Socratic circles

Socratic Circles~ ANALYZING A DISCUSSION Who was Socrates? - Greek philosopher who lived in 500 BC - Great intellectual thinker - Known for his careful reasoning - Sought general knowledge rather than victory over opponent - Developed and encouraged conversational skills

What are Socratic Circles SocratIC Circles are a timed discussion that splits the class into two groups. The groups sit in concentric circles, holding their notes and facing the center of the room. The inner circle has 10 minutes or longer to discuss the article, while the outer circle observes. When time is up, the outer circle reports their observations to the inner circle and then the two circles switch. The process is repeated with a new discussion of the article or topic. Students Job: Preparing for the discussion. -Read over article several times -take notes in the margins (questions you may have, connections, take apart the article as much as you can) -Come to class with notes ready

Tips for a successful discussion   - take turns (don’t interrupt or dominate the conversation) - listen actively (nod, confirm, respond) - make eye contact - include everyone - be tolerant and respect the opinion of others - piggyback on ideas of others - disagree constructively - stay on-task - support your views giving evidence from the novel - speak loudly and clearly - complete the pre-discussion tasks fully

How to set up for your discussion - arrange chairs so that you have an inner circle and an outer circle. It works best if the students in the inner circle are on chairs and the students in the outer circle are sitting on desks. -Split your class into 2 groups -Have one group start in the inner circle- after a timed discussion switch the groups - Students are allowed to bring notes into the discussion