Superstructures for Social Studies

Superstructures gives the whole class a space to investigate social, political, and historical questions and engage in thoughtful reasoning about society and its institutions. Students contribute ideas in parallel, interpreting sources, exploring different perspectives, and tracing cause-and-effect, all while seeing how their classmates think in real time. The structured formats guide students to practice discipline-specific skills that move them beyond surface-level observations toward deeper analysis and understanding. As they notice patterns in peers’ contributions, students refine explanations, recognize complexity, and reconsider assumptions. The result is a class that understands the world more deeply, develops stronger reasoning, and engages fully in collaborative exploration of society.

How to Use Superstructures with Your Class

1 Before the Activity

Create the Superstructure and share its class code with your students. As you introduce the structure topic, also share learning goals, discuss norms, and set expectations for student responses. Tell students to click the "Watch Help Video" button when they enter the structure.

2 During the Activity

Encourage students as they work and ask guiding questions along the way. Refer to the Class Insights panel in the Teacher View for helpful notes and perspective on class activity. Monitor the Student Progress panel to celebrate student successes and identify those who need extra support.

3 After the Activity

Lead your class in a discussion. We recommend discussing patterns, clusters, and outliers in student thinking. Celebrate students who've earned badges. Utilize Class Insights in Teacher View for helpful ideas.

Applying Each Structure in Social Studies

This guide highlights a set of Social Studies examples for each of the ten Superstructures. Each structure title links to its section in the Structures Guide, and each screenshot links to a completed sample. You’ll also find links for ready-to-use structure templates, which you can use as-is or adapt for your own classroom.