Exactly!People who dont understand or know anything really benefit from the basic firearms "mechanics" lessons. Show them how the gun works, what makes them safe and how to handle them safely. And yes, by all means make sure they understand what that hole in the end of it is for and how to control what comes out of it.
That is always how I start out with someone who is unfamiliar with firearms. I pull out a bullet, and explain how it works (explosive train, etc.), then move on to the pistol itself, and how everything on this inanimate object works together. Blah, blah, blah. In the end, they usually have lost most of their fears of the inanimate object that I've just explained to them - since they know it's not going to start shooting itself, or whatever other crazy fears people who don't know anything about guns have.