Socratic SeminarsEmpowering Students with the 21st Century Skills of Thinking Critically and Creatively

Original Powerpoint by Kathy Apps, Ed.D.Adapted by Laurie Kohls CLAS Teacher Santa Ana Unified School District

What are Socratic Seminars?

A Socratic seminar is an “exploratory intellectual conversation centered on a text.” Leslie Lambright, 1995

Open-ended questions are asked by the participants who listen closely, comment on what others have to say, think critically for themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses to the thoughts of others. They learn to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly. Israel, Elfie. “Examining Multiple Perspectives in Literature.” In Inquiry and the Literary Text: Constructing Discussions in the English Classroom. James Holden and John S. Schmit, eds. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2002.

The Man Behind the Questions• Greek philosopher (470-399 B.C.)• Turned Greek attention toward

questions of ethics and virtue• His questioning technique laid the

foundation for today’s science• Spent much time in the Athens

marketplace holding conversations with townspeople

• Exposed ignorance and conceit• Had many followers but was disliked

by the governing Athenians• At 70, convicted of atheism, treason,

and corruption of the young• Jury sentenced him to death• Had the opportunity to escape from

prison but chose not to because he valued law so much

• Fulfilled his sentence of death by drinking hemlock instead of living in banishment and shame.

Aligning with Common Core State StandardsSocratic Circles are an excellent means of developing ACADEMIC SKILLS through INQUIRY

•Critical thinking– Students see that critical thought is a skill practiced by all members of the

classroom .– Students see that like writing a rough draft, thinking is a work in progress.

•Creativity– Students are more creative when they are engaged in a group, listening to

the thinking of others, bouncing ideas off one another, sparking imagination.

•Critical Reading– Students gain a deeper understanding of literature and a heightened interest

in reading and writing when they know they will have to engage and share with peers.

•Speaking– Students develop a stronger voice due to the collaborative nature of S.C.s.

Students learn that all contributions (even tangential and erroneous ones) help the group develop understanding of the text being discussed. Students are held accountable to their peers and not to the teacher.

•Listening– Students learn quickly to improve their learning skills because their peers

monitor and report on their listening during the feedback session. S.C.s teach students to be patient and respectful in listening to multiple perspectives.

Benefits continued…Socratic circles are an excellent means of developing SOCIAL/COLLABORATIVE SKILLS:3

•Team-building– In the structured format students learn to voice

their opinions in a positive, respectful, and cooperative manner.

•Conflict resolution– The dynamics of the conversation teaches

participants to listen and accept multiple points of view, how to deal with people, and how to handle times when not everyone agrees.

•Community building– Socratic circles build classroom community

because it breaks down stereotypes and cliques of students when they are all trying to reach a common goal.

GETTING STARTED

Process Overview• Select a text that is grade-level appropriate.

• Read the text aloud in class.

• Students then read the text silently, analyze, and take notes

Process Overview• After completing the reading and preparing

the text, students practice writing higher-level questions for the Socratic Seminar

Questions Should:• Be Open-ended• Raise issues presented in text• Refer to the text• Focus on specific sections of text for

examination• Expand/relate ideas generated during

discussion

Examples of Higher-Level Questions

– In paragraph ____, what do you think the author meant when he wrote. . ?

– What might be another title for this poem? Why?– What depth and complexity tools can you apply

to this selection?– Why do you feel that way? Can you provide

evidence?– How does this selection apply to your life?

Participants should move away from factual closed ended questions that don’t lead into deeper understanding.

Process Overview• Students are randomly divided into inner

and outer circles.• The inner circle participates in the

conversation.• The outer circle observes the

collaborative effort. Students can switch groups

halfway through if time allows

Process Overview

• Reflection can take place in the form of feedback, evaluation and goal setting

Socratic Seminar

Video21 minutes

The Rules/Norms:

• Be courteous. No put-downs or sarcasm.

• Allow each speaker enough time to begin and finish his/her thoughts.

• Involve others in the discussion and ask others to elaborate on their responses.

• Use your best active listening skills through eye contact, nodding and providing feedback.

The Facilitator Should…Before:

• Know the text well before you begin• Prepare questions to stimulate the dialogue (if needed)• Randomly select the students for the inner and outer circles• Organize the physical climate

During:• Review norms• Start the dialogue with a probing question• Keep the dialogue focused and intellectually responsible;

encourage participants to use the text to support their responses

• Periodically summarize what has or has not been dealt with• Draw as many students as possible into the dialogue• Practice staying out of the dialogue

After:• Allow time for reflection and/or seminar debriefing of the inner

and outer circle findings• Assess performance using observations, feedback and evaluation

forms

Critical Thinking: Basic Theory & Instructional Structures (1999)

“Socratic circles turn partial classroom control, classroom direction, and classroom governance over to students by creating a truly equitable learning community, for the weight and value of student voices and teacher voices are indistinguishable.”

Matt Copeland, Socratic Circles, 2005.

Works Cited

Foundation for Critical Thinking. Critical Thinking: Basic Theory & Instructional Structures. 1999.

Greece Central School District. “Socratic Seminars.” www.greece.k12.ny.us.

Copeland, M., Socratic Circles: Fostering Critical and Crative Thinking in Middle Schools, Steinhouse, 2005.