Socratic Seminar…
Q - How do I get a "good" grade???
A - PARTICIPATE! The number one way to score points in a seminar is to actively participate, which
means SPEAK UP! Ask questions and give thoughtful responses.
Q- What kind of questions will count for points??
A - Questions should be based on higher order thinking. This means NO questions that can be answered
with a simple ‘yes' or 'no'. Do not ask questions relating to the plot of a story.
Examples of questions that DO NOT earn a point value:
1. Who is the protagonist of the story?
2. Why does Montressor hate Fortunato?
3. What is allusion?
Each of these examples have firm answers based regarding the plot of the story, or a literary definition
and do not allow for open, meaningful discussion.
Examples of questions that DO earn a point value:
1. How are author Amy Tan’s life experiences reflected din the text?
2. How is allusion used in The Gift of the Magi and is it an effective rhetorical device?
3. Was the author’s use of foreshadowing in The Necklace lost on the audience? Can the audience guess
at the situational irony based on this literary technique?
Each of these questions invites discussion and differing opinions that can still be defended/sourced with
facts from the story, notes from class, and the historical knowledge of that time period.
Q - What kind of answers will count for points?
A - Answers that involve reflection, analysis, application, integration and evaluation.
Q - How am I graded??
A- questions and answers are given an initial tally mark to objectively record participation. In theory,
each time you speak you have the potential to earn 5 points. HOWEVER - the notes I take, in
combination with your student evaluators notes, will determine final point value between 0-5 points.
Examples of answers that DO NOT earn a point value 1. Agreement with a previous statement without adding NEW analysis.
2. Disagreement with a previous statement that does not add further analysis
3. Repeating previous statements, questions, or responses
4. Answers that involve inaccurate information based on the facts of the novel.
For example - if in your response you say that Gulliver was Queen of the Lilliputians- that is incorrect and
damages the credibility of your response or argument.
Higher Order Thinking Questioning/Responding...
Applying - requires demonstration of prior knowledge in a new situation
-you could question/discuss archetypes, allegory, allusion... concepts we have previously studied in
British Literature as they are evidenced in the units we have studied.
Analyzing - clarifies existing information by discovering and examining relationships and patterns.
-questions/discussions could break down the "ingredients" or the parts of a work as they relate to the
"whole". You could ask questions/discuss the use of satire and specific devices used to employ satire in
the work.
Generating - constructs a framework of ideas that holds new and old information together. Also
known as making inferences...
Questions often begin with "hypothesize", "predict" or "conclude"
Integrating - connects/combines prior knowledge with new information to build NEW
UNDERSTANDINGS (also known as synthesis).
Questions like: "How can you prove...?" "What other examples can you find...?" (This typically happens
once the discussion has begun and you can reflect on new ideas generated by your peers).
Evaluating - assessing the appropriateness, quality, and validity of ideas purported.
This is where you react, disagree, and DISCUSS the arguments and ideas presented by your peers.