Describe the steps in creating a Socratic seminar

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers should include at least a short descriptions of the following steps:
STEP 1) Select and prepare the text by focusing on key concepts and strategies presented, essential related background knowledge, and vocabulary to be taught.
STEP 2) Write out questions that will facilitate students' analysis, application, and synthesis of the information presented, such as "What applications can you see for the law of sines and cosines? Are there any new ideas in this section? What steps does the author recommend?" Also develop metacognitive questions that will help students focus on thinking about strategies acquired and applied, such as "How is this strategy useful? When would you use it? What was confusing in this reading? How did we resolve the confusion?"
STEP 3) Prior to the Seminar, assign the reading and arrange one circle of desks inside another to create a circle of observers around a "fishbowl" of discussants.
STEP 4) Give students a set of guidelines.
STEP 5) The teacher begins the discussion with a question, guides students in reconstructing the author's meanings, and helps students to construct their own meanings that are useful.
STEP 6) As a student goes to the hot seat to speak, he puts a token into the box, sits down, speaks, and leaves the seat. (When students become comfortable participating in the Socratic Seminar, you may want to phase out the hot seat.)
STEP 7) When the discussion is completed, the teacher gives or requests a summary statement.
STEP 8) The teacher then conducts a debriefing of the Seminar in which both inner and outer circle students participate. Sample questions about interaction include: "Did all inner circle students participate? Was the discussion clear? How did the discussion contribute to your understanding?"