This semester, you will be participating in a modified Socratic Seminar. This will address the speaking and listening standard for your grade level. In addition, it will provide excellent practice in both research AND cordial (polite) debate.
Preparation is KEY to doing well on a Socratic Seminar. Follow the steps below to make sure that you are as prepared as possible
Articles to Consider: before you begin, you must select a topic. Look at the two options below and skim the topic/articles. Select one topic to further research and read.
TOPIC ONE: Teen protestors vs. Native American elder
As you read and research, ask yourself:
TOPIC TWO: Government Shutdown
As you read and research, ask yourself:
Step 1: Thoughtfully and critically read
You are being provided with two articles to read on your assigned topic. Simply reading and saying 'I got it' will not do for this assignment. I encourage you to read your text multiple times. For reads 2 and 3, you should have paper out and be taking notes.
Read One: Cold read (meaning reading something you've never read before). Read through the articles to get a sense of what the
topic is and how the authors feel about the situation. Odds are, the articles will have different opinions. As you are reading each
article, try to be open minded about what each author is saying.
Read Two: Read to establish your own opinion. Read through BOTH articles again. What does each author say that you agree
with? What does each author say that you disagree with? Which author do you agree with the most?
Read Three: Read for evidence. Now that you know what you agree/disagree with, find evidence that supports your own opinion
about the topic. What does the author say that makes you think 'Yes!- I totally agree with that'.
Step 2: Summarize and identify your position
On a sheet of paper, you now need to write a short summary of what the articles were about. You also need to include your opinion and which text you identified most with. Consider the following questions:
- Who was mentioned in the article?
- What issue was discussed?
- What did you agree with that you read?
- What did you disagree with that you read?
- Where did you find your article?
- When was it written?
- Who was it written by?
Step 3: Fill out a 'Current Events' packet
To help you organize your thoughts, have your articles out while you fill out your packet. Consider how working with others who read the same article might help you generate some new ideas! Your goal should be to complete this packet BEFORE your debate. Much of the information in this packet is included in your summary from Step 2....we are just taking it a few steps further now!
You must complete steps 1-3 in order to participate in the Socratic Seminar debate. Without these- you will be provided with an alternate assignment for a maximum of 60% credit.
Step 4: Craft some questions/statements to guide your debate
Think about the opinion that you just formed by reading these articles. How are you going to share your opinion with others? How are you going to politely disagree with or question someone who may have a different opinion? Using the sentence starters below, prepare at least 3 statements and 3 questions that you'd like to share/ask during your Socratic Seminar.
Statements to consider:
Preparation is KEY to doing well on a Socratic Seminar. Follow the steps below to make sure that you are as prepared as possible
Articles to Consider: before you begin, you must select a topic. Look at the two options below and skim the topic/articles. Select one topic to further research and read.
TOPIC ONE: Teen protestors vs. Native American elder
- CNN Article on Catholic teen in MAGA hat and his interaction with an older Native American Man. Both sides describe the incident and teen explains why he doesn't owe an apology. Short videos included. Click HERE to read.
- Fox News editorial by Ticker Carlson. Discusses how the situation was taken out of context and distorted to make the boys from the school look 'guilty' when in reality, they didn't do anything wrong. Click HERE to read.
As you read and research, ask yourself:
- How does their behavior compare with how YOU expect students to represent their school on a trip.
- What else was going on around them? Could this have influenced their behavior?
- What role did social media play in how this was all portrayed ?
- What are you opinions on the behavior of the boys?
- Should the age of the boys have played any factor in whether or not they were named in the media?
TOPIC TWO: Government Shutdown
- NewsELA article on Federal Workers who have been forced to take additional, part-time jobs to make ends meet during the shut down. Read it HERE
- NewsELA article on the impact of the government shutdown on National Parks. Read it HERE
As you read and research, ask yourself:
- What unintended impact is the shutdown having?
- Whose job is it to protect employees and their jobs?
- Should government offices be allowed to just 'shut down'?
- What is the intent of the shutdown? Will that be accomplished?
- Whose responsibility is it to maintain parks while the government is shut down?
- What role does the President play in these situations? How do you think he should respond
Step 1: Thoughtfully and critically read
You are being provided with two articles to read on your assigned topic. Simply reading and saying 'I got it' will not do for this assignment. I encourage you to read your text multiple times. For reads 2 and 3, you should have paper out and be taking notes.
Read One: Cold read (meaning reading something you've never read before). Read through the articles to get a sense of what the
topic is and how the authors feel about the situation. Odds are, the articles will have different opinions. As you are reading each
article, try to be open minded about what each author is saying.
Read Two: Read to establish your own opinion. Read through BOTH articles again. What does each author say that you agree
with? What does each author say that you disagree with? Which author do you agree with the most?
Read Three: Read for evidence. Now that you know what you agree/disagree with, find evidence that supports your own opinion
about the topic. What does the author say that makes you think 'Yes!- I totally agree with that'.
Step 2: Summarize and identify your position
On a sheet of paper, you now need to write a short summary of what the articles were about. You also need to include your opinion and which text you identified most with. Consider the following questions:
- Who was mentioned in the article?
- What issue was discussed?
- What did you agree with that you read?
- What did you disagree with that you read?
- Where did you find your article?
- When was it written?
- Who was it written by?
Step 3: Fill out a 'Current Events' packet
To help you organize your thoughts, have your articles out while you fill out your packet. Consider how working with others who read the same article might help you generate some new ideas! Your goal should be to complete this packet BEFORE your debate. Much of the information in this packet is included in your summary from Step 2....we are just taking it a few steps further now!
You must complete steps 1-3 in order to participate in the Socratic Seminar debate. Without these- you will be provided with an alternate assignment for a maximum of 60% credit.
Step 4: Craft some questions/statements to guide your debate
Think about the opinion that you just formed by reading these articles. How are you going to share your opinion with others? How are you going to politely disagree with or question someone who may have a different opinion? Using the sentence starters below, prepare at least 3 statements and 3 questions that you'd like to share/ask during your Socratic Seminar.
Statements to consider:
- After reading this text, something I connected with was...
- Something that I disagreed with in this text was....
- Something that I agreed with in this text was....
- A piece of evidence that I thought was powerful was...
- As I read this text I wondered....
- A solution that I don't think was considered was...
- My opinion that I'd like to share is...
- 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 ?
- (classmate 1), would you summarize in your own words what (classmate 2) has said?... (classmate 2), 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- Are these reasons adequate?
- 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?
- Could you explain your reason to use?
- Can you explain how you logically got from
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 (classmate 1) and (classmate 2) ideas alike? Different?