Lesson 2

Email Basics

Get a Gmail account if you don’t have one yet, add your parents and other family members as contacts, and send your first email to a parent. You will also choose a strong password for your account — remember it, because the next lesson will teach you how to store it safely in a password keeper.

Project: Create or log into a Gmail account, add family contacts, email a parent, and create a strong password. Skill: Written communication & basic security

Your project

Get a Gmail account, add your parents and other family members as contacts, send your first email to a parent, and create a strong password that you will remember for the next lesson.

Steps

  • If you do not already have a Gmail account, go to gmail.com and create one.
  • When creating or updating your account, choose a strong password. A strong password is long (at least 12–16 characters), uses a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols, and is not a word or phrase someone could easily guess.
  • Remember this password — you will need it in the next lesson when you learn to store passwords safely in a password keeper.
  • Log into your Gmail account.
  • Ask your parents for their email addresses and phone numbers.
  • Add them as contacts in Gmail (include at least one parent).
  • Write and send an email to one of your parents. Use a clear subject line and a polite greeting.

What to practice

  • Write a clear subject line.
  • Use a polite greeting.
  • Keep the message short and understandable.
  • Choose and remember a strong password.
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