1. Socratic Seminar
Fishbowl

2. What is a Socratic Seminar?
Socratic seminars are named for their embodiment of Socrates’ belief in the power of asking questions, prize inquiry over information and discussion over debate.   Socratic seminars acknowledge the highly social nature of learning.
Elfie Israel succinctly defines Socratic seminars and implies their rich benefits for students:
The Socratic seminar is a formal discussion, based on a text, in which the leader asks open-ended questions.  Within the context of the discussion, students listen closely to the comments of others, thinking critically for themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses to the thoughts of others.  They learn to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly. (89)
Israel, Elfie.  “Examining Multiple Perspectives in Literature.”  In Inquiry and the Literary Text: Constructing Discussions n the English Classroom.  James Holden and John S. Schmit, eds.  Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2002.
What is a Socratic Seminar?

3. Inner Circle: These students are in the “fishbowl” and they are the ones who will be speaking.
Outer Circle: These students are outside of the fishbowl and will be listening and completing an observation chart.
Fishbowl Roles

4. Between now and the day of the Socratic seminar, you will prepare and write down questions for discussion
Generate as many open-ended questions as possible, aiming for questions whose value lies in their exploration, not their answer.
Ex: What do you learn about the different attitudes towards Maycomb’s black population from the conversation at Aunt Alexandra’s ladies tea? How do these attitudes help explain Tom’s conviction?
On the day of the seminar, bring your novel, notebook and the questions you generate.
Preparation:

5. You facilitate yourselves You transition the topics
You find a way to participate
Tips
Take notes
Always refer to evidence when able
Try using questions (inquiry) to challenge the group, instead of simple statements
The Discussion

6. Scoring: The Inner Circle
You will begin with a score of 10/15. From there, you may earn and/or lose points.
Earn points:
1 point: making general statements about plot or character, or unsupported statements.
2 points: asking intelligent, thoughtful, open-ended questions
3 points: thoughtfully answering a question with solid support/evidence from the novel
Lose points:
Looking at a phone or listening to music
Eating
Inattentive (i.e.: daydreaming, sleeping, putting head on desk, etc.)
Rudeness, vulgarity or general misbehaving
Having a poor attitude/negativity
Scoring: The Inner Circle

7. Norms & procedures Look at the person speaking
Don’t interrupt or talk over others
You don’t have to raise your hand to speak, but pay attention to your “airtime”—don’t hog the conversation.
Stay focused on the discussion
Remain positive; no insults
Follow class rules as normal
Address the previous speaker(s) by name
You will lose points for distracting others, breaking rules, or refusing to participate.
Norms & procedures

8. You will pick a person whose eyes you can see (don’t tell them)
Write their name down—you will be evaluating them on the Observation Chart.
Outer Circle

9. Observation Chart Copy this down: Good Points (questions/comments)
Points lost
(behavior/attention/ negativity)
Overall Score
(Scale of 1-5)
Tally marks
Comment/gist

11. Socratic Seminar
Wingmen

12. Take out any relevant texts Review/prepare your questions
Take our your notebook
Take out any relevant texts
Review/prepare your questions
Get into a team of 3
Strategize with your wingmen
(pick your order, how you will communicate, etc.)
Preparation