1. Expectations for a successful discussion
Socratic Seminars
Expectations for a successful discussion

2. What is the Socratic Seminar?

3. Goals : W.A.I.T. (Why am I talking?)
Listen to what others say.
Be prepared to ENGAGE in the conversation.
Build on others’ ideas.
Speak and work with others, whether you are close to them or not.
Ask about what you don’t understand.
Admit when you are wrong.
Think about questions for which the answers are uncertain.
Learn from others. Teach others. Teach yourself.

4. Answer Responses Stems
1. I would like to add that ____________.
2. To add to that __________________.
3. I think or believe that ______________.
4. It seems to me that ______________.
5. What do you mean by ______________?
6. Will you explain that again?
7. What do you think about ___________?
8. I discovered from _____________ that _______________.
9. I don’t agree with you because ________________.
10. I have a different answer than you. I found that __________________.
11. The author seems to ________________ in _________________.
12. Why do you suppose __________________?
13. Based on _______________, I infer that _____________.
14. So you’re saying that _________________________.
15. What I’m hearing you say is ______________________.
16. What I was trying to say was _______________.

6. 3 ways to get a grade (must do two out of the three)
1. Ask a thoughtful question.
2. Respond to a question and elaborate.
3. Add an insightful comment.

7. Visual Speaking Points
Once you are an active participant in the discussion, take a ticket and place it in your cup. This ticket represents an insightful comment you have made. It could also represent an open-ended question you asked that lead to thoughtful discussion.

8. Rules 1. Speak without raising hands.
2. Speak so that all can hear you.
3. Talk to each other and make eye contact.
4. Listen closely.
5. Refer to the text.
6. Ask for clarification, don’t remain confused.
7. Invite and allow others to speak.
8. Consider all viewpoints and ideas.
9. Stick to the point that is being discussed, and make notes about other ideas you would like to bring up later.
10. Know that you are responsible for the quality of the seminar.

9. A Socratic Seminar Does Not…
1. Argue or debate.
2. Monopolize the conversation.
3. Answer only to the facilitator.
4. Ignore the commentary of others.
5. Jump from question to question.
6. Have a right or wrong conclusion.

10. To be a facilitator! A student facilitator is… 1. a leader
2. a model for good listening and speaking
3. a record keeper
4. someone who knows the content well enough to lead the discussion
5. someone who is confident enough to invite others to speak

11. Logistics Continued 1. Pair up!
Beware: you’ll want to pick someone who will contribute to the seminar.
2. Create questions that promote thoughtful discussion and insight.
3. Inner circle will be directly involved in the discussion while the outer circle will be responsible for note taking.
Pass your response to your partner when needed.
4. Outer circle will move to the inner circle when prompted by the teacher.

12. Questioning Style
Closed Question (basic recall) Your questions should not result in a “yes” or “no” answer. For example: Did you like George? Who is the protagonist of this novel? Open-ended Questions (higher level questioning) Your questions should inspire any number of responses and give the responder an opportunity to elaborate on their answer. Why is George seen as the protagonist of this novel? If you were in George’s position, would your actions have been the same?

13. Bloom’s Levels of Questioning
1. Pair up, and flip through your books and select questions for the Socratic Seminar.
Compose 5 questions, and write them on the appropriate piece of butcher paper.
You have 15 minutes to complete this task.

14. Sample Interaction
Speaker 1: Do you think that the story demonstrates what it was like for various ethnic groups or classes to coexist? Why or why not? What moral positions could be drawn out from the text?
Speaker 2: I think the story definitely makes the reader think about how certain populations were treated. It truly helps internalize the idea of man vs society and which lives matter. Do all lives matter? Is it okay to treat people that are different than we are like they should be segregated from everyone else? If so, what’s the purpose? After reading the story, I’m more likely to take into consideration how people might feel if they are disabled, or a person of a different race other than our own.
Speaker 3: I disagree with you. I believe everyone has the right to choose who they associate with. No one should be forced to live or speak to anyone they don’t want to. I believe it is our right to feel comfortable and some might not choose to mingle with certain classes or races. George wanted to take care of Lennie, but that was his choice, whereas, they shouldn’t have to be around Crooks if don’t want to.