Socratic Seminar FAQ’s
Q - How do I get a "good" grade???
A - PARTICIPATE! The number one way to score points in a seminar is to actively participate, which means SPEAK UP! Ask questions and give thoughtful responses.
Q- What kind of questions will count for points??
A - Questions should be based on higher order thinking. This means NO questions that can be answered with a simple ‘yes' or 'no'. Do not ask questions relating to the plot of the novel.
Examples of questions that DO NOT earn a point value:
1. Who is the protagonist of the story?
2. Why does Gulliver visit these different lands?
3. Is Gulliver smaller than the Lilliputians or Brobdingnagians?
Each of these examples have firm answers based on the plot of the story and do not allow for open, meaningful discussion.
Examples of questions that DO earn a point value:
1. How does Swift employ satire in A Modest Proposal and what evidence is there?
2. What is Swift satirizing with Gulliver's Travels and what evidence is there?
3. How would you compare satire (and devices used to employ satire in this time period with modern works?
Each of these questions invites discussion and differing opinions that can still be defended/sourced with facts from the story, notes from class, and the historical knowledge of that time period.
Q - What kind of answers will count for points?
A - Answers that involve reflection, analysis, application, integration and evaluation.
Q - How am I graded??
A- questions and answers are given an initial tally mark to objectively record participation. In theory, each time you speak you have the potential to earn 5 points. HOWEVER - the notes I take, in combination with your student evaluators notes, will determine final point value between 0-5 points.
Examples of answers that DO NOT earn a point value -
1. Agreement with a previous statement without adding NEW analysis.
2. Disagreement with a previous statement that does not add further analysis
3. Repeating previous statements, questions, or responses
4. Answers that involve inaccurate information based on the facts of the novel.
For example - if in your response you say that Gulliver was Queen of the Lilliputians- that is incorrect and damages the credibility of your response or argument.
Higher Order Thinking Questioning/Responding...
Applying - requires demonstration of prior knowledge in a new situation
- you could question/discuss archetypes, allegory, allusion... concepts we have previously studied in Brit Lit. as they are evidenced in The Restoration and Enlightenment.
Analyzing - clarifies existing information by discovering and examining relationships and patterns.
- questions/discussions could break down the "ingredients" or the parts of a work as they relate to the "whole". You could ask questions/discuss the use of satire and specific devices used to employ satire in the work.
Generating - constructs a framework of ideas that holds new and old information together. Also known as making inferences...
Questions often begin with "hypothesize", "predict" or "conclude"
Integrating - connects/combines prior knowledge with new information to build NEW UNDERSTANDINGS. Also known as synthesis.
Questions like: "How can you prove...?" "What other examples can you find...?" (This typically happens once the discussion has begun and you can reflect on new ideas generated by your peers).
Evaluating - assessing the appropriateness, quality, and validity of ideas purported.
This is where you react, disagree, and DISCUSS the arguments and ideas presented by your peers.