Socratic Seminar!! A.k.a., best. Day. EVER!

Socratic WAAAT?? Student-led discussion about the text Teacher grade and student grade Students generate questions the day before

What NOT to write… Surface level questions Questions simply about what happened Questions answerable by one word or sentence What religion was Elie? In which concentration camp was Elie? Questions that are not answerable through the text How many times per month did Elie trim his finger nails? If Elie could be a vegetable, what kind of vegetable would he be??

What TO write… Questions that make you think Questions aimed to generate discussion (that are arguable) You may ask a question which you already have an opinion on if you think that it will generate discussion You may ask a question which you are legitimately wondering as long as you think it is answerable through the text Examples: What becomes more important to the characters in Night: family or self- preservation? How do you know? Why do the Jews of Sighet continue to talk themselves out of facing the dangerous reality of their situation, even when they are confronted with facts from people like Moshe the Beadle?

Where to start… Think about some things that caught your attention while reading. Would they provoke discussion that is focused on the text? Would they be answerable in one word? (If they would, then don’t write the question that way!) Would you be able to reference a specific point in the text when you felt the way that you did? (Because you should…)

What to do NOW… Get out your copy of Night Go through any notes that you may have created while reading (or look back through) for important or significant information Create 1 solid Socratic Question for discussion Once you have your question written out, bring it to me for approval. I will tell you anything that could improve it. Until I give you a check on your paper, you should continue to revise it so that it is more of a Socratic Question. Remember: practice makes perfect!!  All questions must be completed by the end of class – discussion will take place TOMORROW!