Yo! Mary and Joe!
a Computer Workshop Lesson
by Neil MacQueen

for use with
Fluffy & God's Amazing Christmas Adventure CD

Most people remember that Gabriel appeared to Mary, but few remember "an angel" also appeared to Joseph. In addition to being amazing, what's interesting is that the angel in both brings a personal word to a young mother, and a surprised soon-to-be father, that speaks to each person's need. "Mary, don't worry, you will be called blessed. Joseph, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife."

In Fluffy CD you'll see and hear both stories, learn what an angel's job is all about, ...and have your students encouraged to BECOME messengers of God who can express the how the "hopes and fears of all the years" are met in Jesus.

A brief outline of your lesson
Area #2: YO! Mary and Joe!
and the concluding music activity.

The Announcement (10-15 minutes)
1) Narration/Animation of the Story,
2) Meaning and Pronunciation of Jesus' Name (printable)
3) FLUFFIMATION --- a fun activity reworking the angels' announcement in new language.

Mary Visits Elizabeth (10-15 minutes)
1) Check out some of God's promises
2) Contrasting reasons why people get excited at Christmas
3) Tell me more about John the Baptist
4) FLUFFIMATION ---Mary's Song of Joy

Closing out your lesson (10 minutes), your kids will play with the hymn "O Little Town of Bethlehem" found in the Fluffy Jam music activity. It's key line is a brilliant lesson summary: "The hopes and fears of all the years", reflects the hopes and fears addressed by the angel to Mary and Joseph, as well as, those of Bethlehem and Israel.

AGE RANGE: Don't let the name fool you! The content in this CD is appropriate for both younger and older children and youth. K's and 1's will need some reading help.

Lesson Plan:

1) After gathering, divide the students into two teams and give them 1 minute to see who can make the most complete list of all the parts of the Christmas story. Review their lists and offer comments. Tell them that today we're going to focus on the appearance of the angel to Mary and to Joseph using Fluffy and God's Amazing Christmas CD. Tell them what sections of the CD they'll be using. (If you're short on teachers, prepare a worksheet listing the sections you want them to explore, and a question in each they are responsible for answering.)

Write out these three sentences for all to see:  (They are the focus of today's lesson.)

a. What's an angel?
b. How can you be one?
c. What are the "Hopes and Fears of all the years"? ...and how are they answered by the birth of Jesus?

2) Dive into the Fluffy CD

a. At the Main Menu, click on "Yo! Mary and Joe!" and work through the story. This is your Bible Study! God narrates and explains the Annunciation scriptures from both Matthew and Luke. Teachers should pause at all interactive question content to comment and reinforce. You can also write some of these questions on a worksheet for kids to complete.

Before clicking on the Angels Fluffimation activity, click on "The Meaning of Jesus' Name".

b. Go into The Angel Fluffimation Activity. This is a "mad-lib"-like activity. Your kids answer some questions, and Fluffy puts their answers into a new version of the Angel's Annunciation...According to Fluffy & Your Kids. Do it once for fun, discuss, then have them do it a second time "for real." Discuss their interesting results.

c. Mary Visits Elizabeth, and Mary's Song of Joy
Some churches save the "Elizabeth and John the Baptist" area for another lesson. Some also save the "Mary's Song Fluffimation" for another time. Depends on how much time you have and other potential lesson activities.

If you go into Elizabeth's area, be ready to discuss the "Kinds of Promises" section which has these questions: "There are two kinds of promises in the Bible: 1) Things God gives to you no matter what. 2) Things God can do for you if you follow God's way. Think of some examples that fit each kind of promise."

Mary's Song of Joy (the Magnificat) is a Fluffimation "mad-lib"-like onscreen activity like the one earlier in the lesson. This time they'll be creating new words for the Song and playing them back for the class. Let them do it twice. Discuss some of the interesting words and images in the Song and how the kids have reinterpreted them.

(This activity like most on the CD can be accessed separately and turned into its own study. Older children/youth, in particular, should read Mary's Song of Joy from Luke 4.)

d. Go to DJ Fluffy Jam and choose the hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Its signature line is the point of this lesson: "the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." This is what the angel was getting at in the annunication. This is how Mary and Joseph felt in their heart when Mary was pregnant, and at Jesus' birth.

First, explain how the game works....they drag add lyrics, sound effects, and instruments from a pallet onto the music and play it back. After they have played with that a while. Tell them to "do it for real now" and make something that can be played back to the class for discussion. Give them 5 to 7 minutes to recreate the song. Take the class to each computer for playback.

CLOSING: Conclude by gathering around a computer singing along with the (fun version) of the "O Little Town" hymn. Then, ask them what the answers are to the three questions you wrote on the board to begin the lesson. Finish by having the children placing BOTH of their hands on those 3 questions in the shape of wings, and trace their 'wing=hands' with chalk and have them put their name on their wings. Then pray with them that they become true angels, --spreading the Good News ---that Jesus brings the end of fear for our lives and worrying about our salvation. That in him, the Love of God is pleased to dwell in our world and forgive us our sins.


I hope you like my lesson and software.

A full guide to the CD can be printed from www.sundaysoftware.com/fluffy/fluffytips.htm

<>< Neil

Copyright Neil MacQueen, Permission granted for local church use. Printed from www.sundaysoftware.com/fluffy

About the "Fluffimation" activities found throughout this CD...

Fluffimations are interactive reflection activities scattered throughout the CD. They are high-tech "mad-lib-like" activities in which your students follow onscreen prompts to input their own words and concepts. Their words are then inserted into a script we've written which is spoken aloud by Fluffy. 

In one Fluffimation, the kids provide Fluffy with new words to insert into Mary's Song of Joy. In another they help Fluffy rephrase Isaiah 9 (the "wonderful counselor" passage). In another Fluffimation, they help describe the messiah in super-hero terms, --which challenges your students to think about the concept of the Messiah and his powers.

The results are fresh, usually quite thought-provoking, and often humorous as Fluffy tries to speak certain words.

View Fluffimation Graphic Samples Here

All the Fluffimations in this CD are designed to create discussion between students as they complete the fill-ins, and to be played for each other and the teacher -creating more discussion! Because students can keep changing their input into the Fluffimations, the results are always new. Young children will need help with creating the Fluffimations, but will enjoy hearing "their words" spoken by Fluffy.