Name: _______________________________ Date: _______________ Period: _______
Short Story Unit: Socratic Seminar
Friday, May 3, 2013 (20 Points)
What is Socratic Seminar?
Socratic seminar a class discussion, following the Socratic method, which aids students in reaching deeper analysis of a text or concept by questioning and working to define certain terms.
Essential Questions: How do short stories reflect significant lessons and experiences that we can apply to our own lives? What do the authors’ characters teach us about our own lives or society?
Additional Questions:
1. What values do the characters in our stories hold? How do these values support the themes of the story? [Note: You should create a short list of characters and themes.]
2. Why do people feel a need to assimilate into the cultures around them? Why do the characters in our short stories assimilate? Include a discussion of cultural assimilation in your answer.
3. What forces of “good” and “evil” surface in the short stories listed below? Build a case for how these forces are either similar or different in all the characters.
4. How do the authors’ experiences influence their writing styles and the content of their writing? How do these styles support the purpose of their stories? Choose two to focus on.
5. What other character from our short story unit is Mina Das most similar? Is Mina Das representative of the “American way”?
6. What character is most different from the grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard Find” by
Flannery O’Connor and why? Do you have sympathy for the grandmother? Why/why not?
7. How are dichotomies at work in the short stories we have read?
8. How are Henry and The Misfit similar? How are these two characters different?
9. What symbols are developed in the short story? Compare two such symbols, and discuss how you identify with them.
10. If you could pick one character from one of our short stories to meet in real life for one hour, who would it be and why?

Write TWO discussion questions of your own to bring to the discussion:
12. ________________________________________________________________________
13. ________________________________________________________________________
Role Descriptions:
Inner Circle, Discussion Group: Bring your completed discussion questions PRINTED to class—only partial credit will be provided for electronic questions. Discuss the Additional and
Student-Prepared Questions in working toward the Essential Question. If you do not have new material to add to the conversation, proposal of a new question, or connection to real world is acceptable. You are required to provide four thoughtful responses in our conversation .
Ultimately, build off what someone else said. If you have spoken often [more than four times], let your peers have the opportunity to speak. You will not get credit for simply saying “I agree” or “I disagree.” (2.5 pts. each x 4 = 10 points)
Outer Circle, Observation Group: Members of this group are required to pay attention and listen to the inner circle’s comments. The outer group will respond to two comments/ two questions/ two ideas/ etc. raised from the inner group’s conversation—NOT THE TEACHER—in TWO blog posts, respectively. You are primarily an observer and recorder. The two blog posts should be in the form of two paragraphs and should include the initials of the classmate who shared the response Ex. “@K.S.” You should avoid using the words “I agree” or “I disagree.” (5 pts. each post x 2 = 10 points)
Facilitator, the teacher: Students in the inner circle lead discussion on their own; students call on one another. Teacher keeps a record of the participants and tracks discussion through notekeeping. Occasionally, the teacher will introduce a new question if the conversation lags, but it is up to the students for conversation to thrive. The facilitator may also pause at certain portions of dialogue to redirect or summarize the discussion. At the end of the inner circle’s conversation, facilitator will ask the students to reflect on how the seminar went.
Tardy/ Absence: If you are tardy to school or absent on the day of the Socratic Seminar, you are required to write an original and thoughtful, one-page response to the essential question as well as one other additional question. Your response should connect all of the short stories we have read in the unit, and be printed and brought to school the day of your return.
Important References:
“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
“A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett
“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor
“The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich
“Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri

[20 POINTS: Participation & Blog Posts]
Socratic Seminar Rubric
Excellent (20-18) Good (17-16) Fair (15-13) Unsatisfactory (12-
0)
Conduct Demonstrates respect for the learning process; has patience with different opinions and complexity; shows initiative by asking others for clarification: brings others into the conversation, moves the conversation forward; speaks to all of the participants; avoids talking too much.
Generally shows composure but may display impatience with contradictory or confusing ideas; comments, but does not necessarily encourage others to participate; may tend to address only the teacher or get into debates.
Speaking
&
Reasoning
Listening
Reading/
Participates and expresses a belief that his/her ideas are important in understanding the text; may make insightful comments but is either too forceful or too shy and does not contribute to the progress of the conversation; tends to debate, not dialogue.
Displays little respect for the learning process; argumentative; takes advantage of minor distractions; uses inappropriate language; speaks to individuals rather than ideas; arrives unprepared without notes, pencil/pen or perhaps even without the text.
Understands question before answering; cites evidence from text; expresses thoughts in complete sentences; move conversation forward; makes connections between ideas; resolves apparent contradictory ideas; considers others’ viewpoints, not only his/her own; avoids bad logic.
Responds to questions voluntarily; comments show an appreciation for the text but not an appreciation for the subtler points within it; comments are logical but not connected to other speakers; ideas interesting enough that others respond to them. May answer with “I agree.”
Responds to questions but may have to be called upon by others; has read the text but not put much effort into preparing questions and ideas for the seminar; comments take details into account but may not flow logically in conversation.
Statements may repeat the contributions of other classmates.
Pays attention to details; writes down questions; responses take into account all participants; demonstrates that he/she has kept up; points out faulty logic respectfully; overcomes distractions.
Generally pays attention and responds thoughtfully to ideas and questions of other participants and the leader; absorption in own ideas may distract the participant from the ideas of others.
Appears to find some ideas unimportant while responding to others; may have to have questions or confusions repeated due to inattention; takes few notes during the seminar in response to ideas and comments.
Thoroughly familiar with the text; has
Has read the text and comes with some
Appears to have read or skimmed the text
Extremely reluctant to participate even when called upon; comments illogical and meaningless; may mumble or express incomplete ideas; little or no account taken of previous comments or important ideas in the text.
Appears uninvolved in the seminar; comments display complete misinterpretation of questions or comments of other participants.
Student is unprepared for the

Preparation notations and questions in the margins; key words, phrases, and ideas are highlighted; possible contradictions identified; pronounces words correctly. Brings notes/ documents to class for reference. ideas from it but these may not be written out in advance; good understanding of the vocabulary but may mispronounce some new or foreign words. Brings notes/ documents to class but does not reference them in conversation. but has not marked the text or made meaningful notes or questions; shows difficulty with vocabulary; mispronounces important words; key concepts misunderstood; little evidence of serious reflection prior to the seminar. No notes/ documents brought to class, but referenced in discussion. seminar; important words, phrases, ideas in the text are unfamiliar; no notes or questions marked in the text; no attempt made to get help with difficult material.
No notes or other documents brought to discussion.
Your Performance Grade & Explanation: