Lesson Plan 11: Using the Windows Desktop

Lesson 11: Using the Windows Desktop 12/30/2022 1

Lesson Overview: In this lesson, students will learn the basics of the Windows desktop and taskbar,

how to open an app shortcut from the desktop or taskbar, how to minimize, maximize, and close an open

app window.

Lesson Objectives:

Students will:

• Identify key elements on the screen.

• Open a desktop app (WordPad) on their computer.

• Open, restore down, minimize, maximize, and close an app window.

Materials and Setup

Technology/Equipment

• An Internet- and audio-enabled computer, projector, and screen

• Student devices (laptops, tablets, desktop computers)

Supplies/Teacher Materi

als

•

Whiteboard and markers

Student Handouts

• Handout 1: The Window

s Desktop (Teachers will need to create a similar handout for devices that do

not use a Windows 10 desktop.)

• Handout 2: Maximize, Minimize, Restore, and Close

• Handout 3: The Windows Desktop Assessment (Teachers will need to create a similar handout for

devi

ces that do not use a Windows 10 desktop.)

Instructional Tips

• Key Vocabulary: You

may want to ask students to label a page in their notebooks for this lesson’s key

vocabulary and have them write down each of the words as you explain them as they are used in the

context of the lesson. Ask students to write down the meaning of the word in their own language.

• Keyboarding Practice: When students are using WordPad or Word, they will practice typing the

ing. You can write this on the whiteboard before you start your lesson:

Ana Peters

623 Lee Rd. #6A

Houston, TX 77004

713-555-6984

Lesson 11: Using the Windows Desktop

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Standards

Adult English Language Proficiency Content Standard(s)

• 1.1. Use a very limited set of strategies to identify a few key words and phrases in oral

ommunications and simple spoken and written texts.

• 2.1. Actively listen to others . . . and respond to simple yes/no questions and some wh- questions.

CASAS Content Standard(s)

• R1.1: Identify the letters of the English alphabet (upper and lower case)

• W1

.1: Write the letters of the English alphabet (upper and lower case)

• L2.9: Comprehend specialized vocabulary (e.g., technical, academic)

• L3.4: Recognize imperative constructions

• L5.4: Comprehend simple single-step instructions, explanations, and directions.

• S2.9: Use specialized vocabulary (e.g., technical, academic)

Seattle Digital Equity Initiative Skill(s)

• SDEI EF.3: Use Basic Browser Tools

• SDE

I EF.5: Understand My Computer

• SDEI WO.2: Follow Workplace Rules and Policies

Northstar Digital Literacy Standards for Essential Computer Skill(s)

• Basic Computer Skills 11: Identify icons on des

ktop

• Windows 2: Minimize and maximize windows

• Windows 3: Open, close and switch between windows

• Windows 5: Identify the parts of the Windows 10 interface (desktop, taskbar, etc.)

Key Vocabulary

• desktop

• desktop app / desktop shortcut

• clock icon

• volume icon

• battery icon

• network icon

• taskbar

• Windows search box

• Windows start menu

• window

• click / double-click

• restore / restore down

• minimize

• maximize

• close

ENGAGEMENT

• Ask: What are some machines that you know how to use? (phones, cars, household

appliances, plant machines)

• Ask: What did you have to learn before you could use the machine well?

• Say: A computer is a machine. We have to learn a little about the machine before

we can use it well. For example, I drive a car. I know how to start it, drive it, check

my mirrors, stop it, and so on. I don’t [need to] know very much about how it

works, but I know how to use it. You don’t have to know much about computers,

just how to drive it. Let’s start driving our computers.

NOTES

Lesson 11: Using the Windows Desktop

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EXPLORATION

Before beginning this activity, have your desktop displayed on the screen.

• Pass out Handout 1: The Windows Desktop.

• Say: Today you will learn the names of things you see on the Windows desktop.

• Say: Repeat after me … desktop. (Students repeat).

• For each of the desktop items listed below, point it out on your computer desktop.

ay the word and ask students to repeat it. Then ask students to find and point to

the item on their handout.

• main desktop (draw around the entire area with your finger)

• Chrome icon on the desktop

• task bar

• Windows start menu

• Windows search bar

• Chrome icon on the task bar

• network icon

• battery icon

• volume icon

• time and date

• If there is an item on your desktop that is not on the handout (for example, app

shortcut icons on the desktop or on the taskbar, a recycle bin, etc.), ask students to

draw it on their handout and add the label.

EXPLANATION

• Say: Get out your computers and log in. (Wait until all students have logged in.)

• Say: We c

an see the Chrome icon on the desktop. But we need to find an app called

WordPad. WordPad will help us practice with our keyboards. (WordPad is a simple

word processor that comes pre-installed on a Windows computer. Alternatively, if

your program has MS Word installed on the student computers that they can access

without going online and signing in to an account, you can use MS Word instead of

WordPad. If you use another OS, you will need to alter this activity so that students

can find some software application that functions as a simple word processor or

text editor.)

• Ask: Do you see an icon for WordPad (or Word) on the desktop? (Get responses.)

• Ask: Do you see an icon for WordPad (or Word) on the taskbar? (Get responses.)

• If your student computers do not have WordPad or Word icons on the desktop or

he taskbar, do the following:

• Say:

We can use the Windows search bar to find WordPad. Watch me type

WordPad in the search bar. I will click on my enter key to start the search.

(Demonstrate.)

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• Say: Now I need to click on the word “Open.” (Demonstrate. WordPad will

en on your computer.)

• Say: It’s your turn to try. (Ensure that students type in WordPad and open

ordPad.)

• If your students DO have Word or WordPad icons on their desktops:

• Say:

You need to double-click with your mouse or touchpad (or double-tap with

your finger) to open Word (or WordPad). Watch my finger on my mouse (or

touchpad). I am using the left side. I need to click 2 times very fast. (Ensure that

all students are able to double-click to open Word or WordPad.)

• Say: We are going to practice typing on the keyboard. I want you to type Ana’s

irst and last name, address, and phone number. I want it to look like what I

wrote on the board (Point to the board where you have written the information.)

Ana Peters

623 Lee Rd. #6A

Houston, TX 77004

713-555-6984

• Say:

You will need to use many special keys. How will you make a capital letter

(Wait for responses – can be the shift key or the caps lock key.) How will you put in

a space between the words? (Wait for responses – the space bar.) How will you go

to a new line (Wait for responses – the enter key.) How will you put in the number

sign? (Wait for responses – they must use the shift key, not the caps lock.)

• Circulate while students are typing to note how they are doing and assist as needed.

You might ask students who finish more quickly to write something about their

work. (Wait for most students to complete the task.)

• Say: Before we close WordPad, we are going to practice using Windows.

• Distribute Handout 2: Maximize, Minimize, Restore, and Close.

• We are going to learn how to work with the windows in WordPad (or Word). Let’s

ok at each window action.

• Say: First we see special symbols at the top right of the window. Point to these on

our handout. (On your computer that is displayed showing WordPad, point out the

window actions section.)

• Say: The first window action is an underline or underscore. We use this to minimize

window. (Have students point to it on their handout and repeat after you as you

say minimize.)

• Say: The second symbol is a picture of 2 windows. One window is on top of the

ther window. This window action is called restore. Restore means to put the

window like it was before. (Have students point to it on their handout and repeat

after you as you say minimize.)

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• Say: The third symbol is an x. Wh

at do you think is the window action for the x?

(Wait for responses – the x closes the window. Have students point to it on their

handout and repeat after you as you say minimize.)

• Say: Watch what happens when I click on the restore symbol. (Demonstrate.) What

appened? (Take responses.) Yes, the window is smaller.

• Say: Now look at my symbols. I don’t see the 2 windows any more. I have a new

ymbol of one big window. That action is called maximize. Watch what happens

when I click it. (Demonstrate.) My window is now maximized. It is taking up all of

the screen.

• Say: We need to see what happens when I click on the minimize. (Demonstrate).

here did the window go? (Take any responses.) The window is hiding in the

taskbar. Help me find the WordPad (or Word) icon in the taskbar. (Locate the

WordPad/Word icon but do not click on it yet.)

• Say: Watch what happens when I click on the icon in the taskbar. (Demonstrate.)

y window is restored. It is back to the same size.

• Say: It’s your turn to practice. Please follow me as I do these windows actions.

Make sure your window is maximized now. It should be across all of the screen.

(Ensure that all students have the window maximized.)

• Click on restore symbol. (Do this and check that students also do this.)

• Click on the maximize symbol. (Do this and check that students also do this.)

• Click on the minimize symbol. (Do this and check that students also do this.)

• Now find the icon and click on it to restore the window back to the same size.

(

Do this and check that students also do this.)

• Say:

I am going to go faster now. I am going to tell you to restore down your

window, to maximize your window, to minimize your window, or to restore your

window from the taskbar. Are you ready?

• Go through the series of actions (restore down your window, maximize your window,

inimize your window, restore your window from the taskbar) at least 2 times.

• Optional: Show students how to hold down the window at the top on the blue bar

to move it around on the screen. Release the window to show students how to stop

moving the window. Ask them why it is useful to move the window around (to see

the window and to see what is behind the window).

• Ask students to watch what happens when you click on the close symbol (x). (The

indow disappears.) Ask students to check the taskbar. How do they know that

WordPad or Word is no longer open?

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ELABORATION

• Ask students to get into pairs.

• Ask everyone to open WordPad or Word by using the search bar or by double-

licking on a desktop or taskbar icon.

• Ask one of the students in each pair to call out window actions to the other student.

rite these on the board if students need to see them as a reminder:

• Minimize the window

• Restore the window from the taskbar

• Restore down the window

• Maximize the window

• Close the window

• Add “Move the wi

ndow” to the list of commands if you covered this with students.

• Encourage advanced students who are paired up together to give the commands in

a different order and to not read them from the board.

EVALUATION

• Ask students to open WordPad, to restore down, maximize, minimize, and restore

the window from the taskbar, and to close the WordPad or Word app.

• Ask students to work in pairs to complete Handout 3: The Windows Desktop

Asse

ssment. If students need more time to study, ask them to study at home and

give them the assessment at the beginning of the next class session.

Differentiation Resources to Meet Diverse Learner Needs

• Depending on your students or timing constraints, you can break this lesson into

several smaller lessons.

• On the desktop assessment, ask beginners to learn the Windows start menu, the

indows search bar, and the Chrome icons.

• Additional practice with the Windows desktop can be accessed by navigating to

https://www.skillblox.org and entering the student access code 8786Z8.

• More advanced students may want to learn about resizing app windows. Go to

https://www.skillblox.org

and enter the student access code DTD2D7.

• DigitalLearn.org offers excellent e-learning modules in video format in English and in

panish. The home page has an English and Spanish toggle at the top to access the

materials in either language. Illustrated transcripts for all modules may be

downloaded in both languages as well.

• GCFlearnfree.org also has many tutorials in Spanish and Portuguese, many which

address basic computer and Internet skills. See a list of all technology topics in

Spanish at https://edu.gcfglobal.org/es/topics and in Portuguese at

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/pt/subjects/tecnologia.