Reading, Writing, Teaching, and Living Tools for Impassioned People
Upper Level Socratic Seminars
Socratic seminars, or Soc-sems, as I like to call them (just kidding, I've never used that abbreviation) are kind of ma thang. If you've watched my videos, read my blog, or if you personally know me in some fashion, you've probably gathered than I like to talk. Quite a bit. I don't deny this at all.
BUT,
I also like to listen. No, I LOVE to listen-- especially to students. Truly opening myself up to new ideas not only makes me smarter, more well-rounded, more open-minded, and more likable, but it makes me a better teacher. When I listen, I can better understand who my students are and how I can get to their inner souls.
Socratic seminars are one of my absolute favorite classroom activities, especially for older students. If you do a good job of teaching students the rules and expectations for a Socratic seminar on the front end, you can expect to facilitate meaningful conversations between young people. It won't feel like work for you or them, but simply deep discussions that make you ponder life and the world in which we live (while also engaging students in skills, concepts, speaking, listening, and critical thinking of course).
Soc-Sem Basics
You can find many websites which tell you specifically how to conduct a successful Socratic seminar. For me, I played around with it for a little bit, tried new things, took information from a few sources, and perfected the method.
Just kidding. My method isn't perfect, but it works for me! You have a lot of flexibility with this; I recommend that you remind yourself of your goal: to get students thinking critically, listening, and verbally sharing their views.
Here's how I do it:
Note: This is an activity that gets better every time you facilitate it. Students become more open and honest as they understand the process and what is expected of them. To implement this effectively, I recommend using it at the beginning of the school year and using it regularly with a variety of texts.
Step 1:
Have students explore a text. It can be anything you deem important, substantial, or thought-provoking. I usually use this method in the middle or towards the end of a unit. That way, I have front-loaded important concepts and they have had time to settle a bit in the little ones' brains. You could choose a story, poem, song, video, commercial, or anything that corresponds with your lessons.
As they explore the text, provide them with 10ish open-ended questions to get them to think critically about their relationship with the text. Does it remind them of anything? Can they relate in some way? Do they hold strong opinions for or against the message in the text? They should complete their answers to the questions privately, but let them know they will be able to share their views on the following day.
Step 2:
On Day 2, students will come to class to find the desks set up in a circle, facing one another. They can sit wherever, but you (the teacher) shouldn't be inside the circle. You want them to talk to one another and build on one another's ideas, and that can be challenging for some of them if you participate.
Step 3:
Now, I am going to eat my words a little bit. While you shouldn't be PART of the discussion, you should still be the facilitator. I found that the best way for me to do this is to create a slideshow and click through it at the front of the room. The slideshow contains the same questions I provided the students on the previous day. I wait for natural silences to determine when to move to the next slide, and I ask follow-up questions if I think the students could further explore different perspectives. In earlier Soc-sems (the abbreviation is growing on me), I pose "devil's advocate" style questions to promote thinking through different perspectives. In later seminars, though, the students are able to do this themselves with more confidence.
This is the grade sheet I use to evaluate most Socratic seminars.
Here are more resources for you to use when preparing your Socratic seminar:
"Fishbowl and Socratic Seminars"
"5 Steps to a Successful Socratic Seminar"
Sample Socratic Seminars
Category 1: Socratic Seminars About Youth
1. Those Crazy Teenagers
I used this Socratic seminar with 10th grade students when we were reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I prompted students to think about teens' mental health, relating to their own mental health status and Holden Caulfield's deterioration in the novel.
To begin, I had students read the editorial, "Why Teenagers Act Crazy" by Richard A. Friedman. Then, I gave them this handout.
2. Carpe Diem!
In English 12, I utilized this Socratic seminar to begin the Carpe Diem unit. My focus was whether decisions one makes in his or her youth should affect him or her in adulthood. Some of these are controversial, but they are real-life situations, and I think seniors should face the reality of their choices.
Here is the PowerPoint.
3. Generation Z
Toward the end of the year in English 10, I wanted to explore how sophomores viewed their lives. I had read articles regarding anxiety and depression issues in teens, and I wanted to do a check on my students and get authentic feedback from them. I had them read an article similar to this one (I can't find the original), then I conducted a seminar from these questions.
Here is the PowerPoint.
Category 2: Socratic Seminars About Current Events/ Social Issues
1. What Is Race?
I've learned that many educators veer away from discussing issues of racial inequality these days, but I don't think ignoring the problems in our school systems is doing anyone any favors. I found a lot of value in confronting these controversial issues head on. I think that unless we learn our students' perspectives and their foundations of knowledge, we can't get on their levels and determine how to grow. Socratic seminars are perfect for gauging students' perceptions and creating open dialogues.
Because this is a loaded topic, I prefaced this Soc-sem with several texts. I taught about race and ethnicity multiple times, but these lessons were very beneficial before teaching To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or similar texts.
Here is a PowerPoint I made which includes background information about racism and stereotyping.
I wanted my students to examine the issue of race from a fresh perspective, so I used the MTV documentary, White People, which made my students think a lot. Showing them this text provoked many questions and thoughtful conversations.
After the video, I conducted this Socratic seminar. Here is the PowerPoint. Note: This PowerPoint includes an introduction for students about Socratic seminars since it was one of the first ones I conducted.
Because this topic is controversial in today's society, be ready. You might get some ignorant comments. You might get some offended people. Have a plan for how to deal with these issues, and be very clear about respect and no-nos for the discussion. With that said, this is one of the most effective Socratic seminars I facilitated.
I split my classes into smaller groups, and I quickly realized that they could have easily spent an entire week of classes discussing this issue. Many of them said things like, "Nobody ever talks to us about this," which I found both shocking and disappointing, but my faith was restored when they said things like, "We need to be talking about this."
2. What Is "True Americanism"?
This Socratic seminar, which I used at the beginning of a literary unit based on immigration in English 10, is a response to Teddy Roosevelt's "True Americanism" and "American Dream: No Illusions", a New York Times article. The two texts offer a stark contrast between today's idea of the American Dream and the 19th/20th century idea of the American Dream. Both texts are challenging reads, but prompt critical thinking. Also, immigration is a hot topic right now, and these texts help to educate students on the foundations of immigration policy.
Here is the PowerPoint.
Additionally, here are a few more Soc-sems I used to discuss immigration.
*"Is America Losing Her Identity?" This handout prompts students to write their own questions related to the previous question. I then compiled a list of questions and used them in the discussion.
*Shenandoah is a documentary about a Mexican immigrant who was beaten to death by a bunch of high school football players. It is hard-hitting and blunt, but it made my students really think about their stances on immigration and white privilege.
Here are the Socratic seminar questions.