • Click on the pencil. Try and draw a circle. You can fill it in with color if you like using the bucket.
    • Now click on the little arrow under where it says select. Choose “Free form.”
    • Now draw an even bigger circle around the first circle. You have now “selected” it. You can click and drag the whole thing to move it around.
    • Now choose the rectangular select. Draw a box around your circle. That does the same thing.
    • Now choose Select All.
  2. Open up your paint project.
    • Draw a shape with the pencil. Color it in if you like.
    • Now select your shape or “Select All.”
    • Now you are going to rotate and flip your drawing. (In Paint this is found above where it says Image. It’s the picture of triangles.)
    • Click on the triangles and choose all of the options.
    • What happens?


Week 25

  1. Open up your paint project. You might want to clear it off and start with a blank canvas, a plain white board to draw on.
  2. Draw a shape with the pencil or with one of the brushes.
  3. Click on “resize.” Try the different options and see what happens.
  4. Click on “resize” and “skew” your shape. What happens?


Week 26

  1. There’s one more thing I want to show you about paint. Then you can just use it to make pictures or cards for people. 🙂
  2. I use Paint myself for really only one purpose. I use it for making screen shots. A screen shot is a picture of your computer screen.
  3. Look around on your keyboard. Do you see something that maybe says “prt scr?” That stands for “print screen.”
  4. Push that button. It seems like nothing happened, right?
  5. Now go to Paint. Paste the screen shot into Paint. You can click on “paste” or you can push “ctrl V.”
  6. Did a picture of your screen appear in Paint? I hope so. Now click on crop.
  7. Draw a box with the crop tool around just the webpage part of your screen. Cut out the browser and cut out the bottom of your screen. Click on “crop” again. It cuts out the box you drew.
  8. Now you can save that picture.


Week 27

  1. This week I want you to learn how to put pictures on a computer, if your parents will allow you. Ask them to show you. If you are allowed, take a picture and save it in the folder with your name on it.
  2. You will probably use a special USB cord to attach your computer to your camera. Your camera will need to be turned on and your computer should recognize that a camera is attached to it and should ask you what you want to do with the pictures.


Week 28

  1. This week send an email with a picture attached, preferably with a picture you loaded onto the computer yourself (if you are allowed to).


Week 29

  1. This week we are going to start using Publisher or Open Office Drawing or just Word (you need to be able to add shapes, turn items), or some other software your family might have for making a newsletter. Ask your parents what you have or ask if you can download the free Open Office software for drawing. Today just find out what you have or ask your parents to download something for you to use if they are willing. Open the program and have a look around. What does it look like you can do with it?
  2. You can add pictures, clip art, shapes and text boxes just like in your word processing program and in Paint. The advantage here is that you can move things around freely. Publisher is what I use when I make lapbook pieces. I can make shapes and then turn them sideways. Add a textbox–and type in it, a shape–and turn it if you have Publisher, a picture–from your computer, and some clip art.


Week 30

  1. Start working on a sales flyer. Make a page that is full of advertisements. Buy this now!
  2. Make a title at the top for the name of the store.
  3. Add a picture of each item for sale and a text box under it or next to it to tell how much it is. You could even write about the product and tell how great it is to try and get people to buy it.
  4. I suggest drawing a rectangle around each picture and the text box to keep the picture together with the words that go with it. You can change the color of the “outline” of the shape and you can make the “fill” invisible so that that your rectangle doesn’t cover up your picture and words.
  5. You can keep working on this next week. Today make your store name title at the top and try to add one item to your sales flyer.


Week 31

  1. Add one or two more items to your flyer. You can change the thickness of the rectangle outline by changing its “weight.”


Week 32

  1. Add another item or two to your flyer. Can you finish your flyer today?


Week 33

  1. Today make a lapbook piece.
  2. Pick a shape like a square, rectangle or hexagon. Don’t choose a circle. Make it a good size for writing in.
  3. Copy your shape. Paste it back in.
  4. Drag the new shape so that two flat sides are touching and lined up exactly. That will be where you fold the piece over. The two shapes should look like mirror images of each other.
  5. Insert a text box.
  6. Drag the text box inside one of the shapes.
  7. Drag the corners in until it fits.
  8. Write, “Write inside.” in the text box. (You could write something else.)
  9. If you can, print it out, cut it out, and fold it in half. Did it work? Did you make a piece?


Week 34

  1. Today make another lapbook piece.
  2. This time in one of them insert clip art instead of a text box.


Week 35

  1. Today make a lapbook piece with clip art and a text box. They have to be in the SAME shape. What would happen if you put writing in both shapes?


Week 36

  1. Take a look at these lapbook pieces. Scroll down. There are lots of different kinds.
  2. Try and figure out how to make a new kind of piece.

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