At Home

Snail Mail Versus Email

You and your child will explore the old and the new way to communicate. In this activity, you will write a handwritten letter and mail it the traditional way and await a return letter and then compare it to typing out an email and zapping it off at the speed of light to receive an instant response.

Materials

Device (phone, tablet, computer, etc.)
Internet connection
Paper
Pencil or pen
Envelope
Stamp
Post office or outbox to send and receive mail

Instructions

Decide which email application is the most user-friendly and safe program to use for your child.
Ask your child who they would like to write an email and who they would like to write a letter to and send by postal service.
Explain to your child that the goal is to see which form of communication is better suited to the needs of the sender.
Teach your child a little history about sending messages. Tell them about all the letters you wrote as a child because an email wasn’t an option. Go further back in history and read a story about the Pony Express. You can also teach your child about homing pigeons and how people have communicated with them through the ages.
Write a handwritten letter. Please help your child format the letter, correct spelling and grammar, prepare the envelope for sending, affix a stamp, and take a trip to the post office to send it to the recipient. Mark your calendar on the day it is sent to keep track of how long it takes to get a response.
Write an email: You can help your child format the message, correct spelling and grammar, enter the recipient, create an appropriate subject, add attachments such as photos or links, and send. Show your child where to check for “sent” mail so they can look back and see how long it takes to receive a response.
Explain the importance of protecting personal information by logging out of the email account when they are finished writing and sending. Discuss the possible dangers of leaving an email account open at school or a public place.
Wait for a reply from the recipient and celebrate when it arrives! Teach your child how to reply and keep the correspondence going.

Why is this a great thing to do?

Selecting the appropriate software.

Writing a letter helps develop proper grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills.

Changing preferences.

Teaching basic technical language.

Talk About

“Is electronic mail better than sending a letter through the post office?”

“Can you list some ways that sending a letter in the mail is better than email?”

“Can you list some ways that sending an email is better than sending a letter in the mail?”

“What tools do you need to write an email, and what tools do you need to write a letter?”

“Would you choose to send an email or a handwritten letter to your grandmother?”

“Would you choose an email or a handwritten letter to deliver urgent news?”

“Why do people call the postal method “snail mail”?”

“What does the “e” in email represent?”

Tips & Extensions

Be aware that even though you can edit parental controls on your child’s side of the game, the other party may not be filtered, and there is no control over what other players may say to your child or other users during play

It is easy for your child to lose track of time while playing games with others. Consider setting a time limit before your child starts playing so they will not be upset when it’s time to leave the game.

Vocabulary

App

A program used for a specific purpose

Email

A message distributed by electronic means

Chat

To communicate in a friendly and informal way

Sender

A person who sends or transmits a message, letter, email, etc

Recipient

The person receiving a message or gift from a sender

Inbox

An electronic folder in which emails received by an individual are held

Draft

A preliminary version of a piece of writing

Forward

Sending a letter to another recipient or destination

Delete

Remove data from a computer’s memory

Reply

Write back to someone who sent you a message or letter

CC (Carbon Copy)

Indicating that a duplicate copy has been sent to another person

BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)

A copy of an email sent to someone whose name and address isn’t visible to other recipients

Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Standards

1A-IC-16

Compare how people live and work before and after the implementation or adoption of new computing technology.