Penncrest Academically Gifted Program - Ninth Grade Gifted Seminar 2015-2016
Instructors:
Mrs. Megan Caiola, mcaiola@rtmsd.org
Ms. Colleen Hoy, choy@rtmsd.org
Ninth Grade Gifted Seminar focuses upon current events through the use of a Socratic
dialogue format. Open-ended questions start and sustain the dialogue as participants
explore many aspects of a topic.
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The seminar will meet twice a cycle during your assigned period.
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The seminar will be a scheduled class consisting of a study hall period and a
seminar period each cycle.
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The class will not be ranked nor count towards a student’s GPA. Students will
receive a Pass/Fail grade.
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The curriculum involves an in-depth analysis of current events through an instructor
led format during the first few sessions and a student led format during the second
marking period. During the second semester, students gain skills as a networked
learner, and pursue research in an area of interest related to previous current event
dialogues or current coursework.
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Students must attend 75% of seminar classes in order to receive credit. Students
who are absent are responsible for obtaining and completing the assigned readings.
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Students may withdraw from the class and reenter a study hall during the course of
the year. Students will receive a NORA to exit the Gifted Programming. Students
who withdraw before the start of the second semester will not have a withdraw
appear on their transcripts. Students who withdraw after that date will have a W/F
on their transcript.
Expectations for the Ninth Grade Gifted Seminar
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During the first semester, the seminar will follow the Socratic Method where
students will take turns as discussion leader. The “Socratic Method” is explained
on page three of this handout.
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The students will be assigned short articles to read relating to a specific current
issue that will be the subject of the next day’s class. Students will have time to
read the articles. Next class day, the students should come prepared to enter
into dialogue about them. Students should also bring several open-ended
questions to contribute to the dialogue. (Examples below.)
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During the first few weeks, the Gifted Seminar teachers will compile the
readings. The seminar students will be assigned a day(s) to serve as a dialogue
leader, and each will be responsible for selecting the reading for that week.
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During the second semester, students will have the opportunity to work
independently as a networked learner to further study an issue discussed during
seminar class; extend learning of a topic covered in class, or investigate a topic
Penncrest Academically Gifted Program - Ninth Grade Gifted Seminar 2015-2016
that falls outside of the Penncrest curriculum. As an accompaniment to the
independent research, students will be expected to compile a portfolio that
includes various pieces of writing, reflections on their experiences, and research
notes.
Seminar Topics:
This is YOUR class; therefore, the topics dialogued will reflect YOUR interests. A sample
list of topics dialogued in prior years follows below:
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Bullying
Environmental Disasters (BP Oil Spill and others / environmental, economic and
other impacts)
The Changing Role of the Media
Social Networking / Electronic Communications (privacy, security)
Immigration Issues (laws/impacts & ramifications)
Standardized Testing (purpose, effectiveness, benefits, future use)
Sports Ethics (role models, drugs & testing, community involvement)
Merchandizing and marketing of movies and celebrities
Please let us know of other topics in which YOU are interested. Please choose topics that
are timely, news worthy and can be looked at from multiple viewpoints. Below is
information regarding the types of questions often asked in a Socratic Seminar, followed
by Bloom’s Taxonomy. We look forward to working with you to choose articles and topics
that will lead to thoughtful dialogues.
Timing:
When students will be leading Seminar dialogue, they must: 1) receive their teacher’s
approval of their topic; 2) provide their teacher with their selected readings and videos, and
3) provide three to five open ended questions to accompany the readings. These are due
one week prior to the day of the scheduled Seminar class.
Materials:
You will receive readings and a classroom folder from your Seminar teacher. It would be a
good idea to have a pen/pencil and a highlighter to use when you read the articles so you
can make notes for yourself. Articles that are read are taken from highly respected,
credible newspapers, news magazines, television and radio networks, such as: The New
York Times, Wall Street Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Economist and several others.
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Penncrest Academically Gifted Program - Ninth Grade Gifted Seminar 2015-2016
What is a Socratic Seminar? (Adapted from
http://www.studyguide.org/socratic_seminar.htm#Background )
Background
The Socratic method of teaching is based on Socrates' theory that it is more important to
enable students to think for themselves than to merely fill their heads with "right"
answers. Therefore, he regularly engaged his pupils in dialogues by responding to their
questions with questions, instead of answers. This process encourages divergent thinking
rather than convergent. Students are given opportunities to "examine" a common piece of
text or other prompt, and after examining it, ask and answer open-ended questions.
Open-ended questions allow students to think critically, analyze multiple meanings in a
text, and express ideas with clarity and confidence. A certain degree of emotional safety is
felt by participants when they understand that this format is based on dialogue and not
discussion/debate.
Dialogue is exploratory and involves the suspension of biases and prejudices. On
the other hand, debate is the transfer of information designed to win an argument and
bring closure. Americans are very good at debate, but not always good at using dialogue.
However, once teachers and students learn to dialogue, they find the ability to ask
meaningful questions that stimulate thoughtful interchanges of ideas is more important
than "the answer."
Participants in a Socratic Seminar respond to one another with respect by carefully
listening instead of interrupting. Students are encouraged to "paraphrase" essential
elements of another's ideas before responding, either in support or in disagreement.
Members of the dialogue are civil to one another: they look each other in the eye and use
each other’s names.
Engaging in a dialogue means the participants:
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Suspend judgment
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Abandon defensiveness
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Listen carefully
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Communicate, examine, and/or challenge underlying assumptions
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Explore viewpoints more broadly and deeply
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Approach someone who sees a problem differently not as an adversary, but as a
colleague in common pursuit of exploring a topic to grow in new knowledge
Penncrest Academically Gifted Program - Ninth Grade Gifted Seminar 2015-2016
Seminar Questions:
In order to start and sustain the dialogue, we will be answering several types of questions
about each of the articles we read. These questions include:
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WORLD CONNECTION QUESTIONS: These questions connect the text to the real
world.
Example: If you were given only 24 hours to pack your most precious
belongings in a back pack and get ready to leave your home town, what
might you pack? (After reading an article about Hurricane Katrina or another disaster.)
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CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS: Questions that will help everyone in the class come to
an agreement about definitions, events or people in the article. Often answered by
“Yes or No” or has a specific correct answer. These types of questions are used to gain
clarity on facts of a topic, and are used only as needed. They are not the predominant
type of question used.
Example: How many gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico as part of the BP Oil
Spill?
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OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS: Insightful questions about the article that will require
group dialogue and "construction of logic" to discover or explore the answer.
Example: Why do some people feel that limiting assault weapons will infringe on a
citizen’s right to bear arms?
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UNIVERSAL THEME/CORE QUESTIONS: These questions deal with the theme or
main idea of an article that will encourage group discussion about how the issue is
relevant to the group.
Example: Why is the battle of good versus evil a unifying theme across many age
levels? (Harry Potter books, Hunger Games, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings)
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Penncrest Academically Gifted Program - Ninth Grade Gifted Seminar 2015-2016
Some Guidelines for Participants in a Socratic Seminar:
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Refer to the article when needed during the discussion. A seminar is not a test of
memory. You are not "learning a subject"; your goal is to understand the ideas,
issues, and values reflected in the readings.
It is acceptable to "pass" occasionally when asked to contribute.
Do not participate if you are not prepared. A seminar should not be a bull
session.
Ask for clarification if you don’t understand or are confused about a point.
Stick to the point currently under dialogue; make notes about ideas you want to
come back to later.
Take turns speaking, but you don’t need to raise hands.
Listen carefully.
Speak up so that all can hear you.
Talk to each other.
Dialogue ideas rather than each other's opinions.
Expectations:
- Speak loudly and clearly
- Listen to others respectfully
- Support each other
- Question others in a civil manner
- Cite reasons and evidence for your statements
- Stick to the subject under dialogue
- Avoid hostile exchanges
- Come to class prepared
Review of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy for Critical Thinking
(from lowest to highest order of thinking):
REMEMBERING – Recalling or recognizing information, ideas, and principles in the
approximate form in which they are learned, without necessarily understanding the
material.
UNDERSTANDING – Being able to explain ideas and concepts in your own words.
APPLYING – Using information or ideas in another situation, such as problem solving or
transferring theoretical ideas to practical situations.
ANALYZING – Breaking information into parts to explore understandings and
relationships.
EVALUATING – Justifying a decision or course of action or making decisions based on
supporting views.
CREATING – Pulling together information from multiple sources to generate new ideas,
products, or ways of viewing things.
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