1. FISHBOWL DISCUSSIONS
Socratic Seminars in Mr. Donn’s English II Pre-AP & GTs

2. Lousiana Academic Standards covered by Socratic Seminar

3. FISHBOWL DISCUSSION GENERAL PROTOCOL INNER CIRCLE/IN THE “BOWL”
Timed
Should be conducted as a dialogue. Typically, two representatives will be discussing a point. Raise hands or use “speaker’s totem” to join dialogues or shift directions.
Must argue toward a specific point
Must always rely on textual evidence.
Must use language of literature
All members must speak for team to get full points
Use protocol to encourage all team members to participate, including those on other teams
Take notes while discussing
OUTER CIRCLE/”OBSERVERS”
Take notes while listening, be prepared to ASK or ANSWER questions
Don’t interrupt

4. Active Reading, Active Learning Named after the Socratic Method of using active reading and active learning to prove a hypothesis or answer a question, a SOCRATIC SEMINAR is the art of manipulating a conversation so as to prove the validity of an argument. The goal is to deepen student understanding of complex texts through dialogue, question and answer, rather than direct lecture. Students who are ACTIVELY invested in reaching a learning goal will learn more!
Examples of GOOD Socratic Seminar Etiquette -Good point!
-I think you may be missing the fact that_____. -I’d like to add to what was just said. -You point would be valid if __ , but __. -Good question. Have you ever considered ____?
-Can you clarify what you meant by ________? -Did you notice that ______ connects to _______?
-Does anybody agree with Todd on this?
-I think perhaps it’s time to move on. -What does _________ think about this?
-You’ve made that point several times. Do you have anything to add?
Examples of BAD Socratic Seminar Etiquette -That’s stupid/idiotic/moronic/sophomoric. -You obviously don’t have anything else to say.
-Did you even read the text? -You aren’t making any sense!
-Are you going to say anything helpful? -I don’t see why we’re listening to this! -You are boring me.
-Are you just going to keep talking and and talking?
-I don’t think so!
-You just need to shut up now.

5. Why “Fishbowl”?
I call our discussion “fishbowl” discussion because, while they follow the same inner circle/outer circle principal as a formal Socratic Discussion, our discussions are more informal, rely less on tracking individual student scores and more on evaluation based on team performance and argument.
In short, our discussions are age-appropriate for 10th graders, yet serve as accelerated preparation for more advanced discussions! It’s “Socratic Seminar Lite.”

6. PREPARATION AND PROMPT:
To prepare for fishbowls, students should have already read, annotated, and taken Cornell notes on their texts that follow a learning target.
Sample Target (Donn Unit 1 Lesson 3, Sinclair Versus Schlosser)
Which author is more credible? Use evidence from your texts to support your points.

7. DISCUSSION PROCEDURE (Donn Version) I
DISCUSSION PROCEDURE (Donn Version) I. STROPHE: Inner Circle: See rubric. Teams with opposing viewpoints sit in “inner circle.” A discussion leader should be appointed beforehand, as this helps keep the discussion moving and minimizes point loss. Outer circle uses “They Say/I Say” notes to keep track of discussion and record responses. --Teacher creatures score assigned teams for inner circle. --Teacher monitors discussion and outer circle. See rubric. II. ANTISTROPHE: Outer circle switches place with inner circle. Repeat procedures. --Teacher creatures assigned to score the team with opposing view as was assigned in STROPHE. III. FINALE (Devil’s advocates): Teacher creatures assist in closing the discussion by presenting questions and observations concerning flaws in reasoning or evidence, clarifying details that may have been left unclear.

8. SCORING: INNER + OUTER Teams should be CLEARLY marked
SCORING: INNER + OUTER Teams should be CLEARLY marked. We will use slates to keep track of which team is which. Each team receives two scores: Inner Circle and Outer Circle. Inner circle scores are kept by Teacher Creatures*. Outer circle scores are kept by teacher and Teacher Creature. Ideally, one scorekeeper per team. *Teacher Creatures must be fair and unbiased. Because ALL scoring in a discussion or debate involves SOME subjectivity, teams should strive to be as clear and focused as possible. Challenges to scoring will be addressed directly to the teacher and settled by the teacher. Suspicion of unfairness or bias will result in grade penalty for Teacher Creatures. Inner Circle Score + Outer Circle Score = ____/50 pts Teams “win” when their TOTAL score is greater than that of their opponent’s. NOTE: As long as teams can demonstrate humility and good will, we can continue using fishbowls as the basis of our text-based discussions. Grumbling, complaining, or general “sore loser” behaviors will results in a return to old-fashioned teacher lectures.

9. KEEPING SCORE: USE YOUR WITS
KEEPING SCORE: USE YOUR WITS! Teacher creatures will be instructed to review the categories clearly, and ask questions with the class. Scoring begins with the assumption that each team has 25 points, and the team’s job is to KEEP those points. Scorekeepers must deduct points. A “perfect score” should be rare, acknowledged by the teacher, and most likely will be recognized by all. When an incident occurs that raises the question of whether or not to take away a point, they must use WITT. They should ask themselves: Was It Truly Troubling? Truly troubling incidents are not the occasional stumbling over words or BRIEF forgetting of a detail. They are not getting interrupted by a fire drill Troubling incidents are those that distract from the discussion in such as way that may be acknowledged by more than one person. Troubling incidents are those that show lack of preparation, disrespect for others, or unwillingness to think critically so as to arrive at a deeper understanding of the topic.

10. A MATURE ACADEMIC DISCUSSION: DIGNITY AT ALL TIMES. A
A MATURE ACADEMIC DISCUSSION: DIGNITY AT ALL TIMES! A. This is an academic discussion. State your claims clearly. Use the language of literature. Don’t hem and haw, and don’t make a joke out of the situation. Sarcasm or immature behavior will be penalized. B. Have your evidence prepared and marked. Keep it brief and always follow evidence with an inference that supports your point. When time is up, time is up! Attempts to run over the clock will be penalized. C. Don’t SHOWBOAT, heckle, criticize (your team or others’). Explain calmly and rationally why you believe opposing argument is flawed. Transition smoothly into counterarguments. “REALITY TV” moments WILL be penalized, even default the win to the opponent. Teams get ONE warning before