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Socratic Seminars
"The unexamined life is not worth living."
-Socrates
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. Therefore, he regularly engaged his pupils
in dialogues by responding to their questions with questions, instead of
answers. 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, art print, or piece of music.
After "reading" the common text "like a love letter",
open-ended questions are posed.
Open-ended 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 other names. This simple act of
socialization reinforces appropriate behaviors and promotes team building.
Pre-Seminar
Question-Writing:
Before you come to a Socratic
Seminar class, please read the assigned text (novel section, poem, essay,
article, etc.) and write at least one question in each of the following
categories:
WORLD CONNECTION QUESTION:
Write a question connecting the text to the real world.
Example: If
you were given only 24 hours to pack your most precious
belongings in a back pack and to get ready to leave your home town,
what
might you pack? (After reading the first 30 pages of NIGHT).
CLOSE-ENDED QUESTION:
Write a question about the text that will help everyone in the
class come to an agreement about events or characters in the text. This
question usually has a "correct" answer.
Example: What
happened to Hester Pyrnne's husband that she was
left alone in Boston without family? (after the first 4 chapters of THE
SCARLET LETTER).
OPEN-ENDED QUESTION:
Write an insightful question
about the text that will require proof
and group discussion and "construction of logic" to discover or
explore the
answer to the question.
Example: Why
did Gene hesitate to reveal the truth about the
accident to Finny that first day in the infirmary? (after mid-point of A
SEPARATE PEACE).
UNIVERSAL THEME/ CORE
QUESTION:
Write a question dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will
encourage group discussion about the universality of the text.
Example: After
reading John Gardner's GRENDEL, can you pick out its existential elements?
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: In
MAMA FLORA'S FAMILY, why is it important that the
story is told through flashback?
Socratic Seminar Student Guidelines
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