It's best to read or at least skim the chapter before the class lecture. A closer reading in conjunction with your notes should follow. If you miss class for any reason it is important to get the notes from another student, and to clarify any problems during office hours. I do not have any lecture notes that would substitute for class attendance. Studying the old exams on my website is the best way of getting a sense of how I go from the lecture and text to specific questions, and to some extent what will appear on this semester's exams.
Most students find it useful to study with a few friends.
One student can read the exam question, and then if the reasoning is not obvious, you can talk over the question, and try to think of likely variations. But the course changes from semester to semester so you cannot rely totally on old exams. One reason the course changes is that economic history changes. Old questions, such as what caused the Great Depression or how important were the railroads to economic growth, are constantly being reanalyzed in the light of new evidence. I will try to warn you explicitly about this situation.