This content is located in CAPS under Internet Technologies: Communication for Grade 11.

Managing email is a crucial skill in modern communication, both professionally and personally. Teaching this topic to Grade 11 students not only ensures they are familiar with email tools but also prepares them for effective communication in academic and workplace settings. The topic encompasses email organisation, creating distribution lists, setting message rules, registering web-based email accounts, and using URL shorteners—all vital for managing digital communication effectively.

When introducing email management, connect the concepts to real-life scenarios students can relate to, such as organising school announcements, submitting assignments, or communicating with peers and teachers.

Organising Email Using Folders, Sort, Flag, and Prioritise Teach students how to categorise their emails into folders. For example:

• Create folders for “Schoolwork,” “Friends,” “Family,” and “Subscriptions.”
• Demonstrate how to sort emails by sender, subject, or date to locate messages faster.
• Use flags to highlight important emails requiring immediate action, such as a teacher’s feedback on a project.
• Set priority levels for emails to indicate urgency, teaching students to manage their responses effectively.

Activity Idea: Ask students to imagine they are interns at a company receiving emails daily. Let them practise organising a simulated inbox based on priorities and categories.

Using Distribution Lists Show students how to create and use distribution lists to send the same message to multiple people. For example:

• A class representative could create a distribution list for all classmates to send updates on school events.
• Demonstrate how to add, remove, and manage contacts within the list.

Classroom Activity: Have students create a distribution list for their class and draft a “school event invitation” email to send to all contacts in the list.

Setting Message Rules Message rules automate email organisation, saving time and effort. Teach students how to:

• Set rules to move all messages from a teacher to a “Schoolwork” folder.
• Automatically mark emails from a particular sender as “Important.”
• Filter spam or unwanted emails into the trash.

Practical Task: Students can set up rules for an inbox simulation, where specific messages are moved to designated folders automatically.

Registering a Web-Based Email Address Guide students through the process of creating a web-based email account, such as Gmail or Outlook. Highlight:

• The importance of choosing a professional email address (e.g., firstnamelastname@gmail.com).
• Password best practices, like using strong, unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication.

Interactive Task: Students register a new email account and practise sending, receiving, and organising emails.

Using URL Shorteners Explain how URL shorteners (like Bitly) make long web addresses easier to share in emails. For instance:

• Shorten a long link for a class resource or assignment before emailing it to classmates.
• Discuss the importance of checking that the shortened URL leads to a safe and correct destination.

Activity: Provide students with a long URL and have them create and share a shortened version using an online tool.

Making It Practical Throughout these activities, relate the skills back to how they’ll benefit students in real-life scenarios, such as applying for scholarships, organising study groups, or managing future workplace communication.

Encourage students to reflect on their email habits and improve them through these lessons, ensuring they’re well-prepared for their personal and professional digital interactions.