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DIALOGUE AND DEBATE1
1Adapted from San Diego Socratic Seminars – Dennis Gray, Consultant
Dialogue is collaborative: multiplesides work toward sharedunderstanding.
Debate is oppositional: twoopposing sides try to prove eachother wrong.
In dialogue, one listens tounderstand, to make meaning, andto find common ground.
In debate, one listens to find flaws,to spot differences, and to counterarguments.
Dialogue enlarges and possiblychanges a participant’s point ofview.
Debate affirms a participant’spoint of view.
Dialogue creates an open-mindedattitude: openness to being wrongand an openness to change.
Debate defends assumptions astruth.
In dialogue, one submits one’sbest thinking, expecting that otherpeoples’ reflections will helpimprove it rather than threaten it.
Debate creates a closed-mindedattitude, a determination to beright.
Dialogue calls for temporarilysuspending one’s beliefs.
In debate, one submits one’s bestthinking and defends it againstchallenge to show that it is right.
In dialogue, one searches forstrengths in all positions.
Debate calls for investingwholeheartedly in one’s beliefs.
Dialogue respects all the otherparticipants and seeks not toalienate or offend.
In debate one searches forweaknesses in the other position.
Dialogue assumes that manypeople have pieces of answers andthat cooperation can lead toworkable solutions.
Debate rebuts contrary positionsand may belittle or deprecatedother participants.
Dialogue remains open-ended. Debate assumes a single rightanswer that someone already has.Debate demands a conclusion.
Socratic SeminarLesson Plan
1. Provide article to read.
2. Writing prompt - brainstorm and focus on articles:a. What was the article about? Explain.b. Describe how this article affects how you think regarding education.c. Is there any truth to the article? Explain.
3. Opening Questionsa. Do you agree or disagree with the article and why?
b. What parts of the article were most important to you? Explain.c. Do you see any similarities in the article and your own experiences?
4. Identifying Central Pointsa. Specific questions related to article
5. Examining student logica. Do you agree or disagree?
b. How is this different from your own experiences?c. How could or can we change?
6. Closing commentsa. What are the consequences or implications if these ideas are not pursued?b. Why is this important?c. Does it change your mind? How?d. If appropriate: Ask a member of the outer circle to give an oral
summation. This requires astute listening and notetaking.
7. Follow-up Questionsa. Clarification - "Why do you say that?
b. "What do you mean when you say ---------?"c. "Can your position be supported from the text?"d. "Do you agree with or what do you think about his/her last statement?"e. "How do you relate what you have said to the reading?"
f. "Interesting point, but with regard to today's reading, how would you explain….?"
g. If student does not answer: Wait 3 - 5 seconds. Rephrase or clarify question.
8. Quiet Studentsa. Watch faces carefully. When you see ideas forming on the student's face
say, "Was there something you would like to add?"
b. Use the "round robin" technique but allow students to "pass."
Philosophical Chairs (example procedures)
• Students will address each other by their first names.• A student must briefly summarize the previous speaker's points to
that speaker's satisfaction before he/she begins his/her owncomments.
• Think before you speak. Organize your thoughts and signpost. ( "Ihave three points; first")
• After a student speaks, he/she must wait until two students onhis/her side have spoken.
• One speaker at a time; others are listeners.• The teacher can call time-out periodically to clarify, reflect on the
process or content, or refocus.• Address the ideas, NOT the person.• One student from each team will provide a summary of the
viewpoints presented during the discussion by his/her team..• A student in the neutral zone must take notes on both sides of the
argument, and if his/her position changes, he/she must explain whyhe/she came to a new conclusion..
PHILOSOPHICAL CHAIRSREPORT
Name Date
Statement:
My original position: PRO CON
How many times I changed position:
My ending position: PRO CON
How open-minded I was as I listened to other people talk:
Mostly open-minded___________
Halfway open-minded__________
Not very open-minded__________
My explanation and comments:
Philosophical Chairs:A Technique to Elicit Prior Knowledge and BeliefsGeoffrey ScheurmanDepartment of Teacher EducationUniversity of Wisconsin — River Falls
Scheurman, G. (1996, November). Philosophical chairs: A technique to elicit priorknowledge and beliefs. NEP/15: Newsletter for Educational Psychologists, 20, 12-13.
Philosophical Chairs:A technique to elicit prior knowledge and beliefs
A key principle emanating from contemporary learning theory is that people learnfrom new experiences by constructing personal meaning on the basis of priorknowledge and beliefs (Anderson et al., 1996). One implication of this principle isthat for effective learning to occur, students must become explicitly aware of theirown conceptions (and misconceptions) about a particular topic, domain, or, insome cases, their conceptions about the nature of knowledge itself (Scheurman,1995). A second implication is that student "errors" should be illuminated ratherthan avoided and "contradictions" explored rather than ignored (Fosnot, 1996). Intheory, learning is facilitated when students apply effort to resolve the cognitivedisequilibrium brought about by confrontation with alternative perspectives, errorsin thinking, or contradictions to what they had previously learned. There arevarious ways to elicit students' prior knowledge and beliefs at the beginning of alesson or unit. For example, Carr & Ogle (1987) describe a strategy to improvereading comprehension called K-W-L Plus in which students first relate what they"Know" about a subject, followed by what they "Want to know," and eventually byidentifying what they "Learned" relative to what they knew and desired to know.Others have described the virtues of open meetings (Lundeberg et al., in press) andinquiry games (e.g. Joyce & Weil, 1992) as ways to expose students to their ownand their peers' ideas, concerns and questions about a subject. Another technique isbased on a discussion format called Philosophical Chairs. Originally described byZachary Seech (1984)1, I have modified the technique to serve as an introductoryactivity for several units in undergraduate and graduate educational psychologycourses.
To begin a unit on motivation, for example, I meet students at the door as theyenter class and hand them a newspaper article describing a program in a nearby
school district. Under this program, school officials reward students by givingprizes such as restaurant certificates for attendance, punctuality, or for joiningschool organizations, and lottery chances to win a car for earning good grades (seeexcerpt in Figure 1). This article will almost always elicit a mixed response froman average group of preservice (or inservice) teachers. Inevitably, some peopleagree with the intentions and merits of the program with little reservation, whileothers vehemently disagree with the program for myriad reasons. Still othersreserve judgment until or unless they hear something to persuade them one way orthe other.
The Philosophical Chairs technique begins by informing students that they willhave a chance to argue the merits of the program, and that their position will bedenoted by their choice of seat during an ensuing discussion. As Figure 2illustrates, to sit at one extreme of a horseshoe seating arrangement indicates one'stotal support, while sitting at the other extreme signals one's total disagreement.One can temper the degree of their position by shifting away from the extreme atany time and occupying a different seat. The "undecided / questions" side of theroom is reserved for students who have not yet formed an opinion, or who wish topose a question to people seated on either side.
I usually hand pick a student moderator whose job is to insure everyone gets achance to speak. I prep this moderator to allow students to address a statementmade by a particular person but also to be careful that the "pros," "cons," and
"questions" are equally represented and that the discussion is not dominated by afew loquacious students. The technique earned its name because students are ableto move about the room during the discussion, similar to a game of musical chairs.For example, when students hear a novel statement, or an argument they arewilling to entertain as a viable reason to support or reject the program, they maysymbolize their willingness to adopt a different point of view — even iftemporarily — by moving in the direction of that view and assuming a newlocation on the continuum. To insure that such movement takes place, students aretold that to receive "credit" for the activity, they must vocalize an argument from atleast two different sides of the continuum. With younger audiences (e.g. highschool), I sometimes participated in the debate myself, to serve as a role model forargumentation and to demonstrate a willingness to suspend belief while seekingevidence upon which to form a reasoned judgment. With college students,however, I am usually able to fade into the background and allow the discussion toflow naturally around the room (intervening only if need be to remind them thatthey must "move" to get credit).
As with most techniques, Philosophical Chairs can be adapted to fit different needsand situations. Here are a few tips and ideas to consider when using the technique:
You may wish to script much of the discussion, including names of speakers, sinceit is typical for many beliefs, conceptions, and questions to enter the discussion thatwill be relevant to other activities in the unit; by remembering who said what, youcan personalize future discussions and target certain students to address specificissues.
If one of your objectives is to teach discrete critical thinking skills, you can audiotape or video tape the discussion and later have students help analyze parts of thedialogue for evidence of specific reasoning strategies (e.g. argument by analogy) orfor particular reasoning fallacies (e.g. hasty generalization).
If your class has too many students to engage them all meaningfully, you can havea subsection "take the stage" and conduct the discussion while the rest of the classlistens, takes notes, and later decides the "pivotal point(s)" which ultimatelypersuaded them to adopt one perspective over another.
You may wish to couch the entire unit around the "central idea" raised during thePhilosophical Chairs discussion; for example, I taught a graduate class in which thefinal assignment during a motivation unit was to construct an argumentative essay
in response to this proposition: teachers should eliminate the use of extrinsicrewards.
I find the Philosophical Chairs technique to be an engaging, arousing way to begina unit of study. Students seem to enjoy the sometimes playful, sometimes seriousexchange of ideas that occurs during the discussion. Because it has a strongaffective element and because the success of the discussion is based on the sharingof personal opinions (I often use "should" statements as prompts), those who arenormally reticent to enter class discussions will typically share something duringthe activity. Although this participation is, in some cases, only for the purpose ofearning "credit," such behavior is itself a phenomenon worth discussing during aunit on motivation. Of course, there are limitations to the activity. Simply shootingideas into a discussion does not insure that students will move from mere opinionto reasoned judgment about an issue (Paul, 1990). In addition, I have witnessedstudents who become more dogmatic and polarized in their view of an issue, ratherthan less, as a result of the discussion. These are concerns that need to be addressedthroughout the rest of the unit. In spite of these limitations, Philosophical Chairsallows me to target key conceptions (or misconceptions, depending on what oneconsiders to be a "disciplinarily correct" view of the issue — see Prawatt &Floden, 1994) which I can use to assess the dispositions of my students and whichI can target during future lessons. The key is for the teacher to identify a topic thatcreates a context within which a unit of study can be grounded and to frame aprompt statement in such a way that it guarantees a natural split among students. InFigure 2, I have listed two additional examples of prompts that have met thiscriteria when I have used them.
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References
Anderson, L. M., Blumenfeld, P. & Pintrich, P. R., Clark, Marx, R. W., &Peterson, P. (1995). Educational Psychology for teachers: Reforming our courses,rethinking our roles. Educational Psychologist, 30, 143-157.
Carr, E. & Ogle, D. (1987). K-W-L Plus: A strategy for comprehension andsummarization. Journal of Reading, 30, 628-631.
Fosnot, C. T. (ed.) (1996). Constructivism: Theory, perspectives, and practice.New York: Teachers' College Press.
Joyce, B., & Weil, M. (1992). Models of Teaching. Needham Heights MA: Allynand Bacon.
Lundeberg, M. A., Emmett, J., Russo, T., Monsour, F. (in press). Listening to eachother's voices: Collaborative research about open meetings in classrooms.Teaching and teacher education.
Paul, R. (1990). Critical thinking: What every person needs to survive in a rapidlychanging world. Sonoma State University: Center for Critical Thinking and MoralCritique.
Prawatt, R. S. & Floden, R. (1992). The value of ideas: Problems versuspossibilities in learning. Educational Psychologist, 29, 37-48.
Scheurman, G. (1995, April). Constructivism, personal epistemology, and teachereducation: Toward a social-developmental model of adult reasoning. Paperpresented at the annual meeting of the American Educational ResearchAssociation, San Francisco.
Seech, Z. (1984, January). Philosophical chairs: A format for classroom discussion.Teaching Philosophy, 37-41.
Figure 2. Sample prompt statements for Philosophical Chairs.
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1 I have received permission from the author to use the name "PhilosophicalChairs," to adapt the strategy to my own situation, and to publish discussionsconcerning its use. (Return to Essay)
© 2000-2001 by Allyn & BaconA division of Pearson Education
1
Small Group Socratic Seminar Procedure
1. Review rules with group
2. Read selection
3. Write 5 questions
4. Select your best question
5. Select a timekeeper and recorder
6. Each person asks their question and group discusses (with
questions) for 5 minutes each (timekeeper keeps group limited to 5
minutes per question)
7. Recorder notes key points of discussion and group summarizes key
points
8. Debrief key points from each group in whole group
9. Each person develops a new question which arose as a result of the
discussion and share out a good question from each group (what
level was the question)
10. Each participant writes a brief reflection
2
SOCRATIC SEMINAR RULES
Discuss, do not debate
Be courteous, NO PUTDOWNS
Goal is the pursuit of deeperunderstanding
Respect different thoughts andideas
3
Socratic Seminar Notes
Questions: Notes and Key Points:
Summary:
Topic:
Name:Class:
Period/Block:Date:
4
Questions: Notes and Key Points:
Summary:
New Question:
Reflection:
Adapted by I Larson SCOE 11/2001 1
AVID SOCRATIC SEMINAR“Inner-Outer Circle”
1. Provide students with reading selection.
2. After reading, all students write for five minutes on the same writing prompt given by the teacher. (Describe how this
selection affects how you think about the subject….)
3. Students split into an inner circle and an outer circle. (Inner/Outer circle can be configured using various methods: 1)
number class by 1’s and 2’s – then decide which number will be Inner/Outer 2) Extroverts/Introverts 3) Voluntary 4)
Partner groups decide who is in/out – for example “find your red ring partner and decide who is in/out” or “find your
quadrant 1 partner” or “find your 5 O’clock partner”, etc. 5) Arrange to have Outer group people be Inner group the
next day, or the next time there is a seminar, or halfway through the seminar – to assure all have both opportunities 6)
Avoid more than 15 in the inner circle – ideal is to split class in half)
Inner Circle – students willing to discuss what they have read. Members do not have to speak or respond, but
are encouraged to participate when they can. It is OK to have periods of silence while people are thinking about
what was said. No one in the outer circle may speak unless they are in the “Hot Seat.”
Outer Circle – students in the outer circle focus on one individual in the inner circle by observing and keeping
data on the tally sheet. Students record the number of statements, number of questions, number of summaries,
number of times talking over another person, not letting someone finish their thought, interruptions, invitations
to speak, interesting behaviors. Provide students with a copy of the Socratic Seminar Observation Tally sheet.
Students need to write their names on the sheet and the name of the person they are observing.
Hot Seat – an empty chair in the inner circle. A member form the outer circle may take the “Hot Seat” one time
to make a statement or comment then move back into the Outer Circle. No one may be allowed to wait behind
the “Hot Seat” to speak.
4. Possible opening questions for Inner Circle of Socratic Seminar:
Where in the selection did you agree or disagree with the author’s point of view?
What could be another title for this selection?
Is there any truth in this selection?
What other evidence could you add to the author’s?
As a result of reading this selection, how has your opinion on the topic changed?
5. Outer Circle Final Statement – go around the outer circle at the end of the seminar and give students the opportunity to
make a statement or comment on…
Their observations and thoughts about the themes that were brought out in the discussion.
Any question they might have about the Socratic process.
A student may choose to pass on speaking.
6. Collect the tally sheets from the Outer Circle - (consider having students from Outer Circle share their observations
with the person they observed prior to turning in forms)
Adapted by I Larson SCOE 11/2001 2
Observation Form
Inner-Outer Discussion Circle
Your Name Partner
DIRECTIONS: Each time your partner does one of the following put a check in the box.
SPEAKS IN THE DISCUSSION:
LOOKS AT PERSON WHO IS SPEAKING:
REFERS TO THE TEXT:
ASKS A QUESTION:
REPONDS TO ANOTHER SPEAKER:
INTERRUPTS ANOTHER SPEAKER:
ENGAGES IN SIDE CONVERSATION:
AFTER DISCUSSION: What is the most interesting thing your partner said?
AFTER DISCUSSION: What would you like to have said in the discussion?
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Socratic Seminar Tips
Your Goal is to Understand … the ideas, issues, concepts, and values reflected in the text.
Protocol: Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. This is not a test of memory. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification of both ideas and definitions. Discuss ideas, rather than each other's opinions. It's o.k. to pass when your turn comes; participate at another time instead. Do not participate if you are not prepared. Stick to the point currently under discussion; write down inspirational ideas so you can
bring them up at a more appropriate time in the conversation. Listen carefully, especially when you are waiting to speak, as they may be moving on to
another point. Speak up so that all participants can hear you; don't speak while others are. Remember that this is a conversation between students, not between student and teacher.
Basic steps to forming opinions:
1. What is it that I think I know? Or that the author thinks he/she knows? Can I restate his/herideas in my own words? What needs clarification? Definition?
2. Is it true? Why do I think so? What else do I need to know or understand before deciding?
3. What inferences can be drawn from this? What are the implications of this? So what? Howdoes this change things?
4. What are the underlying assumptions with this claim?
5. What are the reasons I believe this? How do I know what I think I know? Is the evidencecredible?
6. How does this happen in other situations? In the world? How does this connect to otherstuff?
7. Can I think of a counter example? When this doesn't happen? Why doesn't it happen? Arethere internal contradictions?
Lb99
SCOE Capital Region AVID Center
I Larson 20025
Tips for Evaluating Seminar QuestionsThe questions a Socratic Seminar leader asks are the most crucial part of a seminar. A leadermay devote as much time to developing and refining the questions as he or she spends readingthe text. Because the main objective of a seminar is to better understand issues, values and ideasin a selected text, the leader's questions must elicit appropriate topics to discuss. The followinglist may be helpful in evaluating potential seminar questions.
1. Avoid questions that can be answered yes/no unless you have planned follow-upquestions.
2. When you offer a limited choice of responses, have a plan if all participants have thesame response.
3. Avoid questions that can be answered without reading the text.
4. If your question refers to a specific quotation from the text, please give the page and linenumber.
5. Your question should be broad enough to be discussed at least thirty minutes. (Thisincludes your questioning the responses.)
6. Are you asking for facts? If so, plan how you will get to ideas, issues and values for youcannot discuss facts.
7. Do not reflect your interpretation of the text; keep your questions neutral.
8. Word your questions to elicit more than a one-word response.
9. Avoid a predictable pattern of questioning or generic questions.
10. Does the text provide enough information to discuss this question?
11. Do not ask questions about topics, materials, texts and events, etc. not common to allparticipants.
12. Avoid questions asking for "war stories" or personal experiences that my not add to thediscussion of ideas, issues, or values.
13. Will your question elicit the most important ideas, values and issues in the text todiscuss?
Adapted from <http://www.geocities.com/~doc_hayes/socratic.html>
Seminar Questioning Cheat Sheet
Clarification Questions: What do you mean by _______? What is your main point? How does ______ relate to _____? Could you put that another way? What do you think is the main issue here? Let me see if I understand you; do you mean ______ or ______? Jane, would you summarize in your own words what Juan has said?…Juan, is that what you meant? Could you give me an example? Would this be an example:___________? Could you explain that further? Could you expand upon that?
Questions About the Initial Question or Issue: How can we find out? What does this question assume? Would ______ put the question differently? How could someone settle this question? Can we break this question down at all? Is the question clear? Do we understand it? Is this question easy or hard to answer? Why? Does this question ask us to evaluate something? Do we all agree that this is the question? To answer this question, what question would we have to answer first? I'm not sure I understand how you are interpreting the main question at issue. Is this the same issue as _______? How would _____ put this issue? Why is this question important? Does this question lead to other questions or issues?
Assumption Probes: What are you assuming? What is Erika assuming? What could we assume instead? You seem to be assuming ______. Do I understand you correctly? All of your reasoning depends on the idea that _______. Why have you based your reasoning on
________ rather than _______? You seem to be assuming ______. How would you justify taking this for granted? Why would someone make this assumption?
Reason and Evidence Probes: What would be an example? How do you know? Why do you think that is true? Do you have any evidence for that? What difference does that make? What are your reasons for saying that? What other information do we need?
Adapted from <http://www.geocities.com/~doc_hayes/socratic.html>
Reason and Evidence Probes (continued): Could you explain your reasons to us? Are these reasons adequate? Can you explain how you logically got from _____ to ______? Do you see any difficulties with their reasoning here? Why did you say that? What led you to that belief? How does that apply to this case? What would change your mind? But is that good evidence to believe that? Is there a reason to doubt that evidence? Who is in a position to know if that is so? What would you say to someone who said ______ ? Can someone else give evidence to support that response? By what reasoning did you come to that conclusion? How could we find out whether that is true?
Origin or Source Questions: Where did you get this idea? Do your friends or family feel the same way? Has the media influenced you? Have you always felt this way? What caused you to feel this way? Did you originate this idea or get it from someone else?
Implication and Consequence Probes: What are you implying by that? When you say ______, are you implying ______ ? But if that happened, what else would happen as a result? Why? What effect would that have? Would that necessarily happen or only probably happen? What is the probability of this result? What is an alternative? If this and this are the case, then what else must also be true? If we say that this is unethical, how about that?
Viewpoint Questions: You seem to be approaching this issue from ______ perspective. Why have you chosen this rather
than that perspective? How would other groups/types of people respond? Why? What would influence them? How could you answer the objection that ______ would make? What might someone who believed ________ think? Can/did anyone see this another way? What would someone who disagrees say? What is an alternative? How are Hillary and Gombu's ideas alike? Different?
SOCRATIC SEMINARGUIDED READING
Read through the entire selection without stopping to think about any particular section. Pay attention toyour first impression as to what the reading is about. Look for the main points and then go back and re-read it. Briefly answer the following:
This selection is about :
Key words or phrases are :
With what do you agree :
With what do you disagree :
Why is this subject important :
List 5 questions that you could use for a Socratic Seminar :
Suggestions for Marking a Reading:1. Underline major points or forceful statements.2. Put vertical lines at the margins to emphasize a statement already underlined or a passage too long to be
underlined.3. Put an (*) to emphasize major points.4. Put numbers in margin to indicate sequence of points.5. Put numbers of other pages where point is also mentioned.6. Circle key words or phrases.7. Write in the margin questions that come to mind.
12
Socratic Reflective WritingDirections:
1. What is one thing you liked that you said?
2. What is one point someone else said that you agree with?3. As a Socratic leader, what area of the process will you work on for
next time?4. What new questions arose as a result of the discussion and debrief?
SCOE Capital Region AVID Center
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Collaborative Multiple Group Socratic Seminar Procedure
1) Individually read selection2) Individually underline/highlight words or phrases that need clarification or represent key
ideas
3) Individually write 5 questions4) Individually select best question5) Review rules, key roles/responsibilities and procedures with whole class (announce
timeframe)6) Divide class into 2 (or more) groups (ex: find a partner, the one with shorter hair is in group
1 and longer hair in group 2, or taller, longer arm, lives closest to school, etc…..groups of nomore than 15 participants allow everyone to actively participate in discussion)
7) Each group selects key role-players:*FACILITATOR (Group Leader) – organizes group, keeps the noise level low,encourages and ensures everyone the opportunity to participate; brings the group back tofocus after “bird walks”; keeps group on track by encouraging participants to open thediscussion with question/comments, develop discussion and facilitates finalreflection/closure;*TIMEKEEPER (needs a time piece!) – politely keeps the facilitator and group aware ofthe time ensuring time for final reflection and closure*RECORDER (needs notepaper, pen, and clipboard/book/desk to write on) – takes noteson the participants’ comments, thoughts and discussion; periodically reviews thecomments and key points with the group; records final group reflection/summary*REPORTER (works with recorder) – reports group thoughts/opinions to small and largegroup
8) TEACHER (paper/pen/clipboard for recording) – circulate between groups noting thoughtsand behaviors exhibited by the participants; refrain from making comments and intervening
during the Socratic seminar discussions – promote individual responsibility for participation9) Direct Facilitators to start Socratic Seminars10) Following discussions, have Reporters report out key points from each group in whole group11) Each participant writes a brief reflection which may include a new questions which arose as a
result of the discussion and debrief
SEMINAR RULES:1) Follow facilitator’s directions2) Discuss, not debate3) Be courteous, NO PUTDOWNS4) Goal is the pursuit of deeper understanding
5) Respect different thoughts and ideas
2
SEMINAR RULES:
• Follow facilitator’s directions
• Discuss, not debate
• Be courteous, NO PUTDOWNS
• Goal is the pursuit of deeperunderstanding
• Respect different thoughts and ideas
SCOE Capital Region AVID Center
I Larson 20023
Group Key Role-Players
*FACILITATOR (Group Leader) – organizes group,
keeps the noise level low, encourages and ensureseveryone the opportunity to participate; brings thegroup back to focus after “bird walks”; keeps groupon track by encouraging participants to open thediscussion with question/comments, developdiscussion and facilitates final reflection/closure;
*TIMEKEEPER (needs a time piece!) – politelykeeps the facilitator and group aware of the timeensuring time for final reflection and closure
*RECORDER (needs notepaper, pen, andclipboard/book/desk to write on) – takes notes on the
participants’ comments, thoughts and discussion;periodically reviews the comments and key pointswith the group; records final groupreflection/summary
*REPORTER (works with recorder) – reports group
thoughts/opinions to small and large group
4
Seminar Leader Behaviors
• To ask questions about what we see, hear, and read
• To be courteous to one another
• To pause and think before we answer
• To give our opinions and tell them clearly
• To make judgements and explain them
• To tell how we solved a problem or arrived at an answer
• To find examples to back up what we say
• To give reasons from the text to explain our answers
• To listen to others tell their ideas
• To be critical of others' opinions
• To ask for help if we do not understand
• To offer help to our classmates if they do not understand
• To use one more idea at a time
• To keep our minds open to opinions different from our own
• To make predictions; project what might happen
• To search for relationships
• To be willing to change our opinions with the additions of more
information or for compelling reasons
Tips for Evaluating Seminar Questions
The questions a Socratic Seminar leader asks are the most crucial part of a seminar. A leader may devoteas much time to developing and refining the questions as he or she spends reading the text. Because themain objective of a seminar is to better understand issues, values and ideas in a selected text, the leader's
questions must elicit appropriate topics to discuss. The following list may be helpful in evaluatingpotential seminar questions.
1. Avoid questions that can be answered yes/no unless you have planned follow-up questions.
2. When you offer a limited choice of responses, have a plan if all participants have the sameresponse.
3. Avoid questions that can be answered without reading the text.
4. If your question refers to a specific quotation from the text, please give the page and line number.
5. Your question should be broad enough to be discussed at least thirty minutes. (This includes yourquestioning the responses.)
6. Are you asking for facts? If so, plan how you will get to ideas, issues and values for you cannotdiscuss facts.
7. Do not reflect your interpretation of the text; keep your questions neutral.
8. Word your questions to elicit more than a one-word response.
9. Avoid a predictable pattern of questioning or generic questions.
10. Does the text provide enough information to discuss this question?
11. Do not ask questions about topics, materials, texts and events, etc. not common to allparticipants.
12. Avoid questions asking for "war stories" or personal experiences that my not add to thediscussion of ideas, issues, or values.
13. Will your question elicit the most important ideas, values and issues in the text to discuss?
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Suggestions for Grading Seminars
Method One• Prepare a list of all participants
• Give a check each time a student speaks√++ for quoting text√+ for an especially insightful contribution√ for good information not backed up with facts or page citation√- for comment of little value or is a repeat of another student's comment√= for unfocused comment
• You may use this charting method to determine a total grade or you may count is as 50%of the grade. The other 50% comes from a writing assigned to evaluate whether thestudent has an understanding of the material.
• Grading student responses:10 points √++ 8 points √+ 6 points √ 4 points √- 1 point √=
Method Two• Facilitator prepares list of all main points he or she hopes will be covered during the
seminar.
• Charting of participation is done.• Using the idea list, check off points as they are raised.• Add any important points the class presents that aren't on your list.• Grade the effectiveness of the overall seminar based on success of your list, their
additional points and percentage of the class who participated.• Assign the seminar a grade.• Determine what is the highest score the overall seminar should receive. Now go back
to the chart of student responses. Assign a grade based on the quality and quantity ofindividual responses.
• Include writing as a part of the grade as desired.
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Grading of Outer Circle Participants• Give these students a task to do, such as answering questions or detailed notetaking.• Have them listen carefully and then write a composition on one idea from the seminar.• To provide closing for the seminar, ask one outer circle member to give an oral
summation. This requires astute listening and notetaking.
Grading of Quiet Students• Watch faces carefully. When you see ideas forming on the quiet student's face,
perhaps you could say something like: "Tricia, did I see your hand raised,? " -"Was there something you wanted to add?"
• Use the "round-robin" technique but allow students to "pass."• Always allow students to submit written comments to enhance oral scores.
Handling Seminar Absences• Seminars are not just "discussions." Grades are given. If student is absent, he
receives a zero unless an alternative assignment is completed.
Observations• Since the seminar reflects actual participation and preparation for class,
these scores should count significantly in the overall average.• Seminar grades do not inflate averages. Usually, these scores are equal to
test averages or slightly below.• For some students with particular learning problems, the seminar offers
the student a "voice" that may be unattainable in other learning situations.• Devise a grading method that is comfortable for you to use and that is fair
to all students regardless of ability levels.
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Name_____________________Class_____________________Per_______ Date___________
Topic:___________________________________
the lesson of the mothdon marquis*
i was talking to a moththe other eveninghe was trying to break intoan electric light bulband fry himself on the wires
why do you fellowspull this stunt i asked himbecause it is the conventionalthing for moths or whyif that had been an uncoveredcandle instead of an electriclight bulb you wouldnow be a small unsightly cinderhave you no sense
plenty of it he answeredbut at times we get tiredof using itwe get bored with the routineand crave beautyand excitementfire is beautifuland we know that if we gettoo close it will kill usbut what does that matterit is better to be happyfor a momentand be burned up with the beautythan to live a long timeand be bored all the whileso we wad all our life upinto one little rollthat is what life is forit is better to be part of beautyfor one instant and then cease toexist than exist foreverand never be a part of beautyour attitude toward lifeis come easy go easy
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we are like human beingsused to be before they becametoo civilized to enjoy themselvesand before i could argue himout of his philosophyhe went and immolated himselfon a patent cigar lighteri do not agree with himmyself i would rather havehalf the happiness and twicethe longevity
but at the same time i wishthere was something i wantedas badly as he wanted to fry himself
archy
Summary:
* Donald Robert Perry Marquis 1878-1937, was a newspaper columnist, humorist, poet, playwright and author ofabout 35 books of which the best known are books of humorous poetry about Archy the cockroach and Mehitabel thecat. Don's work appeared regularly in the New York Sun and the Saturday Evening Post, among other places.
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Name_____________________Class_____________________Per_______ Date___________
Topic:___________________________________
The Bean Eaters - Gwendolyn Brooks*
They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.Dinner is a casual affair.Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood,Tin flatware.
Two who are Mostly Good.Two who have lived their day,But keep on putting on their clothesAnd putting things away.
And remembering . . .Remembering, with twinklings and twinges,As they lean over the beans in their rentedback room thatis full of beads and receipts and dolls and
cloths,tobacco crumbs, vases and fringes.
We Real Cool - Gwendolyn Brooks*The Pool Players.Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We real cool. WeLeft school. We
Lurk late. WeStrike straight. We
Sing sin. WeThin gin. We
Jazz June. WeDie soon.
Corners on the Curving Sky– Gwendolyn
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Brooks*
Our earth is round, and, among other thingsThat means that you and I can holdcompletely differentPoints of view and both be right.The difference of our positions will showStars in your window I cannot even imagine.Your sky may burn with light,While mine, at the same moment,Spreads beautiful to darkness.
Still, we must choose how we separatelycornerThe circling universe of our experience.Once chosen, our cornering will determineThe message of any star and darkness weencounter.
Summary:
* Gwendolyn Brooks was born to Keziah Corine Wims and David Anderson Brooks on June 17, 1917 in Topeka,Kansas. Her family moved to their permanent residence on Champlin Avenue in Chicago when Brooks was four.Shortly after their move (at the age of seven), Brooks began rhyming and by the young age of thirteen she had herfirst poem published. She became a weekly contributor to the Chicago Defender and attended Wilson Junior Collegefrom which she graduated in 1936. In 1937, when Brooks was twenty, her work appeared in two anthologies.
Gwendolyn Brooks won her first major award in 1943 at the Midwestern Writers' Conference. In addition to severalother honorariums (among which two Guggenheim awards, her appointment as Poet Laureate of Illinois, and theNational Endowment for the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award are most notable), Brooks was the first African-American writer to both win the Pulitzer Prize (1949) and to be appointed to the American Academy of Arts andLetters (1976). Brooks received more than fifty honorary doctorates from colleges and universities. In 1969, theGwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center opened on the campus of Western Illinois University. After a lifetime ofproficient verse writing, Brooks died of cancer in December 2000. She was 83 years old.
Questions/Main Ideas:
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When a Man Comes to Himself,by Woodrow Wilson
It is a mistake to suppose that the great captains of industry, the greatorganizers and directors of manufacturing, commerce, and banking, areengrossed in a vulgar pursuit of wealth. These men are not fascinated by theglitter of gold: the appetite for power has got hold of them. They love to usetheir abilities on a great scale. They are organizing and overseeing a great partof the life of the world. No wonder they are in love with their work.Business is more interesting than pleasure, and once the mind has been caughtby its excitement, there's no disengaging it. The world has reason to be
grateful for this fact. It was this fascination that had got hold of a man whom the world wasafterward to know, not as a prince among merchants -- for the world forgetsmerchant princes -- but as a prince among benefactors. The first time he wasasked to give money for a worthy object, he declined. Why should he give?What kind of investment that his mind turned to it for satisfaction. He beganto see that investment in others' education was really profitable, that moneydevoted to it would yield returns to which there was no end, and that theincrease was perpetual. The result would be an invisible but intensely realspiritual interest beyond reckoning, because compounded in an unknownration from age to age. Henceforward, benevolence was as interesting to him
as business. Indeed, it was a sort of refined business in which money movednew forces in an exchange which no man could bind or limit. This man had come to himself -- to the full realization of his powers, thetrue and clear perception of what it was his mind demanded for itssatisfaction. But, there is another aspect to this development. Men come tothemselves by discovering their limitations, no less than by discovering theirdeeper gifts and the mastery that will make them happy. It is the discovery ofwhat they can not do, and ought not to attempt, that transforms such privatereformers into statesmen. No statesman dreams of doing whatever he pleases. True social reform is a matter of cooperation. If it is new, it requires a greatdeal of persuading to bring the majority to believe in it and support it.
Without the agreement and support, it is impossible.
Summary, Reflection, Analysis
Name:Class: Period/Block:Date:
SOCRATIC SEMINAR DEBRIEF
From AVID Curriculum ML, Reading Strategies, Activity 41
1. How did you feel about the seminar?
2. Reflect on your own experience.
3. If you changed your opinion duringthe discussion, what changed it?
4. Using your own knowledge on thistopic or issue, create a question to start aseminar.
5. What was the best part of theseminar? The worst part?
6. What was your overall opinion of theSocratic Seminar?
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The following information is from John B. Padgett (English 200) at the University of Mississippi.
Reading a Poem
The following is presented as a general map or checklist of things to think about while analyzinga poem. The order is approximate; as you become more used to reading poetry, you will discoverthat many of these "steps" become conflated--run together. Also, remember that some aspects ofanalysis are more relevant or more important to a particular poem than others. Syntax is alwaysimportant, but only some poems exhibit syntactical irregularities or ambiguities that need to be
discussed in an analysis. A consideration of rhythm, meter, rhyme, and conventional poeticforms may or may not illuminate your understanding of a particular poem. Tone and tonal shiftare of central importance to some analyses, while following a narrative line is more important inothers. Nevertheless, whenever you read a poem for the first time (and for the first few times;most poems require at least several readings) you should count on going through all these steps.You don't know that rhythm isn't important until you have looked at it and understood how itworks in relationship to the rest of the poem.
I. Language -- the Literal Level
* The first step in figuring out any poem is to untangle and sort out the syntax of the poem.Almost all poems are written with reference to normative rules of grammar; there is always arelationship between the apparently messed-up grammar of the poem and the grammar of an
ordinary English sentence. So, you must be sure, first of all, that you understand the relationshipsbetween the various words which make up each sentence of the poem: which verbs go withwhich subjects and objects, what modifies what, what antecedents go with which pronouns.Oftentimes poetry does utilize syntactical shifts:
ambiguity: a word being used as two different parts of speech at the same time inversions: places where normal English sentence order is turned around for emphasis; the subject putafter the verb, for instance ellipses: places where words seem to have been left out
You should note anyplace where the language becomes difficult to understand or seems todeviate from normal English usage; try to create a temporary paraphrase of these sections of thepoem into ordinary English so that you can [be] sure that you know what is going on.
Oftentimes, trying to read the poem out loud to yourself until it moves smoothly will helpyou to figure out the syntax. Also remember that poets do things for a reason. If the grammar ofa poem is all screwed up, it is generally because the poet is trying to emphasize something. Youshould, therefore, always be thinking about why the syntax is abnormal.
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* At the same time that you are sorting out the syntax, you also need to be figuring out thedenotations of the words used. This means using the dictionary to look up words you don't know.At this point you also need to look for ambiguities and puns: places where a given word maymean two or more things at once. Again, you must be asking yourself why: why did the poetchoose this word.
II. Language -- the Imagistic and Figurative Level
* You need to pay attention to the connotations of specific words--the atmosphere, or aura, ormood which surrounds them and suggests wider associations and significances. Always be
asking what does this particular word make me think of? * At the same time, you need to be sensitive to the sensory images--of sight, smell, touch,taste, sound--which the poem evokes. This means sitting back and letting the poem work in yourhead; reading a poem can be like watching a movie if you really let the images unroll in yourmind. While you are doing this, you should still be thinking of the connotations--of the moodsthe images are creating. You also need to start grouping the images into clusters, noticing howthey fit together, or contrast and play off one another with one cluster creating a kind of ironiccommentary or tension with another. * Sometimes imagery is literal; oftentimes, though, it is associated with figurative language,etc. Everything said about images applies to experiencing the figurative language in a poem. Youalso need to identify what figures of speech are used in a poem and should, as always, think
about why the poet might have chosen them. Why a metaphor instead of a simile?
III. Poetic Form
* Check out meter, rhyme, and rhythm. Look for patterns of expectations which are built upand then destroyed or changed. What is usually most important in poetic form are theirregularities. Notice what such irregularities emphasize.
* Look for sound effects in the poem--alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia. Try to figure outhow these effects work with the imagery, connotations, etc. * Try to identify whether the poem uses any traditional forms. Is it a sonnet? Is it written inheroic couplets? What does the choice of form say about what the poet is trying to do?
IV. Tone
* Who is the speaker of the poem? What kind of person does he or she seem to be? * What does the speaker's attitude towards his or her subject matter seem to be? What do youthink is the poet's motive for writing the poem? * Who is the speaker's implied audience? What is his or her attitude toward the audience?What is he or she trying to do to the reader? How close is the speaker to the reader?
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* Does the tone change from stanza to stanza throughout the poem? Oftentimes a poem willnot have a plot or narrative line; instead, the movement of the poem may be from one emotion toanother or from one idea to another.
V. Narration
* What happens in the poem? If it is a series of events, be sure you understand their sequencefrom stanza to stanza. * Does the poem follow a chronological order? Are there flashbacks? Is there foreshadowing?Distinguish the order of the plot from the order of the poem.
VI. Allusions, Archetypes, and Symbols -- External References
* Allusions are references to anything outside the poem: an event, another work of art, a place,a person which may not be specifically identified by the author but which he or she expects youto know. Oftentimes footnotes explain these in a poem. Otherwise, note places where there areallusions which you don't understand and ask about them. It is also possible to figure out
allusions by consulting reference books in the library such as encyclopedias, biographicaldictionaries, etc. (Or you can search for such things on the World Wide Web.) * Myths and Archetypes are allusions to plots or patterns of association common to a givenculture or religion. These may take the form of references to gods or goddesses; there aremythological dictionaries in which you can look up references to Greek, Roman, Norse, andother myths. * Symbols are objects or actions which both represent themselves and at the same time have alarger meaning a meaning which can be multiple or ambiguous. They are even more suggestivethan figures of speech or images and usually a good deal more complex. An image can be asymbol, but not all images are. (Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.)
VII. The Big Picture
Now that you've gone through the whole poem identifying this stuff comes the really hard part--making it all make sense. By the time you've read the poem for the sixth or tenth time, youshould be coming to some basic conclusions as to what it is about. Oftentimes the point will be acomplex thing--a tension of forces between potentially opposed moods or images or ideas. Youknow that you are coming to an adequate explanation of a poem [when] you find that each aspectof the analysis fits the general purpose you have discovered. A really good analysis covers thewhole poem, uniting all its parts.
