Rotation.org Writing Team

The Beatitudes

Computer Workshop

Summary of Activities

Students play "Galilee Flyer" a computer software flying game in which kids search for, and match Beatitude verses, and answer questions about them, then land to get their pilot ranking.

Note: Sunday Software has made this program FREE to our Supporting Members. To download go here!

Scripture for the Lesson

Matthew 5:1-12, The Beatitudes

The scripture and study questions for this lesson are found in the software game. The verses are from the NRSV. The Beatitudes are nearly identically translated in many major translations.

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this lesson's complete list of objectives.

Galilee Flyer's Beatitudes matching game emphasizes scripture recognition. The questions which the students answer reinforce vocabulary and concepts. A set of discussion questions can be found in the Galilee landscape. An optional short video found in the Galilee landscape shows the hillside where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount.

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• Download and install, then test the software and playing the game.
• Print the Galilee Flyer Teaching and Game Guides that comes with the download, then use it to play through the game yourself*.
• Print the attached Galilee Flyer Beatitudes Worksheet if you'll be using it.

*It is important that the teacher knows how to play the game and land the plane. It takes about 25 minutes for a group of third graders to find and match all the verses, then land. Some may need more help than others.

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome your students and tell them what they'll be doing and learning today. Do a quick review of the Beatitudes to see how much they may already have learned in other workshops.

You can do a read-through of the Beatitudes using your Bibles, or you can fly to the top of Mt Hippus in the game which will open the scriptures on the screen.

Show students how to play the game:
Gather everyone around one computer screen and demonstrate a few Galilee Flyer controls, such as, pressing the Home and End keys to adjust speed, and steering the plane using the arrow keys. Sunday Software's game guide has more details, and there's a printable student guide as well. Explain that they are looking for eight different "V" icons floating in the air (one for each beatitude) which will pop open a verse matching panel. If they get it right, it will be added to their display. Once they find and match all eight, they will be prompted to go land on the airfield. Show them how to approach the airfield and land by pressing the 'end' key.

The floating "Q" icons are questions about beatitude content. Explain that answering these correctly will give them many bonus points and increase their pilot ranking.  Note that the onscreen display lights up green when you are near a verse icon.

Play

Divide up between your computer stations, assigning a minimum of 2 students to each, and have them take off into the friendly Galilean skies.

Tip: If you are having them use the worksheet to keep track of their answers and progress, be sure they stick with it.

Tip: Note the "easy/hard" option to start the game. Select "easy" for players under 10 or for those with less time.

Tip: Be sure kids take turns sharing the game. Point out that if you're not steering the plane you can be paying attention to (or even mapping out) where the verse icons are and where you've already flown to looking for them.

Discuss and Reflect

In the landscape there is a ruin with a floating "D" and when you fly over it, questions will pop open. Tell your students they'll come back to them after everyone has landed and received their pilot ranking. Alternately, read the questions from your teaching guide.

Younger Children Options

Galilee Flyer is for elementary age readers. Younger children love to try and play the game and could be paired with older students. Alternative: They could use Kid Pix software to make a Beatitudes book.