Socratic Seminar - We have a lot of books to read.



Socratic Seminar

Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

There are four parts to a Socratic Seminar: the text, the questions, the leader, & the participants.

Part I: The Text Our Text: The Odyssey of Homer

Part II: The Questions  A Socratic Seminar opens with a question either posed by the leader or solicited from participants.  An opening question has no right answer. A good opening question leads participants back to the text as they speculate, evaluate, define, and clarify.  Response to the opening question generates new questions, leading to new responses.  In this way, a Socratic Seminar evolves on the spot rather than being predetermined by the leader.

What types of questions?

o Open-Ended Question: Write an insightful question about the text that will require proof

and group discussion to discover or explore the answer to the question.

Example: If you were forced to take control of your household, what might you do to ensure the safety of your family?  How does Telemachus do the same?

o Universal Theme Question: Write a question dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will encourage group discussion about the universality of the text.

Example: What does Odysseus’ love for the homeland tell readers about life? How does Homer make this relevant for all readers, even readers from today’s generation?

o Literary Analysis Question: Write a question dealing with HOW an author

chose to compose a literary piece.  How did the author manipulate point of view, characterization, poetic form, archetypal hero patterns, for example?

Example: Why does Homer use epithets with characters’ names?

Part III: The Leader  The Seminar leader consciously demonstrates habits of mind that lead to a thoughtful exploration of the ideas in the text by keeping the discussion focused on the text, asking follow-up questions, helping participants clarify their positions, and involving reluctant participants. You can volunteer to be the leader, or I can select one of you.

Part IV: The Participants  In a Socratic Seminar, participants carry the burden of responsibility for the quality of the seminar.  Participants: All of you! You will be responsible to continue the dialectic for a full 15 minutes minimum.

As a participant, you must prepare and participate in the seminar.

Preparation: Before coming to class, you must read the assigned Book from The Odyssey. You are exempt from typing notes on the book for which you are participating in the Socratic Seminar. You are exempt because I expect you to spend the same amount of time devising questions for the seminar.

Seminar: I will start each Seminar with a lead question. Once the initial question has been explored, the floor is open for your questions. Your Socratic Seminar will last at least 15 minutes.

Other Responsibilities

1. Refer to the text when needed during the discussion.  A seminar is not a test of memory.  You are not "learning a subject"; your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text.

2. Do not participate if you are not prepared.  You will receive the same zero for both ill preparedness and poor contributions. Do not try to fool me; I’ll know if you are bluffing.

3. If you are confused, don’t stay that way; ask for clarification.

4. Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want to bring up when the original discussion is over (i.e., don’t go on a tangent if you can help it!)

5. Listen carefully and respectfully. Talk to each other.

6. Speak up so that everyone can hear you.

7. Discuss, question, and debate the ideas rather than each other's opinions (or each other).

8. Ask open-ended questions that resist obvious, simple, or "yes-no" answers. 

9. Wait for replies (do not rephrase or ask another question; open-ended questions require time to think).

10. You are responsible for the seminar, even if you don't know it or admit it.

As a leader, you are responsible to move the Seminar along by choosing one of these two paths:

|Explore the Reply |OR |Move On |

|Ask the last speaker to clarify or explain an idea |  |Suggest moving on |

|Ask another student to respond or build upon the | |Ask a different question on new content |

|idea | |Consolidate ideas |

|Ask for support or evidence from the text | |Summarize discussion |

|Deepen the discussion by using the stem-question | |Reintroduce an idea posed by a student earlier in the seminar |

|handout | | |

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Socratic Seminar:  Participant Rubric

|A Level Participant |Participant offers enough solid analysis, without prompting, to move the conversation forward; |

| |Participant, through his/her comments, demonstrates a deep knowledge of the text and the question; |

| |Participant comes to the seminar prepared, with notes and a marked text; |

| |Participant, through comments, shows that he/she is actively listening; |

| |Participant offers clarification and/or follow-up that extends the conversation; |

| |Participant’s remarks often refer back to specific parts of the text.   |

|  |Participant offers solid analysis without prompting; |

|B Level Participant |Through comments, participant demonstrates a good knowledge of the text and the question; |

| |Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with notes and a marked text; |

| |Participant shows that he/she is actively listening to others and offers clarification and/or follow-up. |

|  |Participant offers some analysis, but needs prompting from the seminar leader; |

|C Level Participant |Through comments, participant demonstrates a general knowledge of the text and question; |

| |Participant is less prepared, with few notes and no marked text; |

| |Participant is actively listening to others, but does not offer clarification and/or follow-up to others’ comments; |

| |Participant relies more upon opinion, and less on the text, to drive his/her comments. |

|D Level Participant |Participant offers little commentary; |

| |Participant comes to the seminar ill-prepared with little understanding of the text and question; |

| |Participant does not listen to others, and offers no commentary to further the discussion;   |

| |Participant distracts the group by interrupting other speakers or by offering off topic questions and comments. |

|F Level Participant |Participant ignores the assignment, discussion, and participants. |

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