Claude 101 expanded workbook for moms — 9 modules covering what Claude is, models, projects, chats, documents, and prompting

Moms Build AI · Workbook v2

Claude 101 — the full guide

Models, projects, chats, documents, and smart prompting — all in one place.

9 modules · work at your own pace
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You now know more about Claude than most people who use it every day.

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Part 1 — understanding Claude

1
What Claude actually is
The big picture, in plain language
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Claude is an AI assistant made by a company called Anthropic. It's trained on a massive amount of text — books, articles, conversations — so it can write, explain, plan, analyze, and talk through almost anything with you.

Think of it like a patient, well-read friend who's always available, never judges you, and genuinely tries to help. Unlike Google, it doesn't hand you links — it thinks through your question and responds in full, useful sentences.

What it is
A conversational AI you talk to like a person. It writes, thinks, plans, and edits with you.
What it's not
Not a search engine. Not a database. Not always right. Not a replacement for professionals.
It doesn't browse the live internet — its knowledge has a cutoff date (early 2025 for current models).
It can be confidently wrong. Always verify anything medical, legal, or financial.
Outside of Projects, it doesn't remember previous conversations. Every new chat is a clean slate.
2
Sonnet vs. Opus vs. Haiku — what the model names mean
Picking the right version for your task
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Claude comes in different versions called "models." Anthropic names them after literary forms. Each one is a tradeoff between speed and intelligence — think of it like espresso, a regular coffee, or a full French press.

Most popular
Sonnet
Fast, smart, great for everyday tasks — writing, planning, emails, drafts, brainstorming. Use this 90% of the time.
Deep thinker
Opus
Slower but more powerful. Best for complex analysis, long documents, or nuanced reasoning. Use when Sonnet feels shallow.
Quick + light
Haiku
The fastest, lightest model — great for simple tasks, quick questions, or when speed matters more than depth.
Switch models via the dropdown at the top of any chat. Start with Sonnet — it handles most things beautifully.
Numbers after the name (e.g. Claude 3.7 Sonnet) indicate the generation — higher = newer and smarter.
3
How to talk to Claude well
Better prompts = much better results
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The way you ask matters enormously. Claude does its best work when you give it context, a clear task, and tell it what you want back. The formula: who you are + what you need + any constraints.

Before (vague)
"Give me dinner ideas"
After (specific + contextual)
"I'm a mom with 20 minutes and a tired toddler. I have ground turkey, pasta, and pantry staples. Give me 3 quick dinners — max 5 ingredients, nothing spicy."
Lead with your situation: "I'm a freelance consultant pitching a new client next week..." sets Claude up immediately.
Ask for a format: "in 3 bullet points," "one paragraph max," "as a table."
Push back freely: "shorter," "more casual," "totally different angle" — it won't be offended.
For complex questions, add "think step by step" — it genuinely makes Claude more careful and accurate.

Part 2 — setting things up

4
Starting a new chat
The basics of how conversations work
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Every conversation with Claude is a "chat." Each chat is its own bubble — Claude reads everything in that conversation, but starts fresh in a new one (unless you're in a Project).

1
Click the pencil icon or "New chat" in the left sidebar.
2
Type your message and hit Enter or the send button.
3
Keep going — Claude remembers everything within that one conversation.
4
Your old chats are saved in the sidebar — click any of them to continue.
If Claude goes off track mid-conversation, sometimes it's faster to just start a fresh chat.
You can rename chats by clicking the title — helpful when you have many going at once.
5
Setting up a Project
When you want Claude to actually remember you
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A Project is a dedicated folder where Claude remembers your context across every conversation inside it. Think of it as hiring a dedicated assistant for a specific area of your life — your business, a client, a course, a goal.

1
In the left sidebar, find "Projects" and click "New Project."
2
Give it a name — "AI Consulting," "Moms Build AI," "Europe Trip," etc.
3
Add a Project instruction — the text box where you tell Claude who you are and what this project is about. Every chat inside this project starts with that context loaded.
4
Upload any documents you want Claude to always reference (your bio, a brief, a plan).
5
Start chatting inside the project — Claude now carries your context automatically.
Example project instruction
"I'm a self-employed AI consultant and founder of Moms Build AI, a community for mothers learning AI. I run a course called Build Like a Mom and advise early-stage AI startups. Keep responses concise and practical. Prefer bullet points for action items. Plain language over jargon."
The project instruction is like a permanent sticky note on Claude's desk — it reads it every time you chat.
Create one project per area of life: one for your business, one per client, one for personal goals.
6
Creating an input document
Give Claude your raw material to work with
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An input document is anything you hand Claude to read and work with — a PDF, pasted notes, a draft email, a proposal, a job description. Once Claude has it, it can summarize, edit, answer questions about it, or use it to write something new.

1
Click the paperclip icon in the message box to upload a file (PDF, Word doc, image, etc.).
2
Or paste text directly into the chat with a clear instruction: "Here's my draft — please edit for clarity and tone."
3
Inside a Project, upload documents to the Project itself — Claude will have them available in every chat automatically.
Good things to upload
Your bio, a proposal, a client brief, meeting notes, a job description, a business plan draft.
What Claude can do with it
Summarize, rewrite, edit, extract key points, answer questions, or use it to draft something new.
Try this
"Here are my rough notes from a client call: [paste notes]. Turn this into a clean follow-up email I can send today."

Part 3 — getting more out of it

7
What Claude won't do
The limits that matter
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Claude has real, intentional limits. Knowing them upfront saves frustration.

It won't give you a specific medical diagnosis or legal ruling — it shares information, not verdicts. Always see a professional for those.
It doesn't browse the live internet. It can't pull today's news, live prices, or real-time data.
It can't access your accounts, email, or calendar on its own — unless you explicitly connect those tools.
It sometimes "hallucinates" — makes up facts, names, or citations with confidence. Always verify before sharing anything important.
Outside Projects, it forgets. Every new chat = a fresh start with no memory of previous conversations.
The golden rule
Claude is an incredible thinking partner, not an oracle. Use it to draft, plan, and think. Verify before acting on anything consequential.
8
5 things moms actually use Claude for
Real-life use cases from real people
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Draft the awkward message — to the school, the contractor, the in-law, the pediatrician. Paste the context and let Claude write the first version.
Decode confusing things — "explain this diagnosis in plain English" or "what does this legal notice actually mean?"
Plan faster — birthday parties, Europe trips, meal plans, business launches. Claude is a world-class brainstormer.
Work smarter — polish a pitch, prep for a hard conversation, write your bio, summarize a long report.
Think out loud — Claude is a non-judgmental sounding board when you need to process a decision or situation.
Try one now
"Help me write a kind but clear message to a friend explaining I need to cancel our plans. I'm just depleted and need the time for myself."
9
Your first week with Claude
Build the habit with 3 real prompts
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The fastest way to get good at this is just to use it. Here are three things to try this week.

For home
"Create a simple weekly meal plan for a family of 3 with a toddler — quick dinners under 30 minutes, minimal ingredients, no fish."
For work
"I have a meeting tomorrow I'm nervous about. Help me prepare 3 clear talking points and anticipate 2 tough questions I might get."
Just for you
"I have 15 minutes of alone time. Suggest 3 things I could do that would make me feel genuinely recharged — not productive, just good."

Quick reference — screenshot this

Add context
"I'm a freelance AI consultant and mom of a toddler..."
Set the tone
"Friendly and casual" / "professional and concise"
Set the format
"3 bullets" / "one paragraph max" / "as a table"
Refine it
"Shorter" / "more direct" / "try a different angle"
Use Sonnet when...
You need writing, planning, drafts — basically always
Use Opus when...
Deep analysis, complex reasoning, or Sonnet feels surface-level
Use a Project when...
You want Claude to remember your context across conversations
Upload a doc when...
You have raw material — notes, a draft, a PDF — for Claude to work with