Socratic SeminarsSocratic Seminars

What is a Socratic What is a Socratic Seminar?Seminar?

A Socratic seminar is a A Socratic seminar is a way of teaching way of teaching founded by the Greek founded by the Greek philosopher Socrates. philosopher Socrates.

Socrates believed that:Socrates believed that:

students learn best by students learn best by asking questionsasking questions. .

It is the It is the teacher’s job to teacher’s job to moderate the moderate the discussion instead of discussion instead of leading the discussion.leading the discussion.

Why do we have Socratic Why do we have Socratic SeminarsSeminars

• Socratic Seminars Socratic Seminars help us help us engage a engage a text in class. text in class.

• The thought The thought process is when process is when we we work together to work together to understandunderstand a text a text it will it will help help everyone’s everyone’s understanding.understanding.

How do we prepare for a How do we prepare for a Socratic Seminar?Socratic Seminar?

• Prior Prior to the seminar to the seminar you will be given text you will be given text to read, mark, and to read, mark, and summarizesummarize. You will . You will also write questions to also write questions to ask during the ask during the discussion.discussion.

• It is essential It is essential you you read the text and read the text and prepare yourself prepare yourself with these with these questions and questions and quotations.quotations.

What type of questions What type of questions should I ask during the should I ask during the

seminar?seminar?• There are There are

threethree levels of levels of questions. questions.

• You should You should come up with come up with a a minimum minimum of of 1 question per 1 question per level.level.

Costa’s Level 1Costa’s Level 1(Knowledge Questions):(Knowledge Questions):

• KnowledgeKnowledge means being means being able able to show to show understanding by talking, understanding by talking, writing, signing, drawing.writing, signing, drawing.

Please Please use the following use the following stemsstems in creating your in creating your Knowledge Questions:Knowledge Questions:

• Can you state, Can you state, in your own words?

• Can you Can you describe?• Can you defend your your

position?position?• Can you summarize the the

information?information?

Costa’s Level IICosta’s Level II(Application Questions):(Application Questions):

ApplicationApplication means means supporting your ideas supporting your ideas with evidence.with evidence.

Please Please use the following use the following stemsstems in creating your in creating your Application Questions:Application Questions:

• Explain how …• Explain why …• InterpretInterpret the reasons

……• Compare and contrast

…• Connect and explain …

Costa’s Level IIICosta’s Level III(Synthesis Questions):(Synthesis Questions):

Synthesis means combining or connecting two different elements.

Please use the following stems in creating your Synthesis Questions:

Imagine …What would happen if …?Hypothesize …Theorize …Speculate…How is Text similar to Outside World?

What will the seminar What will the seminar look like?look like?

• The classroom will The classroom will be arranged in a be arranged in a two concentric two concentric circles.circles.

• You will be You will be assigned to assigned to either either the Inside or the Inside or Outside Circle. Outside Circle.

• You will have a You will have a partner.partner.

How does the discussion How does the discussion work in a seminar?work in a seminar?

• The seminar is to The seminar is to serve as a serve as a discussion, not a discussion, not a lecture.lecture. Just like in Just like in a casual a casual conversation, no conversation, no one begins the one begins the conversation, a conversation, a conversation conversation begins naturally. begins naturally.

Seminar GuidelinesSeminar Guidelines• Please Please listen and look at listen and look at

each othereach other when you when you speak.speak.

• One person speaks at a One person speaks at a timetime..

• Each person will have a Each person will have a chance to chance to ask a ask a question.question.

• Respond Respond to theto the person person who who asks the question.asks the question.

• Use Use evidence from the evidence from the texttext to support yourself. to support yourself.

• Always Always treat each other treat each other with mutual respect. with mutual respect.