One of the best ways to improve your understanding of the vast quantity of material you're being bombarded with in this class is to reorganize it in a way that makes sense to you. Here are a few ideas to help you along the way.
1)The Venn Diagram. This is great for organizing info on two topics
that can be easily compared or contrasted (Austria & Prussia, Luther
& Zwingli, Swanson and Kilmer would not work because we have no common
traits, thank goodness).
2) The good old-fashioned timeline. For understanding a long drawn out topic like the English Civil War, the reign of Louis XIV, or the Thirty Years War. Take the most important events and actions and lay them out in chronological order. Be sure to point out important connections between items on your timeline (cause and effect, combination, etc.)
| Date | Action (connection) |
| 1628 | Charles implements thorough to rule without Par. |
| 1637 | Charles I & Laud try to episcopolize the Scots, they rebel (Charles needs $) |
| 1640 | Charles calls Par. (they demand redress) |
This is most effective when your timeline contains only events related to each other, leave the confusing unrelated stuff out. This forces you to evaluate what is truly important and related to the topic at hand.
4) The Compare/Contrast chart. Great when you have more than just two
straightforward comparisons. This can be extremely helpful in writing
a C & C essay as paragraphs can be easily organized by letter or number.
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| Economy | Government | Military | ||
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Growing trade, asiento, faith in $$ | Cons Monarchy, Whigs, Hanovers | Strong Navy |
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Miss. Bubble, can’t tax | Fleury, Lamo Louis XV | Flickering after Louis’ wars |
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Raw materials, western craftsmen | Peter’s reorganization | Great Northern War, WWPs |