Name: Date: Class:
1.
PURPOSE
Socrates’ approach was to take a subject, idea, statement, or argument and raise througt-provoking questions without proposing to have the “correct” answers. He believed it was more important to enable students to think for themselves (as do I) than to merely fill their heads with the “correct” answers.
2.
FACILITATION
After reading Fahrenheit 451 , studying the philosophy of Existentialism, reading Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and revisiting the allusions in Fahrenheit 451 to the Allegory of the Cave, you will write Socratic Seminar questions for the purpose of today’s class discussion. Dialogue over these questions is exploratory and involves the suspension of biases and prejudices. This is not a debate; it is an open discussion where participants share ideas and thoughts in a respectful manner. Respond to one another with respect by carefully listening, considering, and respectfully responding instead of interrupting or attacking. Students are encouraged to paraphrase essential elements of another’s ideas before responding, either in support or in disagreement. Members of the dialogue look each other in the eyes and use each other’s names in a respectful manner. Everyone is expected to relevantly participate by presenting Socratic questions AND respectfully responding to the questions of others, so be courteous and cognizant.
3.
DIRECTIONS
Take out your handouts on Existentialism, the Allegory of the Cave
, the article “People’s Voice,” and your
Fahrenheit 451 book; if you have the handout I gave you on annotations, please get that out as well. Review the given pages in Fahrenheit 451 , which directly or indirectly correlate to the Allegory of the Cave ; review the philosophy of Existentialism and correlated Fahrenheit 451 annotations. You will be composing Socratic Seminar questions over the material you just reviewed and over Fahrenheit 451 in general. Write at least one of each type of question as identified below ; keep questions in order and abbreviate the label/type of question. (E.g., 1.
OE______________ 2. UT_____________________ 3. LA________________________4. TPD__________________).
You do not have to answer your own questions, but you will be turning them in after the discussion. On separate paper, you’re responsible to take notes AS the class discusses; this is serving as part of your essay prep work, and you will be allowed to have these notes out as you compose your essay.
 Open-ended question
— Write an insightful question about the text that will require proof, group discussion, and “construction of logic” (e.g., syllogism) to discover or explore the answer to the question.
(E.g., Why did Gene hesitate to reveal the truth about the accident to Finny that first day in the infirmary?
(after mid-point of A Separate Peace )
 Universal Theme/Core Question
— Write a question dealing with a theme of the text that will encourage group discussion about the universality of the text. (E.g., After reading John Gardner’s
Grendel , can you pick out the Existential elements and evaluate and analyze the significance behind them?)

 Literary Analysis Question
— Write a question dealing with how an author chose to compose a literary piece. How did the author manipulate point of view, characterization, poetic form, archetypal hero patterns, for example? (E.g., In The Poison Wood Bible, why is it important that the story is told through the eyes of the Price women? –Or-- In The Book Thief , why did Zusak create the narrator as the thirdperson omniscient Death?
 Two-part Discussion Question
— Write a question about something you annotated in the chapter.
Follow that specific question up with another question that is thematically connected but puts that topic/theme/issue into relevance today, to you, to society, to current events, to historical events, to other literature, etc. (E.g., Part One: In Fahrenheit 451 , do you believe Bradbury to be correct in asserting that the destruction or replacement of art and literature can cause the downfall of society? Part Two: In what aspects of our current society to we see examples to support or refute this assertion?)
1.
You must take turns and be courteous
2.
You must be respectful
3.
You must listen and take notes
4.
Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. A seminar is not a test of memory. You’re not “learning a subject;” your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text.
5.
You must be prepared and ready to participate several times in a relevant manner
6.
Don’t’ stay confused; ask questions
7.
There are no side conversations
8.
Listen carefully
9.
Speak up so all can hear you
10.
Discuss ideas rather than each other’s opinions
11.
You
’re responsible to facilitate the seminar
12.
As each new person begins to speak, he or she should acknowledge having heard the prior speaker by using a transition phrase such as: a.
I agree with ______________ because __________, but I want to add another reason why
________________. b.
I disagree with ____________ because _________________. c.
I’m not sure why __________ said _______________. Can you explain or clarify? d.
I understand your point, _________________, but I want to add/disagree/say/refute: _____________. e.
Do I understand you correctly to mean that ______________?