1. Socratic Seminar Skills
What is Socratic Seminar?
A Socratic Seminar is using critical thinking skills to explore and evaluate ideas, issues, and values in a particular text or work of literature.
It has four elements
The story being considered (You should be able to develop many ideas about the story)
The questions (open, leads to evolving discussion)
The seminar leader (My role to ask a few questions and mostly leave the discussion to you. If I feel you need to clarify a point, then I might get involved)
The participants (Using evidence from your text as well as outside sources, your participation is measured as muc for quality and it is for quantity. ) 1

2. Socratic Seminar Skills
How does it work?
You can set it up several ways, but all include grouping participants.
In the “Fishbowl” we set up two groups of participants.
One group is the active group (Fish). This group will be the only ones allowed to speak, ask questions, and evolve the discussion.
The other group is the observation group (people outside the fishbowl). They must pay attention, keep track of participation, and write notes about what they’ve seen and heard. 2

3. Meaningful Dialog v.s. Great Debate
Ground Rules
Speak so that all can hear you.
Listen closely.
Speak without raising your hand
Refer to the text or film.
Talk to the center, not just the leader.
Ask for clarification. Don’t stay confused.
Consider all viewpoints and ideas.
Invite and allow others to speak.
Know that you are responsible for the quality of the seminar.
Don’t think about what you should see and understand, think about what you could see and understand.
Meaningful Dialog v.s. Great Debate
Dialog - multiple sides working to a shared understanding; debate - two sides trying to prove each other wrong.
Dialog - listens to find common understanding; debate - listens to find flaws.
Dialog - enlarges and potentially changes a participants point of view; debate - reaffirms a pre-held point of view.
Dialog – One searches for strengths in all views; debate – one searches for weaknesses in others’ views.
Dialog – remains open-ended; debate – demands a conclusion 3

4. Seminar Correct and incorrect behavior
There are behaviors we look for:
We look for
Statements that include evidence (4) Has quotes and page numbers from the text, and makes an ORIGINAL claim. In other words, you can’t simply agree with someone, or echo what they’ve said.
Compelling questions. (3) Open, and get a response from someone who cites evidence from the story.
Connections. (2) These must be in response to evidence already given, where you summarize the evidence and name the person who said it, and then connect that evidence to something you’ve read or seen. 4

5. Seminar Correct and incorrect behavior
There are behaviors we avoid:
We avoid
Random assertions. (-2) These are statements made without supporting evidence. (This is the biggest no-no!)
Dominating the conversation. (-1) This is a judgment call, and every time I think that is happening, I will take off the point and say out loud that you are taking over.
Withdrawing from the conversation. (0) You have to be somewhat aggressive about finding an opening to get in your thoughts. If someone says what you wanted to say, build on it! Refer to that person’s comments! 5

6. Questions: (Find evidence for your answers)
At what points do you think the protagonist began in deal with his own internal conflict?
How would you react in the circumstances the protagonist finds himself in?
What are some assumptions that the author is working with in developing his conflict?
How could some of the rising action in the plot be changed in a way that would completely reverse the theme of the story?
Compare the converging or diverging views between the two main characters.
These typically should come from the left side(block 1) or the right (block 2) side columns in your journal, but if you’ve not found five items in your journal, it is time to go back to the story and find them. Write them out on this form either way.
BLOCK 1: Before the Seminar:
List at least five passages that you think respond well to the questions posed ahead of time. You are writing actual quotes in this box.
1. (pg#)
2. (pg#)
3. (pg#)
4. (pg#)
5. (pg#)
BLOCK 2: Before the Seminar:
List at least connections that you think are related to gaining a deeper understanding of the theme of the story. Make sure that you’ve include the reference pg# from the book. You are writing actual connections in this box.
BLOCK 3: Outside the fishbowl notes: Here, you should take note of things that five different people said:
1. (Person’s name & comment)
2. (Person’s name & comment)
3. (Person’s name & comment)
4. (Person’s name & comment)
5. (Person’s name & comment)
Block 4: After the Seminar while:
List at least five things about the author’s techniques and the effect he/she was trying to achieve that you understand better. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
PEOPLE I AM SCORING: (4) claims w/evidence; (3) compelling questions; (2) Connection with previous evidence
NAME POINTS