Rotation.org Writing Team

Exodus: Through Water and Wilderness

Computer Workshop

Attention Rotation.org Supporting Members:
This software program may now be downloaded and used by you and your members free-of-charge. Learn more here.

Summary of Lesson Activities

Students play an onscreen game that takes them through the Wilderness landscape in story order. They learn about the Exodus events and meaning of the Crossing of the Red Sea, Miriam's Song, Marah waters made sweet, Manna from Heaven, and Water from the Rock.

 Scripture

Selections from Exodus 14, 15, 16, and 17 (Red Sea, Miriam's Song, Marah, Manna, Rock) are presented in the software. Excerpts from Miriam's Song (seen above) in Exodus 15, which summarizes the Exodus.

Key Verse:
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today." Exodus 14:13

"Yahweh has become my Savior." (from Miriam's Song)

Software & Story Overview

The "Exodus Adventures" computer game has your students playing through five events in the Exodus story: Red Sea Crossing, Miriam's Song of Victory, Marah waters made sweet, Manna, and Water from the Rock of Horeb. The game features an onscreen character named "Robin" whom your students steer through a series of locations, gaming activities, video clips, and narrations about the four stories. In addition to learning story details and order, "meaning" is offered along the way. An optional worksheet with game instructions is provided (see attachment).

More Game Play Details
Play begins at St. Catherine's Monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai, where your students find Robin's grandfather. He directs her to the Red Sea room presentation. After the Red Sea, Robin returns to her grandfather in the Library to play Miriam's Song Game.  (The Lyrics summarize the Exodus story up to the Red Sea.)

Getting Miriam's song correct opens a secret door to the outside and down a path to Marah in the desert. There she encounters a Hebrew who tells her the story of how Moses made the bitter waters sweet, and like Moses, Robin must find a tree branch to do the same.

After completing this story task, a trail opens up to the Manna Cave at Rephidim where she will meet a monk for some reflection. In the morning, she collects manna, learns more from the monk, and then discovers a helicopter —which she can fly over the Sinai landscape to return to the Monastery.

Landing in the Monastery courtyard, Robin is told to find the Staff of Moses (it's in the Tower of Testing) and strike the Rock of Horeb (which the monastery was built around). The courtyard fills up with water and Robin learns more about the meaning of the story from her grandfather as the two of them swim. Students can then swim and dive to their hearts content.

Age Range, Time, Teaching, and Tech Specs for Exodus Adventures CD

Optimal age range for the game is 2nd through 7th. Younger children can play it, but will need help. In-game navigational helps, Save Game options, and secret shortcuts known to the teachers, give you control over content and time of play.

You will need 40 minutes to play it through, or you will need to create "saved games" in advance to shortcut to the end if needed.

Ideally, two to three students would take turns navigating at one computer. You could connect your computer/laptop to an LCD projector to project the game on the wall for a class and take turns. The game is not continuous like a video. You decide where to stop, and how long you want to discuss something.

While previewing the game, you can 'save' specific locations that you may want to jump forward to during class time.

Windows only, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10. From Sunday Software.

A complete game guide and additional game shortcuts can be printed from the CD's webpage at Sunday Software.

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and Lesson Objectives for this lesson and set. It includes a number of "talking points" you can interject into this lesson.
• Copies of the Exodus Adventures software (Sunday Software).
• Print software guides/helps (linked on the CDs' webpage).
• Print the attached student game guide and worksheet.
• Install/preview the software, and if needed, "save" game locations to create jump ahead points for younger students or those with less time.
• Computers/laptops.

Lesson Plan

Start on time. You will need 40 minutes to play through Game 2.

Open

Welcome your students and find out how much they already know about the Exodus story AFTER the Red Sea crossing.  Tell them that today they will be playing a game about some of the events that happened to the Israelites after they crossed through the Red Sea.

Write the following "Question for the Day" on the board:

"What does this story teach us about who God is?  (his character and plan)
and about how we should respond to God?"

Note: Two characters in the game, Brother Deni and Sir Dabney, will voice similar questions and provide answers. The lyric excerpt used in the Miriam's Song Game also provides answers to these questions. Point those out when you get to them in the game!

Dive into Exodus Adventures: Game 2

Divide up into teams, start the Exodus game, and select Game 2. Teachers should sit with their students to help them along, provide shortcuts, and ensure everyone takes turns navigating the software. Students not controlling the keyboard should keep an eye and ear open for instructions and signs.

Game Tips and Secrets

Here are a few important tips gleaned from the complete game guide:

• When Brother Deni tells you at the opening to go to the Library. It's behind him and up the steps.
• In the library, your grandfather will tell you to go to the Red Sea Room. Follow the signs to the opposite side of the Monastery from the library.
• When you return to the Library, find your grandfather to start the song game. Remember to read the lyric parchment for the correct order! You might even write them down (a copy is found attached to this lesson).
• If you're short on time, start the song game by stepping on a tile, then walk back to the outer wall and look for the book sticking out of the bookcase. It will let you bypass the song and open a secret door to the path to Marah.
• At Marah, find the Hebrew, then find the branch on the tree (behind the well) and toss it in the well. The waters change and the Hebrew now praises God and sings part of Miriam's Song.
• When night begins to fall, follow the sign to Rephidim in the Wilderness of Sin. Look carefully through the bushes to see the fire glowing inside the cave and enter in. Sit down when asked to.
• In the morning, go hear Brother Deni's  Manna story and then rush to collect as much as you can. Return to Deni who has something important to say. Then go climb the rope hanging outside the cave, get in the helicopter, and fly back to the Sinai monastery.
• After landing at the Monastery helipad, find Sir Dabney who will tell you to "go find the Staff which Moses used to bring forth water from the Rock of Horeb." The staff is on top of "Massah" tower. Bring the stick back to the rock and STRIKE the Rock. Water fills the lower courtyard, and a swim party ensues. Swim up to Dabney several times for comments.
• Teachers can play the game in advance and Save their game locations to a menu, so that they can jump ahead to save time or revisit something.
  
  

Closing

Have everyone turn away from their computer for a moment to answer the Question of the Day you began with.

"What does this story teach us about who God is?  (his character and plan)
and about how we should respond to God?"

Point out that Brother Deni said:

Point out that Sir Dabney said:

Point out the words from Miriam's Song Game:

Adaptations and Notes

For Younger Children
Children in K-2nd will love the sense of adventure and the characters in the game. But....they will need help navigating and playing through some of the trickier sections of the game. Some game play and navigation will otherwise be too difficult for them. You can also find parts of the Exodus story briefly presented in the Play & Learn Children's Bible CD ("Walking through Red Sea" and "Moses Leads His People").

Note about Miriam's Song 
[From Neil MacQueen] In the Bible, Miriam's short song of praise follows the much longer Moses Song in Exodus 15. Both are considered to be some of the oldest 'original' texts in the Bible because of the "archaic" Hebrew vocabulary it uses. In Hebrew tradition, the Moses' song is known as the "Song of the Sea." Some scholars ALSO believe that much of Moses' song in Exodus 15 was originally Miriam's —and was later attributed to him rather than her for obvious reasons we won't go into right now. (Moses has another extended song in Deut 32, btw.)

In the game, we've returned credit where it is due: putting together key lyrics from both texts and calling it "Miriam's Song." The chant of the lyrics heard in the game are in the style still heard today in the real St. Catherine's Monastery at Mt. Sinai. The lyrics were chosen because they summarize the teaching points we wanted kids to come away with.

This lesson was written for the Rotation.org Writing Team
by Neil MacQueen, author of the software game.
Copyright 2016, Rotation.org Inc.