Mae Maginnis
December 3, 2012
Education Methods
Socratic Seminar
Class: Ancient History
Topic: Roman Civilization
Grade Level: 9th grade
When: End of Unit
Time: 50 minutes
Overview:
Students will discuss the culture of the Roman civilization based on the primary
documents that will be provided the night before for homework. They will be required to answer
questions based on the reading of the primary documents to ensure that they will be able to
participate in the discussion effectively. Also, students will form their own questions (2 per
document) so they are ready to participate in the discussion.
During the class period, students will come to a classroom that is already arranged for a
discussion. The desks will be put into a circle so that I am outside of the circle, and the students
will look to their classmates while talking. They will have 2 post-it notes on their desk that will
help indicate whether or not the student has participated. They will be required to participate
twice. For each time they participate, the student will take one post-it note off their desk. The
teacher will be sure to also keep a tally of who has participated and who has not so the students
are not cheating by taking off a post-it note even when they haven’t participated.
The students will discuss for a total of (about) 20 minutes. The class will then come back
together and debrief what was just discussed. Students will then be required to turn in a door
ticket to ensure they participation for the day. They will complete a homework assignment, due
the next day, to assess their understanding of Roman civilization.
Rationale:
The reasoning for using the Socratic seminar style of teaching for this particular lesson is
because there is a lot of content regarding the Roman civilization. Within the dense content,
there is a lot of influence from the Roman civilization on our own civilization (and many others
around the world). It will be beneficial for the students to discuss these influences and to learn
about the importance of understanding these ancient cultures. I want the students to come up
with their own questions and answers because it will allow the students to think for themselves
and discover the importance of the Roman culture. Also, discussion help the students learn how
to listen to others and how to challenge what they are hearing. They must be able to form their
own questions and generate intelligent responses.
Objectives:
Academic (from Standard WH1:6j) : Students will be able to…
 Synthesize their own questions to a discussion based on primary documents.
 Interpret primary documents.
 Discuss the impact of the Roman civilization.
Intellectual: Students will be able to…
 Discuss effectively (that is, they will listen intently and respond intelligently to questions
asked).

Continue to form inquiry questions.
Assessment:
 The teacher will walk around the outside of the circle (or stay put to avoid being a
distraction) and take note of who participates in the discussion. Also, take note of
whether or not the students understand (acknowledge the impact on our society, the
specific characteristics of Roman society, etc.).
 Students will turn in a “door ticket” as they leave the class. The ticket will read, “Write
down one impact the Roman civilization had on our society.”
 Homework; students will write an essay or draw a picture describing/depicting Roman
civilization based on the documents and on the discussion.
Content:
1. Seminar Text
a. Why?
i. These texts are worthy of a seminar because of their “normalcy” or
everyday value. The main values are the values of the Ancient Roman
civilization. This is worth discussion because it will allows the students to
engage with the material in a way that will make it realistic and therefore
more memorable.
ii. First text is on the Ancient Roman army
iii. Second text is about the gladiatorial games
b. Opening Question:
i. What stuck out to you, or what did you find interesting, about these texts?
c. Core Questions:
i. What do these texts reveal about Ancient Roman Civilization?
ii. What were the army camps like?
iii. What were the gladiatorial games like, and how did the public perceive
these games?
d. Potential Follow-up Questions:
i. Why are these texts significant?
ii. What did you learn from these texts?
2. Preparation (seminar text)
a. Students will read the texts the night before for homework, and will answer
questions based on the documents.
i. They will also be required to come up with 2 questions for each document.
b. All students will be allowed to participate in the seminar (the reason for this is I
don’t want to exclude students that don’t totally finish the homework, they will
already be penalized for that in their homework grade).
i. That being said, students will be required to participate in the discussion
AT LEAST twice (Teacher will keep a tally of this). The students will be
able to keep track of their participation through the post-it notes on their
desk. They will each receive two, and take one off each time they
participate.
3. Room Arrangement:
4.
5.
6.
7.
a. The desks will be arranged in a circle so the students will be able to focus on their
peers rather than on me.
b. Depending on the class, I will allow for the students to sit where they choose. If
the class cannot handle that task, I will have assigned seats prepared.
Preparation (discussion skills)
a. Students will be prepped for the seminar with the following:
i. First, I will simply explain what they will be doing in the seminar
1. Discussion
2. Asking questions
3. Analyzing the primary sources
ii. The “rules” of the seminar will be written on the board
1. Do not raise your hand, feel free to jump in when appropriate
(Wait for others to finish speaking)
2. Must participate at least twice—post-it notes
3. Please keep all conversation relevant to the topic—refer to the
primary documents when discussing
iii. I will go over the “rules” and expectations at the beginning of class so the
students are well aware of how they should behave.
iv. Expectations:
1. *See the “rules”*
2. Each student must participate twice
3. Each student must complete the door ticket:
a. Answer the following question: In 3 sentences, briefly
explain Roman civilization based on the documents.
b. If students do not complete the ticket, they will not be
awarded participation points for the day.
Procedure (30 minutes)
a. Students come in and take a seat
b. Teacher explains what the class will be like (includes rules and expectations)
c. Teacher will begin by asking the Opening question.
d. Allow for students to ask their own questions and discuss
e. If there is a lull, the teacher needs to ask the core questions
f. If the core questions are not addressed, the teacher should address them.
g. When the discussion is wrapping up, the teacher will ask the follow-up questions
and bring the class back and out of “seminar mode.”
Facilitation
a. The teacher will stand outside of the circle and keep track of participation.
b. If the students are off topic, or are not asking questions, the teacher must be
prepared to steer the conversation in the direction it needs to go.
c. Make sure that it is not the same 5 students talking the entire time—be willing to
ask specific students what they think, if necessary.
Debrief (15 minutes)
a. Come back together as a class and ask the follow-up questions to make sure the
students understood the text and are capable of describing Roman civilization.
b. Assign homework:
i. Students must write a 1 page essay or draw a picture describing/depicting
Roman civilization based on the documents and on the discussion.
8. Exit (5 minutes)
a. Students will be given 5 minutes to complete their door ticket.
b. Tickets will be turned in before they leave the class.
Resources:
 Desks in circle formation
 White board with written instructions for the day
 Documents (homework from the night before)
 Post-it notes
Differentiation:
Students will be given a choice between writing an essay or drawing a picture for the
homework assignment. This allows students to engage with the content in a way that may be
more effective for them.
The advanced students will be given the opportunity to be challenged through more
intense analytical thinking. There will be two sets of questions available for the students. The
easier questions (based on just reading the text as it is) will be given to the students that are
capable of answering these questions effectively, but not the harder questions. The harder
questions will be given to the students in the class that require more challenging material. These
questions will refer to making inferences from the text and critical thinking.
Adaptations:
N/A
Reflection:
The potential issues with this lesson are a lack of participation and a lack of
understanding. The participation can be monitored and controlled through teacher observation
and interaction with the students if absolutely necessary. A lack of understanding can be fixed
through the teacher steering the conversation in a direction that will help the students understand.
This requires that the teacher know the documents extremely well.
Both of these potential issues bring another potential issue; too much teacher
involvement. This activity is meant to be mostly student run. Therefore, it can be tricky to have
students understanding the documents and asking the right questions without the teacher getting
overly involved. The best way to combat this is to have the absolutely necessary questions on
the homework the night before. That way, the students are guaranteed to have seen them and
answered them (hopefully).
Primary Sources:
Seneca (b.4 BC/1 CE-d. 65 CE):
Epistles 7: The Gladiatorial Games
The following letter indicates how by the age of Nero cultured and elevated men were
beginning to revolt at the arena butcheries which still delighted the mob.
I turned in to the games one mid-day hoping for a little wit and humor there. I was bitterly
disappointed. It was really mere butchery. The morning's show was merciful compared to it.
Then men were thrown to lions and to bears: but at midday to the audience. There was no
escape for them. The slayer was kept fighting until he could be slain. "Kill him! flog him! burn
him alive" was the cry: "Why is he such a coward? Why won't he rush on the steel? Why does
he fall so meekly? Why won't he die willingly?" Unhappy that I am, how have I deserved that I
must look on such a scene as this? Do not, my Lucilius, attend the games, I pray you. Either
you will be corrupted by the multitude, or, if you show disgust, be hated by them. So stay
away.
Source:
From: William Stearns Davis, ed., Readings in Ancient History: Illustrative Extracts from the Sources, 2 Vols. (Boston:
Allyn and Bacon, 1912-13), Vol. II: Rome and the West, pp. ??
Scanned by: J. S. Arkenberg, Dept. of History, Cal. State Fullerton. Prof. Arkenberg has modernized the text.
Josephus (37- after 93 CE):
The Roman Army in the First Century CE
DESCRIPTION OF THE ROMAN ARMIES AND ROMAN CAMPS
1. NOW here one cannot but admire at the precaution of the Romans, in providing themselves
of such household servants, as might not only serve at other times for the common offices of
life, but might also be of advantage to them in their wars. And, indeed, if any one does but
attend to the other parts of their military discipline, he will be forced to confess that their
obtaining so large a dominion hath been the acquisition of their valor, and not the bare gift of
fortune; for they do not begin to use their weapons first in time of war, nor do they then put
their hands first into motion, while they avoided so to do in times of peace; but, as if their
weapons did always cling to them, they have never any truce from warlike exercises; nor do
they stay till times of war admonish them to use them; for their military exercises differ not at
all from the real use of their arms, but every soldier is every day exercised, and that with great
diligence, as if it were in time of war, which is the reason why they bear the fatigue of battles
so easily; for neither can any disorder remove them from their usual regularity, nor can fear
affright them out of it, nor can labor tire them; which firmness of conduct makes them always
to overcome those that have not the same firmness; nor would he be mistaken that should call
those their exercises unbloody battles, and their battles bloody exercises. Nor can their enemies
easily surprise them with the suddenness of their incursions; for as soon as they have marched
into an enemy's land, they do not begin to fight till they have walled their camp about; nor is
the fence they raise rashly made, or uneven; nor do they all abide ill it, nor do those that are in
it take their places at random; but if it happens that the ground is uneven, it is first leveled:
their camp is also four-square by measure, and carpenters are ready, in great numbers, with
their tools, to erect their buildings for them.
Source:
Flavius Josephus: The Jewish War. III.5-6, trans. William Whiston. Complete works of Josephus online at CCEL http://ccel.wheaton.edu/j/josephus/JOSEPHUS.HTM