Good Sam the Samaritan from Sunday School Software

Good Sam the Samaritan CD
from Sunday Software

An interactive exploration into one of Jesus' most important teachings

Pictured Above: The Main Menu.
Choose from five areas to explore & learn!.

Overview of What's in Good Sam the Samaritan

Luke 10 --a narrated 3-D animated retelling of the story in three different versions with study notes.

Sam Cam --video interviews with the story characters, and a game in which students must counter excuses for "not being Samaritans" by selecting the right encouraging Bible verses (match the verse that addresses the excuse).

Good Sam Land --a very kid-friendly interactive map with intriguing story-related Holy Land photos and graphics and narrated study questions. The content includes "What is a Samaritan?" "Why weren't they liked?" "Samaritans today" and questions about cultural and religious prejudice ( a really good section for older students especially)

Who Wants to be a Samari-tan! --play Yakzoot the camel in a strange parable gameshow about the Samaritan Parable. The gameshow concludes with a timed memory verse scramble game.

SaMtv --an Mtv style music video that wraps up the lesson with a snappy tune and images to reflect on. SaMtv also includes follow-up discussion activities

Read the Great Reviews Tech Specs and Price

View a Videoclip of Good Sam CD in action

Details and Screenshots...

In Luke 10, we put three versions of the story on the CD --hoping your teachers will have their kids listen in three different ways!

Sam Cam takes a deeper look into why people make excuses and what the Bible has to say about excuses.

SamCam also features interviews with modernized versions of the parable characters.
Hear the pastor/priest explain why he is parked in the Handicap Parking spot!
Hear the robbers try to get off the hook, and the lawyer try to talk his way out of it.

"What good is a person's faith --if they don't do the right thing
when it's the right time to do it."
-Good Sam, from his SamCam interview.

In Who Wants to Be a Samari-tan! quiz show, student's play against "Yakzoot the Camel" for coins and Camel Wax.

The quiz features questions from the scriptural story, plus questions about concept, and a memory verse scramble.

Our Sam Land interactive map has all sorts of interesting information, including "What is a Samaritan", "Why didn't the Jews like them?" and "Samaritans Today",
--with follow-up questions for deeper study. One location on the map addresses "prejudice."
(We even made the map musically fun to navigate. Each location plays a note as you roll over it.)

SaM TV features an engaging music video of the song, "Lend a Helping Hand"
by Christian recording artist, Steve Lindsley.

Its lyrics and images "salt in" the parable's imperative to "go and do likewise."

A channel in SaM TV also includes additional learning content for deeper study.

Preview a 10 second music clip from Good Sam's SaMTV song...
"Lend a Helping Hand"

Visit the Lend a Helping Hand LYRICS page and hear the music

"Our God's love, it is so very strong, it leads me to see the need in you..."
--from Sam TV's music video "Lend a Helping Hand."

Good Sam Details for Teachers...

Good SAM has an onscreen 3-D Animated Teacher named Bildad the Bible Explorer. Bildad's job is to introduce program content, offer insights and ask questions. Bildad is jovial, warm, a bit of a crack-pot who loves God and can see to the heart of things. He's also wise. The classroom teacher will facilitate many of the discussion questions Bildad throws out. Along the way, questions are presented for possible discussion, and you can always count on Bildad the Bible Explorer to have a few things to say.

Good Sam is especially easy for first-time computer teachers to teach with.

Pictured right: A scene from the digitally animated re-telling of the parable.

Sam CD's presentation is more than a multimedia storybook with clickpoints and games. Instead, Good Sam CD will lead students through the story and help them to explore "what's behind the story" through several multimedia activities. Good Sam is part storybook, part reference work, part quiz program, part discussion starter and part reflection tool. It even has a cool music video about being a Samaritan which you and your students can talk about (and print the lyrics). ..In other words, "Good Sam is packed."

The Good Sam CD is designed primarily for use in an educational setting. But it's fun at home too.

Good Sam was designed for 2nd through 8th graders but can easily stretch to Kindergarteners and Senior Highs. Good Sam's animated teacher, narrated Luke 10 retelling, and narrated study notes in Sam Land make much of the program suitable for younger children. (We design our software to stretch downward without being babyish to youth).

Good Sam can be completed in about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how much time the class takes to discuss the questions raised within the program. It can also be stretched over two or more class periods.

Good Sam is laid out like a lesson plan. It has a logical progression from Learn it, Understand it, to Live it.

If you take your time, there is enough material in Good SAM to last at least two class periods. We've tucked into the screens dozens of questions and discussion provoking elements. Teachers of younger children will find plenty to use and enjoy, though some content and vocabulary will be too difficult for them. (They'll like the presentation, though, even if they do not understand as much).

Some extra content has been put in SamTV section for older students, and those who want to explore the story deeper. SAMTV even includes a list of Follow-Activities for your classroom.

Ideally, a prepared 'live' teacher will be exploring the CD with students right at the computer. But we also designed Good Sam with inexperienced teachers in mind. Bildad the Bible Explorer ask questions and make comments just like a teacher would. At the opening he even suggests the path through the program for optimum use. Inexperienced teachers simply need to help students respond to material as it is presented.

Order: Good Sam the Samaritan CD

Windows 98/Me/XP/Vista/Windows 7

$22 for one copy
...and a greater discount in quantity!
See our online order form for quantity pricing.

More about Sam Cam ...."The Inside Story"....your students will view video interviews with the story's characters and wrestle with questions raised by the interviews. (The questions are presented onscreen.)

"The Priest"

Interviewed parked in the handicapped spot, he defends his actions that day.

"The Robbers"

Clueless about God's laws.

"The Lawyer who interviewed Jesus"

His "Statement to the Press" interview is an attempt to distance himself from Jesus.

Target Age Range: Age 8 through 16. Younger children with help, and older students will also get a kick out of much of Good Sam's content.

System Minimums: Windows Me/XP/Vista/Windows 7, Mac OS 7.6+, 8 or 9, (see OS X note), minimum 400mhz, 64 mb RAM minimum, 64 RAM. Sam will run under OSX in "classic mode". If your newer version of Mac OSX doesn't reboot to 9 and only switches to "classic mode" to run Sam, then one section (Samland) of the CD won't work

Order: Good Sam the Samaritan

Click here to view our Teacher's Outline of Good Sam
All the texts and questions included in the CD along with an outline.

View a Demo Video (1.5 mb)

Learn more about Good Sam's "brother" .... The Prodigal Son CD
which also features Bildad the Bible Explorer

THIS CD COSTS LESS THAN A THIRD what a box of DONUTS FOR YOUR CLASS would!

Cost of two copies of SAM CD = $34.
Have five different grades play and discuss Good SAM this year, and again in two years. That's 10 lessons. ...And again two years after that! Why? Because this is an important parable to revisit and teach to kids as they grow older.

Therefore, the cost of 2 Copies of Good Sam =

$34 � 20 lessons = $1.70 per lesson

Box of donuts = $6.00 per lesson

(And right now it's an even BIGGER discount with our tenth anniversary sale)

Great Good Sam Reviews:

Good Sam is by far the best Christian education software that I have come across. While preparing for our Sunday School I spent HOURS playing with it and I'm 39 years old! This is so cross-generational - it still amazes me! I can't say enough good things about it. I spent 6 years working for a major computer training company. I am blown away at the quality of this product. --Patricia Ayling, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Oklahoma City, OK (We can't wait for Pat to see the rest of our software...!)

Neil, I just finished teaching a four week rotation using the new Good Sam the Samaritan CD. It must say it was a wonderful experience. This being my fourth year teaching the computer rotation at our church, I can say that this was the best piece of software I have ever used. The questions were very challenging which I think is essential to the learning process. It stoked a lot of discussion between myself and the students. Who wants to be a Samaritan was a huge hit with the 5th and 6th graders. They were laughing throughout the entire game. All grades LOVED the bible verse scramble. It's funny how some of the things I would never expect the kids to like turn out to be their favorite. The students enjoyed listening to the different video characters on the Sam Cam page, and it was interesting to hear students shouting out, "He even parked in the handicap spot". They really identified with the characters and formed strong opinions about them. The matching game on the Sam Cam page was very well done as well. --Doug Backus, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Cincinnati

One of our junior high teachers said that the new "Good Sam" CD was the best kids' software he's seen. --Pat Strandburg, Cupertino CA

Your CD was a huge success. The kids were completely enthralled the whole class. I've since found kids pulling the CD out again to play when they have extra time after class and on Wednesday nights. --Trish Lisa

Good Sam is great. Please make more like this! Mary Bond, Bryn Mawr Church, Bryn Mawr PA

Dear Neil and Sunday School Software, As a grandmother of a beautiful new grandson (Dawson Jeremiah), I think your "Good Sam" program is beautiful. Compared to all the other programs, ...in a class by itself. --Marty White, educator at Church of The Good Shepherd, Cashiers NC

It is phenomenal. Wow! Make some more! Linda , DCE at Palma Ceia Church, Tampa

It really is awesome! -Kay Williams , UMC educator in Georgia

This is a fun CD with great content. -Pat, Christian educator in Placentia CA.

Just wanted you to know that we just started teaching with Good Sam last weekend and it was great!!!! I finally feel like the software and the lesson are in sync. Give yourselves a pat on the back. It is a great piece of software and the kids love it. Thanks! -Amy Parker, Church Educator, Texas

Thought you'd be encouraged to know that GoodSam was very useful in the school. There were five pupils there, it held their attention well and they all got the message. Credit your valuable work! -- Gavin Matthews, Arngask Home Farm, Glenfarg Perth U.K.

Neil- I just finished playing the Sam CD and my whole family had stopped what they were doing to see what I was looking at! It is so funny and entertaining! Our kids are going to love this at Sunday School. I am still anticipating the arrival of the Ten Commandments CD. You and your crew are doing a great job! Thanks for being out there!! --Ellen P.

Another great Sunday Software CD...