Living History with Heirloom Audio Dramas
When I was in school, history seemed boring because it was taught from dry textbooks that conveyed basic facts without feeling. Since all events throughout history were motivated by both necessity and passion, it shouldn’t be difficult to bring those stories to life in a way that our kids can understand. That means really bringing history to life with the resources we use, like living books and audio dramas.
Our Favorite History Audio Dramas
Heirloom Audio Productions has produced an excellent source of audio drama that not only entertains the whole family, but complements homeschool history studies with a Christian worldview. They aren’t just audio books — they are full scale audio “movies” for the mind performed by professional actors.
Using G.A. Henty’s living history books as their basis, Heirloom Audio Productions has brought to life the following stories:
- Under Drake’s Flag
- With Lee in Virginia
- The Dragon and the Raven
- In Freedom’s Cause
These are radio theater-style drama based on exciting historical adventures that teach admirable character traits and Biblical values.
Why We Like Them
We enjoy audio books and radio theater in our family. Some are better quality than others and the ones from Heirloom Audio are professionally produced. That can definitely make a difference in the listening enjoyability.
Initially you might not expect the historical events of Sir Francis Drake in the 1500s or Robert E. Lee during the Civil War to hold the attention of three girls (ages 6, 8, and 14), but the quality of the production is such that they were eager to listen. They were happy to listen to the stories and enjoy the adventures.
If you’re familiar with G.A. Henty’s books, you know that they focus on history from a Christian prospective with strong characters and moral values. For instance, Under Drake’s Flag provides examples of doing the right thing even when it isn’t the easy thing, which is definitely a quality I want to instill in my daughters. It also emphasizes the triumph of faith in God over fear in life’s circumstances.
In addition to the exciting audio theater, there is also a 15-page study guide and a copy of Drake’s prayer included as a booklet with the CD. Customers may also download a more detailed 30-page study guide from the website to use while listening to the audio drama. Each of the four audio dramas have their own companion study guides as well with comprehension questions and further historical details for discussion.
From the sound effects to the vivid portrayal of the characters to the stories themselves, my girls were actively involved with listening and discussing the events in the Heirloom Audio dramas.
5 Reasons to use Heirloom Audio Dramas in your Homeschool
- They truly bring history to life in an engaging and memorable way.
- They’re portable so you can listen in the car and make travel time learning time.
- They provide role models of integrity for your children and instill Biblical character traits.
- They help improve listening and memory skills as your children absorb the stories.
- There are companion study guides to enrich the learning experience.
You can learn more about Heirloom Audio and the G.A. Henty series on the website. You can also view the trailers for each CD. I highly recommend these resources for all Christian homeschooling families.
Bonus: Heirloom Audio is offering a generous coupon code for Embracing Destiny readers for a limited time on the entire set of 4 audio dramas! It comes with a 100% money back guarantee so there is no risk. Just visit this link to read the details and add these great living history resources to your homeschool library today!
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I’m definitely interested in this but your link is broken. Is there a new one?
Thanks for letting me know. I’ll check with them and get back to you. 🙂