EVERYTHING YOU NEED:

FOR ANY TEXT

SET UP A SUCCESSFUL

SOCRATIC SEMINAR WITH

THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF

STRUCTURE AND

SCAFFOLDING!

TEACHER INFO

The Socratic Seminar is named after Greek philosopher Socrates, who believed in the power of

social learning and deliberate discussion. Socrates believed that humans learned best from

questioning and discussion. He believed discussion helped individuals critically think through

complex ideas and learn better than they could on their own. You can think of a Socratic Seminar

as an “intellectual discussion,” but you can also see it as a conversation where you “think out loud”

and “talk it out.” Essentially, it is a student-led discussion over a text or big idea. Instead of you

facilitating the discussion by asking questions, students take charge of their own learning in this

activity. It is a student-centered and social approach to learning. For you, this means it is less prep work. For the students, it is more work…but isn’t that how it should be anyways?!

While the students “doing all the work” sounds good in theory, you might be worried about this kind

of approach actually working in the high school classroom. If you are nervous about it, that’s

natural. While these seminars are open-ended and student-centered, you will still provide just the

right amount of structure and scaffolding. The first one you have in your classroom will be a learning

experience for all of you, but each seminar will get better and better, and you’ll find yourself

wondering—as I do—why you don’t do these ALL THE TIME!

In this product, you will find the following:

• Teacher Pacing Guide: This is how I implement the seminar in my classroom. I know many

teachers do Socratic Seminars differently, so remember, this guide is just a sample.

• “Expectations” handout: This describes the Socratic Seminar in student-friendly language and

includes a description of skills, as well as a checklist.

• “Question Types” handout: This thoroughly explains the type of questions students must prepare. It

is essential to structure the creation of questions; otherwise, students could show up with

comprehension or clarification questions that would cause the seminar to “flop.” Socratic

seminars depend upon carefully constructed open-ended questions that naturally invite

discussion.

• “Question Examples” handout: This makes the “Question Types” handout concrete, with specific

examples. These are from texts my students are familiar with. I find that this helps them

understand the expectations for questions.

• Blank “Question Examples” template: I included this in case you don’t like my question examples and want to write in your own for texts that your students would be more familiar with.

• “Preparation” worksheet: This worksheet is where students will brainstorm questions, cite evidence,

and prepare notes in response to their questions. I take this as a grade. I’ve varied the points that

I’ve assigned to it, but I like to assess it just to provide some balance.

• Rubric: This will help you assess students’ performance during the Socratic Seminar. I use these

rubrics to assess my students as the seminar is going on.

• “Self-Evaluation” sheet: Students will evaluate and reflect upon their performance during the

seminar.

WHAT IS A

1+ WEEKS OUT

I informally introduce the idea of a Socratic Seminar weeks in advance, to let my students know

what is coming. I think planting the seed in their brains is essential for a successful seminar later on.

Also, I often hold seminars in lieu of tests or essays, so they usually are my culminating assessment.

Many students like this, because it is a different way for them to demonstrate their learning. Talking

about the seminar weeks in advance will motivate them to take charge of learning. Oftentimes, I

have students brainstorming questions as we read the primary text.

1-3 DAYS BEFORE

I review specific expectations with the “Expectations,” “Question Types,” and “Question Examples”

handouts. I give my students time in class to brainstorm questions, find evidence, and prepare notes

in response to their own questions. I usually give them the majority of a 45-minute class period, and

then the rest is homework. Sometimes, I will check their questions beforehand. You can also let

them brainstorm questions with partners or in groups.

1 DAY BEFORE

I rearrange my desks into a giant circle and print off copies of the “Rubric” and “Self-Evaluation”

handouts. I write students’ names on all of my rubrics, and have them ready to go, in alphabetical

order.

RIGHT BEFORE CLASS

I arrange my rubrics, in alphabetical order, on my desk, to where I can see the top of each rubric. I

need to be able to easily access each rubric.

DURING THE SEMINAR

I sit at my desk—OUT OF THE CIRCLE—and scribble on the rubrics while listening attentively. I often

mark checkmarks any time a student speaks, and I circle the categories on the rubric as soon as I

have evidence for them. For some students, you can tell early on that they have mastered certain

components of the rubric. Toward the end, there are some students who have satisfied all of the

requirements, and I remove their rubrics to focus on the remaining students—the students who

haven’t said much or whose comments haven’t yet reached the level of thinking I am expecting. I

know it sounds crazy trying to assess 25-30 students at once, but I find that it’s actually less difficult

than grading essays. You are listening to the students think out loud, and you, as the professional,

will know a) who read the text, b) who understands the text, c) who can analyze the text.

AFTER THE SEMINAR

I have the students complete the “Self-Evaluation.” I also go back to my rubrics and add in more

specific comments that I didn’t have time to write during the actual seminar. I do this as soon as I

can, so it is fresh in my mind. I also make a point to discuss the success of the seminar with the class.

We talk about what went well, what we could have done better, and what we will do differently for

the next seminar.

PACING GUIDE

EXPECTATIONS

Name: __________________________________________ Date: ___________ Period: ________

The Socratic Seminar is named after the Greek philosopher Socrates, who

believed in the power of social learning and deliberate discussion. Socrates

believed that humans learned best from questioning and discussion. He

believed discussion helped individuals critically think through complex

ideas and learn better than they could on their own. You can think of a

Socratic Seminar as an “intellectual discussion,” but you can also see it as a

conversation where you “think out loud” and “talk it out.” Essentially, it is a

student-led discussion over a text or big idea. Instead of the teacher facilitating the discussion by asking questions, you will take charge of your

own learning in this activity. It is a student-centered and social approach to

learning, which means you have greater freedom, but also more

responsibility. This means you and your peers must prepare for the seminar,

or else the seminar will not work. Before the seminar, you will create

questions, collect evidence, and prepare notes. The seminar will be as

meaningful as you and your peers make it!

CHECKLISTSocratic Seminars require the

use of many essential skills:

• Participating in collaborative

discussions

• Analyzing multiple

interpretations

• Analyzing themes

• Analyzing author’s choices

• Analyzing literary structure

• Analyzing word choice

• Synthesizing texts and ideas

• Citing textual evidence

Carefully read the text. Re-

read parts, if necessary.

THINK! Yes, this gets its own

spot on the checklist.

Familiarize yourself with the

question types/examples.

Brainstorm questions.

Find and select evidence.

Prepare notes in response to

your questions.

Be ready to discuss!

QUESTION TYPES

A real life question connects the text to the real world. These questions ask for specific connections

or pose an essential question to readers using a “What would you do” approach.

QUESTION

A big ideas questions address the “big ideas” of the text. Consider ideas, themes, and motifs. Then,

ask a question that asks the author’s message or purpose about those ideas. Usually, these

questions begin with “What,” but they could also ask “How” or “Why.”

QUESTION

An open-ended question does not have a definitive answer. It requires insightful interpretation of

the text. This is a question that different people would answer in different ways, with different pieces

of evidence and different lenses of thinking. Usually, these questions start with “How” or “Why.”

QUESTION

A literary analysis question requires the examination of author’s choices. Consider characters, plot,

ideas, and structure. This question should ask why the author made a specific choice and what the

impact/effect of the choice was. Usually, these questions start with “Why did [author] choose to…”

QUESTION

A dissection question requires the analysis of an essential quote--but not one that is straightforward

and easy to comprehend. The quote you choose should be “open to interpretation,” with complex

word choice. Usually, these questions start with “What does [author] mean by…”

QUESTION

A text-to-text question encourages a comparison to a different text or idea studied in class. Think

about a thematically relevant text. This could be a song, poem, article, etc. Whatever text you

choose, you must select a key excerpt/quote that will serve as the basis for comparison, so that

others can analyze the connections.

QUESTION

QUESTION EXAMPLES

Could/would you conduct a “social experiment” for a simple life in nature? (Thoreau’s Walden)

QUESTION

What is Shakespeare’s message about love/lust in Romeo and Juliet?

QUESTION

How does Nick Carraway feel about Eastern society in The Great Gatsby?

QUESTION

Why did Miller choose to create an affair between Abby Williams and John Proctor in The Crucible

when there was no evidence of such an affair in historical records? What is the impact of the affair

on the play’s themes and Miller’s allegorical purpose?

QUESTION

In “The Road Not Taken,” what does Frost mean by “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took

the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference”?

QUESTION

How does Into the Wild demonstrate Transcendental thinking found in Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”

and Thoreau’s Walden?

QUESTION

QUESTION EXAMPLES

QUESTION

QUESTION

QUESTION

QUESTION

QUESTION

QUESTION

QUESTION

PREPARATION

QUESTION

QUESTION

Name: __________________________________________ Date: ___________ Period: ________

Question: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Notes & Evidence: _______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Notes & Evidence: _______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Notes & Evidence: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Using the “Question Types” and “Question Examples”

handouts, create questions for the Socratic Seminar. For

each question, write notes in response, and find strong

and relevant textual evidence to support your analysis.

QUESTION

QUESTION

QUESTION

Question: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Notes & Evidence: _______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Notes & Evidence: _______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Notes & Evidence: _______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

QUESTIONS

Questions (your choice): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 3 2 1

I ask or respond to many

questions, ask follow-up

questions, and move the

discussion forward.

I ask or respond to

questions, but may not

ask follow-up questions

and move the discussion

forward.

I ask or respond to few

questions.

I ask or respond to one

question.

I offer meaningful

analysis of the text.

I offer sufficient analysis

of the text.

I offer limited analysis

of the text.

I offer summary, rather

than analysis.

I demonstrate higher-

order thinking about the

text and questions, going

beyond what was

taught.

I demonstrate higher-

order thinking about the

text and questions.

I demonstrate more

lower-order thinking

than higher-order

thinking.

I demonstrate lower-

order thinking.

I refer directly to the text

(quotes/page #s),

meaningfully and

purposefully.

I refer directly to the text

(quotes/page #s).

Evidence is not as strong

as it could be.

I refer indirectly to the

text (no quotes/page

#s).

I rely more on my

opinion than the text.

I show active listening

throughout the entire

seminar.

I show adequate

listening.

I show some active

listening but am not

consistent.

I show poor listening.

Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________ Period: ________

TEXT: __________________________ GRADE: ________ / 20

Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 3 2 1

I ask or respond to many

questions, ask follow-up

questions, and move the

discussion forward.

I ask or respond to

questions, but may not

ask follow-up questions

and move the discussion

forward.

I ask or respond to few

questions.

I ask or respond to one

question.

I offer meaningful

analysis of the text.

I offer sufficient analysis

of the text.

I offer limited analysis

of the text.

I offer summary, rather

than analysis.

I demonstrate higher-

order thinking about the

text and questions, going

beyond what was

taught.

I demonstrate higher-

order thinking about the

text and questions.

I demonstrate more

lower-order thinking

than higher-order

thinking.

I demonstrate lower-

order thinking.

I refer directly to the text

(quotes/page #s),

meaningfully and

purposefully.

I refer directly to the text

(quotes/page #s).

Evidence is not as strong

as it could be.

I refer indirectly to the

text (no quotes/page

#s).

I rely more on my

opinion than the text.

I show active listening

throughout the entire

seminar.

I show adequate

listening.

I show some active

listening but am not

consistent.

I show poor listening.

Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________ Period: ________

Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TEXT: __________________________ GRADE: ________ / 20

SELF-EVALUATION

Name: __________________________________________ Date: ___________ Period: ________

What was the most meaningful, interesting question asked? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Considering the seminar as a whole, how well do you think it went? Explain.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

What will you do differently for the next Socratic Seminar? Explain.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

For each category, rate yourself on a scale of 1-10. Then,

explain and reflect upon your rating.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Did you ask or respond to many questions, ask follow-up questions, and move the discussion forward?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Did you offer meaningful analysis of the text? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

…

Thank you for purchasing my product for you and your

students.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at

writeonwithmissg@gmail.com with ANY questions.

Thanks!

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