SOCRATIC SEMINARS
Background
Socrates, a Classical Greek philosopher, was convinced that the surest way to attain reliable knowledge was through the practice of disciplined conversation. He called this method dialectic, meaning the art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer, so as to determine their validity.
The Socratic method of teaching is based on Socrates' theory that it is more important to enable students to think for themselves than to merely fill their heads with "right" answers. A Socratic Seminar is a method to try to understand information by creating a dialectic in class in regards to a specific text. In a Socratic Seminar, participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas in the text through rigorously thoughtful dialogue. This process encourages divergent thinking rather than convergent.
Students are given opportunities to "examine" a common piece of text, whether it is in the form of a novel, poem, non-fiction essay, art print, or piece of music. After "reading" the common text "like a love letter", several questions are posed -- primarily open-ended, world connection, universal theme, and literary analysis questions. Such questions allow students to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in text, and express ideas with clarity and confidence. After all, a certain degree of emotional safety is felt by participants when they understand that this format is based on dialogue and not discussion/debate.
Dialogue is exploratory and involves the suspension of biases and prejudices. Discussion/debate is a transfer of information designed to win an argument and bring closure. Americans are great at discussion/debate. We do not dialogue well. However, once teachers and students learn to dialogue, they find that the ability to ask meaningful questions that stimulate thoughtful interchanges of ideas is more important than "the answer."
Participants in a Socratic Seminar respond to one another with respect by carefully listening instead of interrupting. Students are encouraged to "paraphrase" essential elements of another's ideas before responding, either in support of or in disagreement. Members of the dialogue look each other in the "eyes" and use each person’s name. This simple act of socialization reinforces appropriate behaviors and promotes team building.
Dialogue and Debate-- What is the Difference?
Dialogue is characterized by:
Participant Preparations -- What do we all do before we come to a Socratic Seminar?
Before you come to a Socratic Seminar class, please read the assigned text and write at least three questions. Your questions should include no more than one from each of the categories (question types) described below and are not to include any closed-ended questions. Note that all of the examples which follow are based on The Great Gatsby.
Example: What items were on Myrtle’s “shopping list”?
Example: Why does Nick terminate his relationship with Jordan?
Example: In the 21st century, is it still necessary for people to create personas?
Example: How has the concept of the American Dream changed over time?
Example: Is Nick a reliable narrator?
Leader Preparations -- What special preparations (in addition to Participant Preparations) should we do before our Socratic Seminar?
Pre-seminar activity:
Before engaging in a Socratic Seminar, a leader should:
· Generate an extensive Think Page based on careful text analysis.
2. Why is this a good "war story"? (universal theme question)
3. Is the lead character a hero (or does he represent the anti-hero)? (literary analysis question)
Post-seminar activity:
Following the seminar, the leader will complete a typed handout for each student and the teacher which includes the following:
IMPORTANT -- If you will be the leader of a Socratic Seminar on a text which is unavailable to the class thus far, be certain to provide the article for each member of the class to read and work on at least three days prior to the seminar. You will need enough copies for the entire class and the teacher!!
The Seminar Itself:
o What does the book add to the wealth of information already available on the subject?
o Does the author expound any particular philosophy? How?
o What is the author’s purpose in writing the book?
Guidelines for Participants in a Socratic Seminar
1. Bring your prepared Think Page and annotated text. Text annotation and Think Page will be checked as class begins. The Think Page will be collected at the end of the period for your grade. Your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text, so come prepared.
2. It is certainly acceptable to "pass" when asked to contribute. (Just not all the time)
3. You cannot participate if you are not prepared with both an annotated text and a Think Page. Therefore, you will not be allowed to sit in the seminar circle without both of these and you will receive a zero for your participation grade and for your Think Page grade.
4. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification.
5. Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want to come back to.
6. Don't raise hands; take turns speaking.
7. Listen carefully.
8. Speak up so that all can hear you.
9. Talk to each other, not just to the leader or teacher.
10. Discuss ideas rather than each other's opinions.
11. You are ALL responsible for the seminar, so do your best.
12. Any off-task behavior during the seminar will earn you a "0".
Expectations of Participants in a Socratic Seminar
When I am evaluating your Socratic Seminar participation, I ask the following questions about participants. Did they….
o Speak loudly and clearly?
o Cite reasons and evidence for their statements?
o Use the text to find support?
o Listen to others respectfully?
o Stick with the subject?
o Talk to each other, not just to the leader?
o Paraphrase accurately?
o Ask for help to clear up confusion?
o Support each other?
o Avoid hostile exchanges?
o Question others in a civil manner?
o Seem prepared?
Socratic Seminar: Participant Rubric
A Level Participant
Participant offers enough solid analysis, without prompting, to move the conversation forward
Participant, through his or her comments, demonstrates a deep knowledge of the text and the question
Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with notes and a marked/annotated text
Participant, through his or her comments, shows that s/he is actively listening to other participants
S/he offers clarification and/or follow-up that extends the conversation
Participant’s remarks often refer to specific parts of the text
B Level Participant
Participant offers solid analysis without prompting
Through his or her comments, participant demonstrates a good knowledge of the text and the questions at hand
Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with a marked/annotated text
Participant shows that s/he is actively listening to others. S/he offers clarification and/or follow-up
C Level Participant
Participant offers some analysis, but needs prompting from the seminar leader
Through his or her comments, participant demonstrates a general knowledge of the text and question
Participant is less prepared, with no marked/annotated text
Participant is actively listening to others, but does not offer clarification and/or follow-up to others’ comments
Participant relies more upon his or her opinion, and less on the text to drive his or her comments
D or F Level Participant
Participant offers little commentary
Participant comes to the seminar ill-prepared with little understanding of the text
Participant does not listen to others, offers no commentary to further the discussion
Background
Socrates, a Classical Greek philosopher, was convinced that the surest way to attain reliable knowledge was through the practice of disciplined conversation. He called this method dialectic, meaning the art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer, so as to determine their validity.
The Socratic method of teaching is based on Socrates' theory that it is more important to enable students to think for themselves than to merely fill their heads with "right" answers. A Socratic Seminar is a method to try to understand information by creating a dialectic in class in regards to a specific text. In a Socratic Seminar, participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas in the text through rigorously thoughtful dialogue. This process encourages divergent thinking rather than convergent.
Students are given opportunities to "examine" a common piece of text, whether it is in the form of a novel, poem, non-fiction essay, art print, or piece of music. After "reading" the common text "like a love letter", several questions are posed -- primarily open-ended, world connection, universal theme, and literary analysis questions. Such questions allow students to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in text, and express ideas with clarity and confidence. After all, a certain degree of emotional safety is felt by participants when they understand that this format is based on dialogue and not discussion/debate.
Dialogue is exploratory and involves the suspension of biases and prejudices. Discussion/debate is a transfer of information designed to win an argument and bring closure. Americans are great at discussion/debate. We do not dialogue well. However, once teachers and students learn to dialogue, they find that the ability to ask meaningful questions that stimulate thoughtful interchanges of ideas is more important than "the answer."
Participants in a Socratic Seminar respond to one another with respect by carefully listening instead of interrupting. Students are encouraged to "paraphrase" essential elements of another's ideas before responding, either in support of or in disagreement. Members of the dialogue look each other in the "eyes" and use each person’s name. This simple act of socialization reinforces appropriate behaviors and promotes team building.
Dialogue and Debate-- What is the Difference?
- Dialogue is collaborative: multiple sides work toward shared understanding.
Debate is oppositional: two opposing sides try to prove each other wrong. - In dialogue, one listens to understand, to make meaning, and to find common ground.
In debate, one listens to find flaws, to spot differences, and to counter arguments. - Dialogue enlarges and possibly changes a participant's point of view.
Debate defends assumptions as truth. - Dialogue creates an open-minded attitude: an openness to being wrong and an openness to change.
Debate creates a close-minded attitude, a determination to be right. - In dialogue, one submits one's best thinking, expecting that other people's reflections will help improve it rather than threaten it.
In debate, one submits one's best thinking and defends it against challenge to show that it is right. - Dialogue calls for temporarily suspending one's beliefs.
Debate calls for investing wholeheartedly in one's beliefs. - In dialogue, one searches for strengths in all positions.
In debate, one searches for weaknesses in the other position. - Dialogue respects all the other participants and seeks not to alienate or offend.
Debate rebuts contrary positions and may belittle or deprecate other participants. - Dialogue assumes that many people have pieces of answers and that cooperation can lead to a greater understanding.
Debate assumes a single right answer that somebody already has. - Dialogue remains open-ended.
Debate demands a conclusion.
Dialogue is characterized by:
- suspending judgment
- examining our own work without defensiveness
- exposing our reasoning and looking for limits to it
- communicating our underlying assumptions
- exploring viewpoints more broadly and deeply
- being open to disconfirming data
- approaching someone who sees a problem differently not as an adversary, but as a colleague in common pursuit of better solution
Participant Preparations -- What do we all do before we come to a Socratic Seminar?
- Read and annotate the "text" thoroughly.
- Familiarize yourselves with unique vocabulary (and vocabulary unique to the genre).
- Re-read the "text" independently, considering preparatory questions that may have been raised.
- Brainstorm themes relevant to the text.
- Brainstorm character traits of key figures in the text.
- Create a Think Page to include a minimum of three questions form the types below—not to include close-ended questions.
Before you come to a Socratic Seminar class, please read the assigned text and write at least three questions. Your questions should include no more than one from each of the categories (question types) described below and are not to include any closed-ended questions. Note that all of the examples which follow are based on The Great Gatsby.
- CLOSE-ENDED QUESTION:
Example: What items were on Myrtle’s “shopping list”?
- OPEN-ENDED QUESTION:
Example: Why does Nick terminate his relationship with Jordan?
- WORLD CONNECTION QUESTION:
Example: In the 21st century, is it still necessary for people to create personas?
- UNIVERSAL THEME/ CORE QUESTION:
Example: How has the concept of the American Dream changed over time?
- LITERARY ANALYSIS QUESTION:
Example: Is Nick a reliable narrator?
Leader Preparations -- What special preparations (in addition to Participant Preparations) should we do before our Socratic Seminar?
Pre-seminar activity:
Before engaging in a Socratic Seminar, a leader should:
· Generate an extensive Think Page based on careful text analysis.
- Generate several additional questions which allows participants to take a position. This opportunity to "take a stand" serves the purpose of quickly "reeling in" other students by asking them to focus on a question which is ironically more convergent than divergent. Sample questions (for All Quiet on the Western Front, for example) could include the following:
2. Why is this a good "war story"? (universal theme question)
3. Is the lead character a hero (or does he represent the anti-hero)? (literary analysis question)
Post-seminar activity:
Following the seminar, the leader will complete a typed handout for each student and the teacher which includes the following:
- A Think Page which represents an accurate analysis and final conclusions of the work discussed.
- A list of all major issues presented/discussed with both sides of the issue/s given and with all seminar conclusions listed. This should be given to each student in the class and to the teacher within three school days after the seminar. This is an important part of the leader's grade.
IMPORTANT -- If you will be the leader of a Socratic Seminar on a text which is unavailable to the class thus far, be certain to provide the article for each member of the class to read and work on at least three days prior to the seminar. You will need enough copies for the entire class and the teacher!!
The Seminar Itself:
- The leader will first want to introduce himself or herself (if several members are conducting the seminar, all members should be introduced).
- Begin the seminar by having all students take out their annotated work and Think Page.
- Then pose an open ended question (a question raised as part of the pre-seminar activity is usually a good idea).
- Be certain to give participants desiring to speak a chance to do so.
- Introduce specific examples from your text and article to discuss with the group.
- Keep the discussion moving and lively.
- Ask participants to share what they learned and/or observed.
- Allow participants to discuss feelings regarding the process.
- Brainstorm themes relevant to the "text."
- Present a brief book talk, which should include (for works of fiction):
o the title of the book
o the author and his/her background
o a description of the setting(s) and its(their) importance to the book
o a brief plot summary -- indicate major conflicts, but not the ending
o an explanation of the significance of the title
o a discussion of the themes stated or implied
o an explanation of symbols and motifs used by the author
o an analysis of stylistic elements
o What does the book add to the wealth of information already available on the subject?
o Does the author expound any particular philosophy? How?
o What is the author’s purpose in writing the book?
Guidelines for Participants in a Socratic Seminar
1. Bring your prepared Think Page and annotated text. Text annotation and Think Page will be checked as class begins. The Think Page will be collected at the end of the period for your grade. Your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text, so come prepared.
2. It is certainly acceptable to "pass" when asked to contribute. (Just not all the time)
3. You cannot participate if you are not prepared with both an annotated text and a Think Page. Therefore, you will not be allowed to sit in the seminar circle without both of these and you will receive a zero for your participation grade and for your Think Page grade.
4. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification.
5. Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want to come back to.
6. Don't raise hands; take turns speaking.
7. Listen carefully.
8. Speak up so that all can hear you.
9. Talk to each other, not just to the leader or teacher.
10. Discuss ideas rather than each other's opinions.
11. You are ALL responsible for the seminar, so do your best.
12. Any off-task behavior during the seminar will earn you a "0".
Expectations of Participants in a Socratic Seminar
When I am evaluating your Socratic Seminar participation, I ask the following questions about participants. Did they….
o Speak loudly and clearly?
o Cite reasons and evidence for their statements?
o Use the text to find support?
o Listen to others respectfully?
o Stick with the subject?
o Talk to each other, not just to the leader?
o Paraphrase accurately?
o Ask for help to clear up confusion?
o Support each other?
o Avoid hostile exchanges?
o Question others in a civil manner?
o Seem prepared?
Socratic Seminar: Participant Rubric
A Level Participant
Participant offers enough solid analysis, without prompting, to move the conversation forward
Participant, through his or her comments, demonstrates a deep knowledge of the text and the question
Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with notes and a marked/annotated text
Participant, through his or her comments, shows that s/he is actively listening to other participants
S/he offers clarification and/or follow-up that extends the conversation
Participant’s remarks often refer to specific parts of the text
B Level Participant
Participant offers solid analysis without prompting
Through his or her comments, participant demonstrates a good knowledge of the text and the questions at hand
Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with a marked/annotated text
Participant shows that s/he is actively listening to others. S/he offers clarification and/or follow-up
C Level Participant
Participant offers some analysis, but needs prompting from the seminar leader
Through his or her comments, participant demonstrates a general knowledge of the text and question
Participant is less prepared, with no marked/annotated text
Participant is actively listening to others, but does not offer clarification and/or follow-up to others’ comments
Participant relies more upon his or her opinion, and less on the text to drive his or her comments
D or F Level Participant
Participant offers little commentary
Participant comes to the seminar ill-prepared with little understanding of the text
Participant does not listen to others, offers no commentary to further the discussion