Look at the syllabus and determine the scope and sequence of the class. Look to see which cultures are being covered. Evaluate whether it is possible to determine topics to focus on. Set up your notebook with sections for the differing cultures and mythological topics. Set aside sections for Greek mythology, Roman mythology, Chinese mythology, Aztec and Mayan mythology. Within each of these, create subcategories about the gods, the nature of humans, the sun, the stars, the planets, Earth, fire and any other subtopic in the plan of study. Your textbook index is another place to determine these categories.
Visualize your reading and note taking. Use symbols and icons to represent different gods or mythological characters that are memorable for you. For example, you may want to draw a lightning bolt next to the name Zeus or replace his name altogether. This helps keep track of the characters and their actions. This also helps deal with many of the longer names of the Aztecs and Mayans and gives the student an easier symbol to recall.
Use a Venn diagram or other graphic organizer to compare and contrast information about different myths. For example, the creation myths of Genesis, the Chinese story of Pan Gu and the Tainos of the Caribbean can be plotted onto three overlapping circles, with commonalities in the center and distinct teachings written in the wide open spaces left in each circle. Other charts with columns can organize the information about the time periods, the geography and the distinct features of each myth.