Socratic Seminar

1. Socratic Seminar The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance. Socrates

2. STEM Resources You may want to use some of these STEM Resources to enhance the impact of this Socratic Seminar. • Assessment Collection • Curriculum Integration • Teacher Resources/Questioning WebLinks • Socratic Seminar Self-Assessment Delete slide after reviewing

3. Socratic Seminar -Overview • As its name implies, this teaching technique dates back to Socrates. Its essential characteristic is discussion that is driven by questions. The discussion is usually focused on a piece of text, although “text” can be defined broadly to include a painting, graph, data set, math problem, as well as essays, poems, and short stories. • The purpose of the seminar is to develop a deeper understanding of the text through sharing • of perspectives, questions, and interpretations. Through the seminar students learn to: • • Listen actively • • Converse directly other students, without the need for mediation by the teacher • • Clarify, amplify, and recognize implications in the text • • Build upon what others say • • Question the text and fellow participants • The teacher’s principal responsibilities are to select the discussion topic, facilitate the seminar by posing questions, clarifying ideas, and ensuring equitable participation. Eventually, students develop good seminar skills and the teacher may choose to leave the seminar and assume the role of observer. This step requires that the students be well prepared to generate probing questions of the text. Delete slide after reviewing

4. Socratic Seminar: Implementation Tips Before the Seminar…Select a Focus All seminar participants examine a particular text, image, object, song, etc.. This is usually completed as homework the night before. If the text is brief, it can be studied in class immediately before the seminar. If students have not learned how to “mark-up” a text, instruction needs to be provided. Marking up the text consists of identifying its key passages. Delete slide after reviewing

5. Socratic Seminar: Implementation Tips • During the Seminar…Define the Task • Divide the class in half. One half forms an “inner” circle and participates in the discussion . • Each member of the outer circle maintains silence and is given a specific task to perform. • • Tasks can focus on either process skills for effective seminars (e.g. building on what others say, asking questions of each other, making direct references to the text, etc.) or the content of the seminar (e.g. identifying main themes, insights, etc.). • • In the first few seminars, a class typically focuses on group process skills. After students become skilled seminar participants, attention can shift to the content of the discussion. • 3. The leader (early seminars should be led by the teacher) begins the seminar with an opening question. • • It is sometimes worthwhile to begin with a “whip”: a relatively simple question to which each participant responds briefly. • • A good opening question is: “What is the most important sentence in this piece? Please read it as we go around the circle.” This initiates the seminar by having enables in the circle contribute their ideas. • 4. From this point on, the seminar is driven by questions from both the leader and participants. • 5. At the end of the seminar, members of the outer circle report their findings. • 6. If time permits, participants switch circles and another seminar on the same or similar text is conducted. Delete slide after reviewing

6. Socratic Seminar: Implementation Tips After the Seminar…Conduct the Formative Assessment One of the most important goals of a seminar is to expand understanding of the text. An excellent post-seminar task is a writing assignment in which the students are asked to demonstrate new knowledge gained from the seminar. An effective strategy, if planned into the seminar is to complete a pre-seminar writing. This passage can be used later as a prompt for the post-seminar writing. The final step is to use feedback from the outer circle to set goals for the next seminar. Delete slide after reviewing

7. Implementation Tips: Possible Outer Circle Questions/Tasks What were the other participants doing while someone was talking? Take notes. How many times did each person speak? Keep a written tally. How many times did males and females speak? Keep a written tally. Did the seminar touch on many different ideas or did it remain focused on one or two? Note the ideas discussed. How many times were direct references made to the text? Note examples. How many times did a participant ask a question of another participant? Make note of a few of these questions. How many times did a participant respond to or build on the comment of another seminar participant? Make note of examples. Was there any evidence that a participant changed his or her opinion or position as a result of what was discussed in the seminar? Make note of instances. What did the seminar leader do during the seminar? Take notes. Did anyone ask another participant to clarify or explain something that someone said? Note examples. Observe the seminar participant across from you. Make note of what he/she is doing during the seminar? Delete slide after reviewing

8. Socratic SeminarEnter Title Here Enter your name, school, subject area, email address and other background information here. Describe the intended student audience, course, and general topic associated with this Socratic Seminar.

9. Socratic Seminar: Focus Identify the learning goals/expectations targeted in this Socratic Seminar. Please enter the piece of text, diagram, hyperlink, lyric, image etc. that will be the focus of this Seminar. Some desirable characteristics for the focus of a Seminar include: challenging, interesting complex, somewhat ambiguous, based on a big idea…

10. Socratic Seminar: Guiding Questions Socratic Seminars tend to employ questions that promote analysis of ideas, synthesis and application of new information, and evaluation of people’s thinking. What is the big question that you will use to kick off this Socratic Seminar? Prepare an additional 6-10 follow-up questions that you are apt to use during this Seminar.

11. Implementation/Materials/Assessment IMPLEMENTATION TIPS Give specific ideas to help another teacher successfully make use of this Seminar. MATERIALS List all of the materials needed to complete this Socratic Seminar. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Include the formative assessment being used to evaluate student performance during this Socratic Seminar. Refer to the Assessment Collection in the STEM Resource for ideas.

12. Resources & Credits SOCRATIC SEMINAR RESOURCES Curriki Socratic Seminars Socratic Seminars: Journey to Excellence Socratic Seminars International Socratic Seminar Grading Rubric Socratic Seminar Overview Socratic Seminar Study Guide The Paideia Philosophy Contributed by Lawrence Wakeford. CREDITS Enter the names and URLs of the websites and curriculum resources that you used to develop this Socratic Seminar.

13. Socratic Seminar: Student Ground Rules Socrates had no syllabus. He wanted Athenians to think for themselves. No wonder the local authorities were disturbed.… Inevitably, they decided that Socrates was subversive.” Gray • All members of the inner circle are expected to participate in the discussion. • Anyone who doesn’t wish to answer a question should so indicate by saying, “I’d like to pass.” • Try to direct your comments and questions to each other and not to the Seminar leader. • Please maintain rules of “civil discourse” It’s OK to disagree with a person’s ideas, but never to criticize the person offering them. • Members of the outer circle must maintain silent until the seminar is concluded.