Socratic Seminars

The Power of Questions

What is Socratic Seminar

• A teaching strategy to encourage students to engage in critical thinking, listening, communicating, and wonder

• A forum in which students determine the flow of classroom discussion and teachers serve as facilitators

• An atmosphere of intellectual engagement, cooperation, and conversation where students learn the difference between DIALOGUE and DEBATE

• The goal is not to answer questions, but to generate more questions

The Teachers Role

• Facilitator, not director• The teacher gives no response, negative or

positive, to the students’ discussion • The teacher can pose more questions to

“move” discussion from stalemate positions

The Students’ Responsibilities

• Being prepared for the seminar• Directing the flow of the discussion within the

seminar• Determining the meaning of the seminar• Utilizing critical thinking, listening, and

communicating skills• Respecting and honoring the opinions and

voices of all other participants.

Guidelines

• Participate actively: Speak, listen and draw others into the discussion

• Come prepared with questions and possible answers

• Refrain from interrupting• Support others’ ideas with evidence• Cooperate in a friendly discussion

During dialogue, participants may…

• Ask for clarification if a person’s comment confuses them.

• Add to a comment made by another person.• Respectfully voice an opposing viewpoint.

No one may…

• Criticize anyone’s opinions, comments, or beliefs.

• Interrupt when someone is speaking.• Respond in a manner that is in any way

contemptuous or derogatory.

Critical Reading

• The first step to a discussion is critically reading the given text

• Three steps to critical reading – Pre– During– Post

Questioning

• There are three types of questioning that make up a Socratic seminar – Level one– Level two– Level three

One-System

Knowledge

A correct answer

Requires evidence and reasoning within a system

• Established procedure or method for finding an answer

• Settled by facts, definition or both • “yes” or “no”• EXAMPLE:– Would you agree that…

No-System

Cannot be assessed

A subjective opinion

Calls for stating a subjective preference

• Questions with as many answers as there are different human preferences

• Typically include “why” in the question • EXAMPLES:– What is love? Are there different types of love?– Do you think Romeo and Juliet were really in love?

Why or why not?– Why do you think….

Conflicting Systems

Judgment

Better and worse answers

Requires evidence and reasoning within conflicting systems

• Requires reasoning, but with more than one arguable answer

• Well supported with evidence from source• Question typically has sections from the text

in them. • EXAMPLES– How are love and conflict related?– According to ______, they claim “_____________”

Types of Questions

One-System

Requires evidence and reasoning

within a system

A correct answer

Knowledge

No-System

Calls for stating a subjective preference

A subjective opinion

Cannot be assessed

Conflicting Systems

Requires evidence and reasoning

within conflicting systems

Better and worse answers

Judgment

Your Task • In class read Chapter VIII of The Prince…– Step 1: Critically read the entire chapter• I should see highlighting, underlining, notes, etc… • Before you move onto the next step, you must show me

your notes from critically reading… I will check them off and you can start on step 2.

– Step 2: Generate three questions that could be used in a class discussion• The questions should be one from each category

– One system (what)– No system (why)– Conflicting system (how)

• Before you leave class you must show me your questions

Your Homework

• Read chapter XVII of The Prince – Critically read the entire chapter– Write three questions that will be used in

discussion tomorrow – I will check off your questions in class tomorrow –

will count for participation grade

– All readings, power points, and notes will be on the class website for reference.