History Department

Next Level Homeschool’s history department is dedicated to building students’ foundational knowledge of various general historical topics and offering specialized courses that allow them to pursue the areas of history they find most interesting. While learning about history, students will also build critical thinking, research, and writing skills. History is important to know, but these skills will help students excel in other courses, in future academic endeavors, and in life. I firmly believe when students are allowed to pursue their interests they absorb the content better and walk away from the class as a more well-rounded student and person. This belief guides every class I offer. There is a little something for everyone to enjoy in Next Level’s history curriculum!

General Histories

If you are new to studying history or looking for more foundational knowledge about a topic you are unfamiliar with, take a look at Next Level's general histories. These classes often come in a series that spans multiple semesters, so be sure to check the class pages for any other courses in the series.

European History Series
Intro to Ancient Civilizations
US History Series (Full Year)
World History Series (Full Year)

Specialized Histories

Some students might already have taken general history courses with Next Level or elsewhere. Now they are looking to dig deeper into certain areas of history that interest them. That is great! Next Level Homeschool offers a variety of history classes that take a deeper look into topics like technology, protests, and more.
Historical Research and Writing Workshop
History of Ancient Egypt
History of Student Protests
Medieval Technology
Phoenicians: Ancient Seafarers of the Mediterranean
US Women's History Series
Vikings and Their Far-Reaching Influence

Geography & Culture

In addition to the history courses, Next Level also offers other humanities and social studies classes. Students have access to topics in geography and anthropology that help build research, writing, and critical thinking skills from perspectives outside the purely historical.

Comparative World Mythology
Intro to World Geography
Wonders of the World Series
World of Food

I'm not sure if Next Level's history format is a good fit for my child. Can I see sample lessons before we enroll?

We do not give out sample lessons. However, we do offer two $5 classes that will introduce you to how the Next Level Homeschool history program works so you can decide if it is a good fit for your child's learning style: A Guide to Effective Notetaking and Sourcefulness: A Guide to Finding Reliable Sources

Is there a specific order to the full year history classes?

There is no set order to the full year courses or the other general history classes. They are built to be standalone, and students can take them in any order they choose.

The only exception is Intro to Ancient Civilizations. If your student is looking to get started on these longer classes, I suggest taking Ancient Civilizations first. It is the easiest of my multi-semester series, it acts as the ancient class in the European History series while also adding information about other world civilizations, and it provides an opportunity to experience what these longer history classes require. It is not required to take it first, but it is what I would do.

Do the history classes have prerequistes?

None of my history classes have hard prerequisites. However, I highly suggest having a foundational knowledge in the history surrounding the different specialized history courses (ex. Some US history knowledge would help provide needed context to the US Women's History series), but it is not required to be done with Next Level. That being said, the general history courses are crafted to give students the needed context to dig deeper into their historical interests.

Is it required to take all of the sessions of a full year class?

No, the series are built in a way that they can stand alone or be taken all in a row. However, we do recommend that you take full year classes in order. History is a continuous story, and starting in the middle can be difficult at times.

My child is interested in a historical topic that is not offered. Can you make a class about their interest?

I am always open to class suggestions, and I have created classes at student request in the past. However, I cannot fulfill every wish. There is so much history to learn about, and I only have one lifetime! I will always look into class suggestions, gauge interest from other students, and determine if the topic is feasible or not. A love of history is built on finding topics that interest you, and I want to build a love of history in my students. And if that passion translates into learning to be better researchers and thinkers, that is great too!

How do you approach teaching about a specific topic/person/event?

This question is always answered on a case-by-case basis. Please feel free to email me your question, and I will be happy to explain how I approach certain topics. Generally, I try to provide an objective view of history while avoiding presentism. Terrible people and things fill the pages of our history books, and it is important to know about problematic elements while also acknowledging the impacts they made on history.

General Histories

Specialized Histories

Geography & Culture