1. Socratic Conversation
Deepening your understanding of text through thoughtful conversation.

2. Objectives
I will analyze text and evaluate an author’s claims and evidence by critically reading and annotating the text.
I will support the thinking of others and evaluate my ideas about a text by participating in a Socratic Conversation.
I will analyze the author’s ideas and evaluate the strength of the author’s claims and evidence by writing a critical analysis.

3. Critically Read the Text
Read through once, keeping in mind the given reading prompt.
Teacher gives the students a prompt that informs students what to think about while reading the text.

4. Second Read Underline every claim the author makes.
Double underline all evidence the author uses to support a claim.
Write margin notes of your thinking.
The teacher reminds students of the prompt and directs students to look for claims and evidence aligned to the prompt. The teacher needs to model this process using the first few lines of the text. The teacher needs to do a “we do” with the students supplying what to underline and write in the margins for a few lines of the text prior to having students annotate the text individually.

5. Number the text Line # 1 starts with _________
Teacher identifies each line # and the starting word so all student have numbered the text the same.

6. Write a Summary and Judgment
Summarize the key ideas of the text.
Identify the important claims and evidence given by the author.
Evaluate the strength and credibility of the author’s claims, evidence, and argument.
The teacher will need to model writing a summary with a section of the text, identifying claims and evidence as well as sharing with the class their thinking process in evaluating the strength and credibility of claims, evidence and argument. This is probably done best with a prior piece of reading so not to bias student thinking with this given text.

7. With a Partner Share your summary and judgment.
Compare and contrast what you each wrote.
Discuss your ideas and thinking.
Revise and enhance your summary and judgment based upon your discussion
The teacher assigns the study partners, and works the room to encourage and support students expressing their thinking to each other. When teaching this process the first time the teacher may have to assign A and B designations to each partner and direct, “Partner A share your summary.” “Partner B listen and take notes.” “Partner B paraphrase what you heard.” “Partner B share your summary.” “Partner A listen and take notes.” “Partner A paraphrase what you heard.” “Partner A share your judgment.” “Partner B share your judgment” “Together compare and contrast your ideas and decide how to take both your ideas to come up with a better summary and judgment.”

8. Groups of Four – Socratic Conversation
Goal: Come to a common understanding of the author’s ideas and strength of the author’s claims and evidence.
Prior to starting the conversation the students need a group goal so that there is a reason to work together.

9. Thoughtful Conversation
Share your thinking
Listen and paraphrase
Connect to the text
Ask clarifying questions
Challenge the thinking of others
These skills should be practiced in advanced with short conversation topics in pairs. The major lesson is understanding the difference between clarifying questions and challenging questions. Students will need a lesson in how to criticize ideas while showing respect for the individual. The students will also need support in understanding a logical argument.

10. During the Conversation
Silence is OK
Refer to the text
Refer to your notes.
Add to your notes.
Students need time to process significant concepts. Occasional silence to think and process needs to be respected. Student often get off track from the text. The teacher needs to regularly remind students the goal is about deeper understanding of text so they have to consistently refer to the text.

11. Assigned Groups of Four
Move to your groups.
Sit face to face.
Have the reading and notes out on your desk.
Groups need to be heterogeneous to enhance the richness of the conversation. The groups can be of threes but no larger than four. Model for students how the desk and chairs will be organized so that students are a close to each other as possible sitting face to face. Make sure there is walking room between groups for you the teacher. Assign all groups and designate where each group will meet prior to have students move to their groups. Students have to be taught to move to group’s quickly.

12. Prepare the Group Number off 1 – 4 #1 is the Facilitator
Encourage all group members to participate.
Remind group members to paraphrase, clarify, challenge, and reference the text.
To facilitate the process the teacher may have to have the seats numbered or provide cards that designate the numbered roles so the teacher can observe if students are completing their role.

13. Start the Conversation Round Robin
Starting with group member 2.
Each group member share your current thinking about the text in response to the reading prompt.
After each member shares, the facilitator will ask the group a question.
The conversation begins – take notes
Facilitator – Encourage
Share – paraphrase – question – challenge
Make sure they know who is group member 2. Remind students of the skills in the conversation, post the skills somewhere in the room so students can refer to them or place them on a sheet in front of each student. Share your thinking
Listen and paraphrase
Connect to the text
Ask clarifying questions
Challenge the thinking of others
Work the room and monitor for these skills.

14. Quick Write – Individually
Summarize the ideas expressed in the group concerning
author’s ideas,
strength of the author’s claims and evidence

15. Group Consensus
Starting with Group Member # 3, share your quick write ideas going Round Robin, clockwise.
Discuss the similarities and differences of the ideas shared.
Decide where there is a common understanding of the author’s ideas, and strength of the author’s claims and evidence.
Work the room, move quickly group to group to monitor that they are discussing and deciding.

16. Group Paper One paper per group.
Every group member’s name at the top of the group paper.
One group member will be chosen randomly to present the group’s paper to the class.
Every group member has to be ready to answer questions about the group’s paper.
The grade is never the group work the grade is based on what each individual student has learned. The group paper is a means to increase the accountability to work together, but doesn’t provide evidence of what each group member knows.

17. Group paper
Write the common understanding the group has of the author’s ideas and strength of the author’s claims and evidence.
Every group member signs the bottom of the paper when he/she can explain the group’s understanding to the class.
Reinforce that each group member has to be prepared to explain and the group presenter will be chosen at random. The entire group needs to stand with the group presenter as a sign of support.

18. Individually
Copy your group ideas to your notes.

19. As a group - reflect
Identify what the group did well in the Socratic Conversation skills.
Identify what the group could do better to support the thinking of each other.
Write the skills and improvement areas on the back of your group paper.
Group and individual reflection supports students thinking about the academic content and the learning process.

20. Individually
Write a critical analysis of the text and evaluate the text in terms of the author’s ideas and strength of claims and evidence.
Support your claims with references and evidence from the text.
Use the text and your notes as you write this analysis.
Students need to be provided in advance the rubric for evaluating their essays.

21. Reflection – at the end of your analysis
Write a brief description of how the critical reading process and Socratic Conversation influenced your thinking and understanding of the text.

22. This Socratic Conversation structure is a modification of critical reading strategies, Socratic seminar strategies cooperative learning strategies of Roger and David Johnson. This modification was done by Tim Rockey, Glendale AZ