First, looking back in time is similar to looking at a distant object. The further you go back, the lower the resolution, the less information you can see. Because the surface is changing dynamically, older rocks are constantly being buried and later consumed in the processes of plate tectonics. The fewer rocks of a given time one has to study, the less information can be found about that time. The second reason is that the history of multicellular life on Earth is quite varied and complex, and so requires careful study.
Geology is very much like a foreign language.
The theories and concepts are like the grammar, and the specialized terms are the vocabulary. If you read this course guide and the text carefully, making sure you understand before going on to new material, you should do well. The reading assignments for this course will be taken from Historical Geology, as well as from this course guide. To succeed in this course, you will need to read and become familiar with the information in both sources. Read the text chapter introduction first.