Aubrey Eder

Day 14 -Socratic Seminar

October 15, 2014
Setting:
-

A seventh grade, English 7 class

Objective:
- Students will be able to participate in an active large scale discussion by
incorporating ideas and support from texts we have read.
Standards:
- Standard 7.1.2.a. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (oneon-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts,
and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. (CCSS:
SL.7.1)
- Standard 7.1.2.a.i. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched
material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence
on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. (CCSS:
SL.7.1a)
- Standard 7.1.2.a.ii. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward
specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. (CCSS:
SL.7.1b)
- Standard 7.1.2.a.iii. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others
questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the
discussion back on topic as needed. (CCSS: SL.7.1c)
- Standard 7.1.2.a.iv. Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when
warranted, modify their own views. (CCSS: SL.7.1d)
Anticipatory Set:
- Students must turn in their graphic narrative assignments. I will allow them to
share them at a later time. Have students discuss their prep sheet with their
neighbor that way they ease into sharing their ideas with a larger group.
Lesson Breakdown:
- 10 minutes: Anticipatory Set
- 5 minutes: Get desks set up into a circle for the Socratic Seminar
- 10 minutes: Go around the circle and have each student share which panel/pages
they wrote down as notable and a brief explanation why. They are able to pick
anything from any text, they need to reference what text and where though.
- 40 minutes: Student led Socratic seminar discussion. This is something that I do
not interject into at all (unless there becomes an issue of disrespect where I need
to step in). Students are aware of the structure and that I will not come in to save
an awkward silence or keep conversation going. I will be monitoring discussion
through the model provided by Tricia Engelhardt, a former Rocky Mountain High
School Social Studies teacher. The materials and information for how Socratic

Seminar is run is provided in the lesson materials below. The only thing I will tell
the students is when they need to wrap up.
10 minutes: Closure

Closure:
I will hand out the students reflection sheets and we will go through it as a class. I will
remind them of the reading that is due for next class and that there will be a quiz on the
reading. I will then ask for any final thoughts from the Socratic Seminar, and if there are
a few minutes remaining students may silently read.
Resources needed:
- S.S. prep sheets, notes on any texts (past worksheets, journals, etc.), and
American Born Chinese