Download SOCRATIC SEMINARS - Granite Oaks Middle School

SOCRATIC SEMINARS
An Inquiry Strategy
Socratic Seminar Vision
 Socrates
believed that enabling students to
think for themselves was more important than
filling their heads with “right answers”.
 Participants seek deeper understanding on
complex ideas through rigorously thoughtful
dialogue than by memorizing bits of
information
What are Socratic Seminars?
 Highly
motivated form of intellectual and
scholarly discourse
 Usually range from 30-50 minutes
 An
effective Socratic Seminar creates dialogue as
opposed to debate
Four Elements
 An
effective Socratic Seminar consists of four
interdependent elements:
 The
text(s) being considered
 The questions raised
 The seminar leader, and
 The participants
The Text
 The
seminar text can be drawn from readings
in literature, history, science, math, health,
philosophy, current events, or from works of
art or music
 Texts are usually chosen for their richness in
ideas, issues, values, and their ability to
stimulate extended, thoughtful dialogue.
The Question
 An
opening questions has no right answer
 It leads participants back to the text as they
speculate, evaluate, define, and clarify the
issues involved
 Responses
to the opening question generate new
questions
 The line of inquiry evolves on the spot
The Leader





Plays a dual role as leader and participant
 Leads thought exploration of the ideas in the text
 Actively engages in the group in the group’s
exploration of the text
Helps participants clarify their positions when
arguments happen
Involves reluctant participants w/their more vocal peers
Must be patient enough to allow participants’
understandings to evolve
Must be willing to help participants explore
nontraditional insights and unexpected interpretation
The Participants
 Share
responsibility for the quality of the
seminar.
 Most effective when participants:
 Study
the text closely
 Listen actively
 Share ideas and questions in response to others
 Search for evidence in the text to support their
ideas
Benefits
 Time
to engage in in-depth discussions,
problem solving, and clarification of ideas
 Building a strong, collaborative work culture
 Enhanced knowledge and research base
 Increased success for all students
 Teaching respect for diverse ideas, people, and
practices
 Creating a positive learning environment for
all students
Conducting a 3-4 Person Team
 Strategy
to use when you have a LARGE class
(over 25 students)
 Divide the class into “Inner” and “Outer”
circles
Circle – active participants/speakers
 Outer Circle- students observe 2-3 active
participants for:
 Inner
 New
ideas, more questions (what about ?), and hand notes
to their speaker using the text to further the conversation
Tips for the Seminar
Before
Read
the seminar:
the text CAREFULLY (provocative
questions, short passages, identify tough
vocabulary)
Highlight key facts and details that support
key ideas/concepts raised in the text
Choose some questions in advance (broad,
open-ended, to engage conversation
Tips for Teachers
 During
the seminar:
 Begin
with an opening question that has NO right
answer
is meant by…”
 “what is your own interpretation of the reading?’
 “what
 Listen
HARD, follow each answer with another
question if necessary
 Keep students focused (clarification, paraphrase,
insist on standards of rigor, etc.)
 Allow for pauses
 Take notes
Tips for Teachers
After
the seminar:
Conduct
a debriefing
 Have
students write a reflection
 Debrief the topic
 Debrief the process
Assess
students
 Assign
a grade for performance
 Many prefer to assign a culminating written
assignment or essay
Happy Reading!