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Learning how to start a program and how to exit it when finished.
Imagine your computer is like a giant, magical toy box. How do you take a toy out to play, and where does it go when you are finished?
Every game or tool on your computer has a little picture called an icon. Think of an icon like a door to a room. To go inside, you need to use your mouse. You move the mouse on your desk to move the cursor (the little white arrow) on the screen. When the arrow is touching the icon, you click the left mouse button. Sometimes you have to click it times very fast! This is called a double-click. Once you do this, the program will open up in a big square called a window.
Let's practice opening a program: 1. Find the icon that looks like a colorful paint palette. 2. Move your mouse so the white arrow sits right on top of the palette. 3. Press the left mouse button times quickly. 4. Watch as the drawing window grows to fill your screen!
Quick Check
What is the name of the little white arrow you move with your mouse?
Answer
The cursor.
When you are finished playing or learning, you need to 'put your toys away.' On a computer, we do this by closing the window. Look at the very top corner of your window. Do you see a little red box with a white X? That is the Close button. When you click that 'X', the computer stops the program and clears it off your screen. It is like turning off a light when you leave a room to save energy!
Imagine you have different windows open at once. 1. Look at the first window. 2. Move your cursor to the top right corner. 3. Click the red 'X'. 4. Now you have windows left. Repeat until your screen is empty!
Quick Check
Which button do you click to stop a program completely?
Answer
The 'X' button (or Close button).
Sometimes you aren't finished with a program, but you want to look at something else for a minute. You don't want to close it; you just want to hide it! This is called minimizing. Right next to the 'X' button, there is a button that looks like a small line or a minus sign . When you click this, the window shrinks down and hides at the bottom of the screen. It is still open, just like a book waiting for you to come back and finish the page.
Let's try a trick: 1. Open your drawing program. 2. Click the minimize button (the sign). 3. Notice the window is gone, but the icon at the bottom of the screen is still glowing. 4. Click that icon at the bottom once, and your drawing pops back up like magic!
If you want to hide a window but not turn it off, which button do you press?
How many times do you usually need to click an icon to open it?
The 'X' button is usually found in the corner of the window.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, see if you can remember which button 'hides' a window and which button 'kills' the window.
Practice Activity
Try opening three different programs, then use the minimize button to hide them all, and finally use the 'X' button to close them one by one.