Socratic Seminar

Hello! I’m...
Emily Stacy. It is my 13th year in the district
and my 10th teaching Senior Seminar at
SVHS. I have used Socratic Seminar for the
past 10 years as a discussion tool in my
classroom.
What is Socratic
Seminar?
Socratic Seminar
Socratic Seminar is a student led discussion format where a
student leads the discussion based off of pre-answered questions
on a topic.

Students take turn answering discussion questions and responding

to their classmates.

Two parts: The written discussion questions and the speaking

higher
order
thinking
and
questioning
 Before it
begins.
In socratic seminars you might be talking
about some controversial topics. Setting up
your classroom with clear expectations when
it comes to discussion is essential.
Background Research
Socratic Seminars are usually done at the end of a
unit/book when students are well prepared and
equipped to talk about a topic. The most work
comes before the discussion even starts. The more
they know, the more they can talk about.
The class before
Students prepare answers to written discussion
questions based off information that we learned about
in class. I’ve learned the broader the questions, the
better. These should not be questions that can be
answered by facts or statistics, although the use of
statistics are highly encouraged to support their
opinion.
The Format
Format Options
I prefer to do one big class circle. For my
1. One classroom circle/semi-circle classes, the more students, the better.
2. Bigger circle on the outside, smaller
circle on the inside
3. Small group circles
Step 1
Find a discussion leader.
Step 2:
Remind students about
expectations and grading
 Step 3

Sit back with a pencil and paper

and let the students discuss
 Grading
This is where you section ends. Duplicate this set of slides as many times you need to go over all your sections.
 Ways to Earn Points

Giving your opinion Giving your opinion and Active Listening

earns a point referencing a video or
article earns you an
additional point
 Ways to Lose Points

The Phone/laptop Sleeping Being disrespectful,

cutting people off
Overall Grade
Each class is different in terms of an overall speaking grade.

Discussion: Discussion Questions:

Points (dependent on class size): ________ /100

______ - _____ = 100 (4 exceeds standards)

______ - _____ = 90 (3 Meets Standards)
______ - _____ = 80 (2 Partially Meets standards)
______ - _____ = 65 (1 Does not meet Standards)
0 = 55 (Did not participate)
Negative points possible
Example
Tips and Tricks
1. The first few discussion questions are going to come with a lot
of uncertainty so make them easy
2. Students usually prefer to raise their hands
3. There is some awkwardness in the beginning
Thank you!