Day 6 – Google Gemini Lesson

Lesson Overview

Google Gemini is Google’s AI assistant and model, introduced in 2023 to directly compete with ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. It is free to use with a Google account and supports chat, writing, research, images, and connected apps like Google Docs and Gmail. In this lesson, you will see the practical features that make Gemini useful day to day: chat history when you sign in, web access for timely questions, source links for news, and a double check option that cross-references answers with a Google search.

For writing, Gemini’s canvas mode adds formatting tools and quick length controls so you can turn a rough prompt into a polished email or blog outline, then export to Docs or draft in Gmail. For research, Gemini can summarize articles, or you can turn on deep research to gather insights from a large number of web pages and produce a structured report. That report can be shared as a link, exported, or even turned into a simple webpage, infographic, quiz, flashcards, or an audio overview.

You will also see how to upload files for analysis, generate images inside chat, and switch between the fast and thinking models. The lesson closes with connected apps, usage limits, the paid plan options, and personal context settings that help Gemini tailor responses over time.

Who This Is For

If you want a single AI tool that helps with writing, research, and daily tasks, this lesson is for you. It is especially useful if you already use Google Workspace.

• Content creators drafting emails, outlines, and posts
• Students and lifelong learners summarizing sources and checking facts
• Marketers planning campaigns and generating quick visuals
• Small business owners preparing proposals and client outreach
• Educators building lesson materials or infographics from research
• Analysts or researchers assembling quick reports with citations
  

Where This Fits in a Workflow

Use Gemini at the start of any task that needs clarity, a first draft, or a quick pulse on current information. Begin with a new chat for each topic, outline your goal, and let Gemini suggest next steps. For news or timely topics, ask your question and review the linked sources it provides. For writing, switch to canvas mode to shape a draft and adjust length. For research, run deep research when you need a structured report you can share or export.

Examples:

• Content project: Ask for a blog outline with 3 to 5 credible sources, then have Gemini summarize key points. Use canvas mode to expand a section and export to Google Docs.
• Client communications: Draft an email with benefits and a clear call to action, shorten it, and send to Gmail as a draft.

Technical & Workflow Benefits

The manual way to research a topic means visiting dozens of sites, copying notes, and stitching a document together. Gemini’s deep research scans a large number of sources in minutes, adds links, and organizes the output so you can move straight to editing. For writing, you would normally draft in a document, tweak tone, and adjust length by hand. Canvas mode does this on the spot, with quick controls for shorter or longer versions and a direct export to Docs or a Gmail draft.

When accuracy matters, switching between Gemini’s answer and the double check view reduces guesswork because you can compare the response with a regular Google search. For complex planning or policy questions, the thinking model breaks the problem into steps and produces a more thorough answer than the fast model. Together, these features save time, reduce context switching, and raise the quality of the first version you review.

Practice Exercise

Scenario: You need a short briefing and outreach email about a topic relevant to your work, such as a new trend in your industry.

Step 1: Start a new chat in Gemini. Ask for 20 ways you could use Gemini for your role. Pick 2 ideas and ask follow-up questions. Then ask Gemini to write an outreach email to a potential client or stakeholder. Switch to canvas mode and adjust the length to a very short version. Export it to a Gmail draft.

Step 2: In a fresh chat, ask Gemini to find and summarize recent reports and articles on your chosen topic. Turn on deep research and let it build a report. Share the report link and export it to Google Docs. Skim the sources at the top and open two of them.

Step 3: Upload one file you already have on the topic and request a summary. Then generate one simple image related to your briefing using the image tool.

Reflection: Compare the briefing text produced with the fast model versus the thinking model. Which version would you present, and why?

Course Context Recap

This lesson is part of the 14-Day AI Boot Camp and focuses on Google Gemini as a practical AI assistant for writing, research, images, and daily tasks. Earlier lessons introduced core prompting and AI use cases. Next, you will see Microsoft Copilot, which may be a better fit if you rely on the Microsoft ecosystem. Continue through the course to compare tools side by side, build a repeatable workflow, and choose the setup that best supports your work.