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:
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."