1. Socratic Seminars Empowering Students with the 21st Century Skills of Thinking Critically and Creatively
Original Powerpoint by Kathy Apps, Ed.D.
Adapted by Laurie Kohls CLAS Teacher
Santa Ana Unified School District

3. Common Core Implementation
“Common Core is an exciting opportunity to revolutionize our instructional practices in order to empower teachers and students to succeed in a rapidly changing world that requires independence and creativity. Common Core gives a clear understanding for what students are expected to know for the real world and will prepare our students to be college and career ready.”
SAUSD Common Core Task Force

4. What are Socratic Seminars?
A Socratic seminar is an “exploratory
intellectual conversation centered on
a text.” Leslie Lambright, 1995
Open-ended questions are asked by the participants who listen closely, comment on what others have to say, think critically for themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses to the thoughts of others. They learn to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly.
Israel, Elfie. “Examining Multiple Perspectives in Literature.” In Inquiry and the Literary Text: Constructing Discussions in the English Classroom. James Holden and John S. Schmit, eds. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2002.
Prepare your students for the 21st century with this critical thinking and inquiry based collaborative approach.

5. The Man Behind the Questions
Greek philosopher ( B.C.)
Turned Greek attention toward questions of ethics and virtue
His questioning technique laid the foundation for today’s science
Spent much time in the Athens marketplace holding conversations with townspeople
Exposed ignorance and conceit
Had many followers but was disliked by the governing Athenians
At 70, convicted of atheism, treason, and corruption of the young
Jury sentenced him to death
Had the opportunity to escape from prison but chose not to because he valued law so much
Fulfilled his sentence of death by drinking hemlock instead of living in banishment and shame.
Pass out “Autobiography” on Socrates and discuss its use as a possible first piece of text for Socratic Seminars

6. Aligning with Common Core State Standards
Socratic Circles are an excellent means of developing ACADEMIC SKILLS through INQUIRY
Critical thinking
Students see that critical thought is a skill practiced by all members of the classroom .
Students see that like writing a rough draft, thinking is a work in progress.
Creativity
Students are more creative when they are engaged in a group, listening to the thinking of others, bouncing ideas off one another, sparking imagination.
Critical Reading
Students gain a deeper understanding of literature and a heightened interest in reading and writing when they know they will have to engage and share with peers.
Speaking
Students develop a stronger voice due to the collaborative nature of S.C.s. Students learn that all contributions (even tangential and erroneous ones) help the group develop understanding of the text being discussed. Students are held accountable to their peers and not to the teacher.
Listening
Students learn quickly to improve their learning skills because their peers monitor and report on their listening during the feedback session. S.C.s teach students to be patient and respectful in listening to multiple perspectives.

7. Benefits continued…
Socratic circles are an excellent means of developing SOCIAL/COLLABORATIVE SKILLS: 3
Team-building
In the structured format students learn to voice their opinions in a positive, respectful, and cooperative manner.
Conflict resolution
The dynamics of the conversation teaches participants to listen and accept multiple points of view, how to deal with people, and how to handle times when not everyone agrees.
Community building
Socratic circles build classroom community because it breaks down stereotypes and cliques of students when they are all trying to reach a common goal.

8. How do Socratic Seminars support Common Core State Standards?
Literacy Anchor Standards Listening/Speaking Anchor Standards
Provide Standards as Handouts—Have participants answer question

9. GETTING STARTED
Pass out and discuss handouts

10. Process Overview Select a text that is grade-level appropriate.
Read the text aloud in class.
Students then read the text silently, analyze, and take notes
Text should be connected to present curriculum
Annotate with circle unfamilar words, underline important details and take notes in margins

11. Process Overview
After completing the reading and preparing the text, students practice writing higher-level questions for the Socratic Seminar
Questions Should:
Be Open-ended
Raise issues presented in text
Refer to the text
Focus on specific sections of text for examination
Expand/relate ideas generated during discussion
Handouts on Questioning
Suggest mini lessons on questioning whole group

12. Examples of Higher-Level Questions
In paragraph ____, what do you think the author meant when he wrote. . ?
What might be another title for this poem? Why?
What depth and complexity tools can you apply to this selection?
Why do you feel that way? Can you provide evidence?
How does this selection apply to your life?
Participants should move away from factual closed ended questions that don’t lead into deeper understanding.

13. Students can switch groups halfway through if time allows
Process Overview
Students are randomly divided into inner and outer circles.
The inner circle participates in the conversation.
The outer circle observes the collaborative effort.
Students can switch groups halfway through if time allows
If time permits, switch roles

14. Process Overview
Reflection can take place in the form of feedback, evaluation and goal setting
A few on many possible forms

15. Socratic Seminar
Video
21 minutes

16. The Rules/Norms:
Be courteous. No put-downs or sarcasm.
Allow each speaker enough time to begin and finish his/her thoughts.
Involve others in the discussion and ask others to elaborate on their responses.
Use your best active listening skills through eye contact, nodding and providing feedback.

17. The Facilitator Should…
Before:
Know the text well before you begin
Prepare questions to stimulate the dialogue (if needed)
Randomly select the students for the inner and outer circles
Organize the physical climate
During:
Review norms
Start the dialogue with a probing question
Keep the dialogue focused and intellectually responsible; encourage participants to use the text to support their responses
Periodically summarize what has or has not been dealt with
Draw as many students as possible into the dialogue
Practice staying out of the dialogue
After:
Allow time for reflection and/or seminar debriefing of the inner and outer circle findings
Assess performance using observations, feedback and evaluation forms
Critical Thinking: Basic Theory & Instructional Structures (1999)

18. Participants Should… Before Read the text for understanding.
Annotate text. Mark crucial text and make notes in margins.
Look for author’s views, note agreement or raise questions.
Think about what you have read and how you understand it.
Prepare higher-level questions; avoid factual questions.
Make connections between text, your life, and the lives of others.
During
Be prepared to participate.
Ask good questions and ask for clarification when confused.
Take turns speaking; don’t raise hands.
Listen carefully and actively to your fellow participants.
Speak clearly so that all can hear you.
Address your fellow participants, not just the leader.
Discuss the ideas of the text, not each other’s opinions.
Give evidence and examples from the text to support your responses.
Help fellow participants clarify questions and responses.
Keep your mind open to new ideas and possibilities.
-- If you are in the outer circle, focus on behavior of participants and the
collaborative process.
After
Be reflective about the process of the seminar.
Accept that the process may end without closure and with unanswered questions.
Source: Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)

19. “Socratic circles turn partial classroom control, classroom direction, and classroom governance over to students by creating a truly equitable learning community, for the weight and value of student voices and teacher voices are indistinguishable.”
Started in the 1920s.
Matt Copeland, Socratic Circles, 2005.

20. Works Cited
Foundation for Critical Thinking. Critical Thinking: Basic Theory & Instructional Structures
Greece Central School District. “Socratic Seminars.”
Copeland, M., Socratic Circles: Fostering Critical and Crative Thinking in Middle Schools, Steinhouse, 2005.