POINT, CLICK, AND GO

Learning how to use a computer is fun.  The computer can help bring your ideas to life with words, pictures, colors, and numbers.  You need to take care of your computer by keeping it safe from food and spills.  Magnets can also hurt computers and disks, so they should not be kept nearby.

1. MAKING THE COMPUTER WORK
If you have not used a computer before, ask someone to teach you:
* How to turn on the computer and start a program you want to use.
* How to use a mouse to make the computer do the jobs you want it to do.  Point, click, go!  
* How to handle disks and CD-ROMS to keep them clean.
* How and where to save something you create. 
* How to print your work.
* How to turn off the computer when you are finished.

2. WRITING A STORY
Learn the meanings of some special comptuer words and you willhave an easier time communicting in our world of technology.
* Software
* Modenm
* Cyberspace
* Program
* Database
* Hardware
* Icon
* Font
* Memory

As  you hear other new computer words, do some detective work to learn their meanings, too.

3. WRITING A STORY
Use a computer to write your own story or peom or write a group story with your friends.  One girl writes the first sentence. Someone else writes the next sentence. And so on.

Your computer may be able to check your spelling.  If so, does your story have spelling errors? Correct any errors and print your story.  Add colorful drawings.

4.  PLAYING A GAME
Lots of games have been made for computers.  With the help of someone in your family or a teacher, get a computer game and play it.  What do you like about the game?  How would you change it to make it more fun?  Harder? Easier?

5. CREATING
Use a computer to make an invitation to a party, write a thank-you note  or make your own stationery.  Print your own creation and share it with others.

6. TALK TIME
Some computers are linked together by telephone lines so that people can send messages to each other.  Ask an adult to go "online": with you and send messages to other girls who are using computers.  Many computer online services provide safe places for kids to talk to each other. They are called "chat rooms".  Talk to a parent or guardian or a teacher about a time when you can talk with other girls together.