Maps are extremely useful, as are timelines and genealogies.
Whenever possible, I use books and other visual aids. The Brengle text book includes great study questions in the back for discussions on the various readings. I discuss each of the readings in class, commenting on what stays the same and what varies in the tradition, what reflects material from Late Antiquity and what elements are drawn from the medieval culture of the author. I also discuss the prejudices of the various critics. I am limited to six weeks by the Learning Tree format.