Resources Worth Having: Adventures in My Father's World

A friend of mine who will be using Adventures in My Father's World next year recently emailed me and asked me about extra resources I have used this year that were really worth the expense.  I thought it would be easier to answer her in a blog post so maybe it will help someone else, too!

The American Dream

Available at Songs for Teaching

This little CD, although pricey, has been a gem!  In fact, when I found it online and compared the list of songs to the Adventures teacher's manual, I knew it would be perfect for this year!  It's different than the Celebrate America CD that comes with the Adventures package.  That one focuses more on patriotism; this one focuses more on history.  In our family, this ranks pretty high up there on the list of must-haves.

American Tales Reader

Available at Rainbow Resource

This has been one of the highlights for Hannah!  This reader tells about famous Americans, but it does it in a fun way.  A family of storytellers consisting of a grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, and children tell one history story after another based on what the children are doing at the time.  For example, one day the little boy joins the family on the front porch and tells them that he has been discovering the woods in the forest behind the house.  The grandfather corrects him and tells him that the woods have already been discovered; he simply explored them.  Then he tells the children a story about another great explorer named Christopher Columbus.  Again, another very high-ranking selection in our house.

Little Hands Celebrate America

Available at Amazon



This has been a fun resource to provide some hands-on activities for some of the state studies.  I have found activities to supplement Pennsylvania (Liberty Bell), New York (Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls), Missouri (Gateway Arch), and California (Golden Gate Bridge).  There are also activities to supplement some of the history lessons (United States becomes a country, Sacagawea, and Daniel Boone).

Blast to the Past Series

Available from Rainbow Resource

I purchased several historical fiction series for Hannah this year, but this was by far the biggest hit.  In this series of books, a history teacher and four of his students have a history club that meets after school once a week.  The students get to travel back in time to observe a famous historical event, but they have to make sure the evil Babs McGee doesn't beat them to it and alter the course of history forever!  Titles in this series that would complement Adventures in My Father's World include the following:

• Ben's Franklin's Fame
• Washington's War
• Betsy Ross's Star
• Sacagawea's Strength
• Lincoln's Legacy

Liberty's Kids

Available at Netflix

This is an animated DVD series that takes place during the Revolutionary War.  Hannah and Camille have both thoroughly enjoyed it.  (And honestly, so have Greg and I!)  It's available through Netflix if you're a subscriber, and it's even one of the instant download choices.  This is a fun choice for Family Movie Night so Dad can be a part of school, too.