The Magi
Computer (or "Presentation") Workshop Lesson
from the Rotation.org Writing Team
Lesson Summary
Summary of Lesson Activities: 
Students will explore THE MAGI section of "Fluffy and God's Amazing Christmas Adventure"–an interactive software program from Sunday Software. This lesson can be used either in a multiple computer "lab" setting or with the teacher presenting the software from one screen to the group while inviting children to help navigate through the program.
"Presentation" notes (one computer for the whole group) have been added to the following lesson plan which was written with a "lab" concept of computers in mind (small groups of students working through the program at computer workstations). See more notes about "presenting" in the Adaptations section.
The "Fluffy" software is FREE to our Supporting Members. Download it now.
This lesson and the software are especially focused on life application—seeing ourselves as the Magi, and thinking about the gifts we can give our King.
Scripture
Matthew 2:1-12
they saw the star
they were overjoyed
they saw the child
they bowed down and worshiped
they opened their treasures
they returned to their country
(NIV)
The software has the Matthew 2:1-12 scripture in it (and also interacts with it).
Supplies and Advanced Preparation
- Read the Bible Background and Lesson Objectives for this lesson set.
- Download and Install your free copies of Fluffy and God's Amazing Christmas Adventure (Sunday Software). The download includes worksheets and a Teacher's Guide.
- Preview the Magi Section of the Fluffy Christmas software. If using it in a lab setting, make sure each installed copy works—especially checking the "Fluffimation" activity.
- Print the Fluffy-Magi student worksheet if you plan on using it (can be found and printed from Sunday Software).
Lesson Plan
Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction
Greet the children and introduce yourself and any helpers that you have. Explain what today's lesson is about and how it will unfold.
Dive into "The Magi" in the Fluffy software
The software has scripture reading, Bible study, and reflection built into it. If you go through the Magi section of the software (#6 Fluffy Main Menu) in the order of this lesson plan, you will be following an "Open, Dig, Reflect" lesson plan paradigm.
Here is a screenshot of the Magi Menu and the suggested order of learning sections the students and teachers should follow (4 and 5 are optional). Some sections are longer than others and content and class time are weighted toward sections 6, 7, and 8 where there's more life application. Section 6, the Magi "Fluffimation" is a key reflection activity. Each section has questions and thoughts to ponder.
Overview of the Magi learning areas:
1) Matthew 2: 1-12 -- God tells the story of the Magi
2) About Magi ~ Take the Quiz!
3) About the Star
Was it a huge star? Was it a comet or a planet? What does the star mean to us today?
Who are some of the "stars" pointing you to Jesus? What are some ways God sends messages to people in the church?
4) About Herod (Optional)
Why do some people not want to celebrate the birth of Jesus?
5) Another Wise Person looking for the Messiah -- Simeon (Optional)
Simeon was a good old man who lived in Jerusalem...
6) MAGI FLUFFIMATION …how to look for God
Fluffimations are interactive "mad-lib-like" activities where the kids complete a form based on Matthew 2:1-12 and then Fluffy puts their answers into a teaching response about "looking for God today."
- The results can be funny and poignant, and you can do it as many times as you want. In a lab setting, have the kids complete a Fluffimation and present it to the class.
- In a "presentation" setting, the teacher prompts the group for suggested completions and then plays it back to them.
7) About ~ Gifts of the Magi
An interactive mini-game appears asking "What are Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh? and what did they mean?? Students drag the description to the correct item. A question is revealed when they do so. It reads: "What three things in your world could be substitutes for Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh that might have similar meanings?" (Note: This is essentially the same question asked again at the end of the Fluffy vs Herod game.)
Important Tip about the Gifts of the Magi Matching Game: Click-Hold the ANSWER and drag it to one of the three choices
8) Fluffy vs Herod game and discussion
Players bounce Fluffy to reveal real Christmas treasure. After the treasure is revealed, a REFLECTION QUESTION appears. "What gifts would we bring Jesus today that would have the same meaning as gold, frankincense, and myrrh?" There is some explanation of the three gifts in the software. Here is some more detail:
- Gold represents wealth. What do you have a lot of that you could share? (time, talents, treasure, good attitude, knowledge, compassion, ability to speak up).
- Frankincense was incense used in the Temple to make things smell good to God. What things could you do that would "smell" good to God? What things in your life "stink" right now?
- Myrhh was good smelling oil sometimes used as a perfume, sometimes used to perfume dead bodies, and sometimes used to "anoint" someone (apply a sign) of their special favor, mission, or selection by God.
Adaptations
For younger children: Use the software in "presentation mode" (a Teacher at the computer showing the software to the class, preferably on a large screen or projected on the wall). Many young children won't be able to read the words on the screen but they will enjoy parts of the presentation anyway. They won't be able to read the Fluffimation but they can provide answers to your questions and hear the presentation when Fluffy speaks it aloud.
For those short on time: Skip Magi area 4 and 5 (Herod and Simeon).
For those "presenting" the software to a group: Most Bible software programs are interactive and designed for use by the students. That said, a savvy teacher with ONE computer can often easily show the software on one big screen (or project it on the wall) and invite students to step forward and help navigate. Interactive questions designed for individual workstation responses now get asked of the whole group. This "presentation" mode allows the teacher to stay on content as long as needed, elaborate as much or as little as they want, rephrase what's read on the screen, or skip things entirely.
Written by Neil MacQueen for the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright Rotation.org Inc.
