1. Inquiry-Based Cooperative Learning Socratic Circles, Questioning Strategies, & Whole-Class Engagement By Molly M. Carman

2. Here’s the Plan: Experience a Socratic Circle Why & how to use the strategy How (or whether) to assign a grade for Socratic Circles How to help your students ask better questions

3. What is a Socratic Circle? Structured discussion Student-led– teacher is not part of discussion Half the class talks, while the other half evaluates Students give each other feedback, and set goals for future discussions

4. 1. Prepare Take 3 minutes to read and annotate the text. Underline key passages Note interesting word choice or literary devices Write down at least one discussion question You can assign the preparation as homework, of course, so that your students have plenty of time to read and re-read the text, and you can devote all of your class time to the actual discussion.

5. 2. Inner Circle Discuss text together Ask questions, and follow-up questions! Ask for multiple interpretations or points of view Remember that we’re not trying to find “the answer”; we’re trying to build meaning Stay focused on text– use textual evidence to support claims Include EVERYONE in discussion Dig deep!

6. 3. Outer Circle Evaluate the inner circle Take notes on evaluation sheet– be specific! Take notes on text—write down the inner circle’s good ideas, as well as ideas that occur to you as they talk. DO NOT SPEAK. You may be sorely tempted, but hold your fire.

7. 4. Feedback The outer circle tells the inner circle what they did well, and what they need to improve on. The inner circle listens to feedback, and DOES NOT REPLY Now, trade places!

8. 5. Reflect Use the back of your handout to write a short reflection on the discussion. You may answer some of these questions in your reflection: What do you understand now, that you did not understand before? What questions do you still have about the text? What questions do you feel were not sufficiently addressed? Anything you wish you had said? What should we do differently next time? BE SPECIFIC!

9. Why I Love Socratic Circles Students read the text more carefully when they know they will have to talk about it. Taking the teacher out of the picture makes for a more genuine discussion– students are more likely to explore various ideas, instead of trying to get you to tell them ‘the answers.’ Students’ writing is more thorough and thoughtful after a discussion. Students hold each other accountable and praise each other for their ideas. One noisy, confident student does not speak for the entire class– multiple points of view are considered. Students learn to value questions over answers, and become more thoughtful, reflective readers.

10. Making Socratic Circles Part of Your Curriculum Don’t make it a one-time thing! Students get better with practice. Discuss a text that the students will write essays about OR discuss a text that is thematically or structurally similar to what they will write about. Poems, songs, pieces of art, nonfiction articles, movies are all good candidates. In my experience, a SC over a whole book, or even over a whole chapter, is less focused. Students have trouble “digging deep” and using textual evidence in these discussions. Personally, I like to choose texts that I’m not super attached to. It helps me be more open to (and impressed by!) the students’ ideas.

11. To Grade, or Not to Grade? Assigning points can be good incentive for your students to come prepared, participate fully, and reflect carefully. You can assign points for each element: preparation, participation, feedback, & reflection. …but it can also result in a crappy, superficial discussion in which students only do the minimum of what is required.

12. Scaffolding For Better Questions Teaching “leveled” questions helps students differentiate between good discussion questions, and the stuff they should have looked up on their own. Level 1– trivia. These questions have answers, and the answers are in the text. Level 2– interpretation. These questions may have on or more answers. The answers are in the text, but you have to “read between the lines.” Level 3– connection. These questions have infinite answers that cannot be found in the text, but should be supported by the text. A list of question stems may be useful for students who have trouble generating questions on their own.

13. For More Information: Socratic Circles: Fostering critical and creative thinking in middle and high school by Matt Copeland (2005)

14. Molly M. Carman mollymcarman@yahoo.com www.mscarmansclass.com