English 10
Lord of the Flies
Name:
Socratic Seminar Questions
Your Task: Provide clear, thoughtful, text-based answers to the questions below on separate paper. You will
share your responses in a Socratic Seminar on Monday, January 12th. In order to be prepared for the Seminar
discussion, your responses must:
 be written in full sentences.
 address all parts of the questions
 demonstrate a thorough understanding of the characters, events, and details in the text.
 contain accurate, sufficient text evidence (specific examples and quotes with page numbers)
 be neatly written on separate paper.
A TEST GRADE for the unit will be based on the following elements:
 The quality of your responses
 Your participation in the Socratic Seminar
 The overall quality of the Seminar
1. "Fear is the enemy for civilization; fear prevents construction and progress."
o What does this quote mean? Re-state the quote in your own words.
o Why is fear an “enemy” and how does it “prevent progress”?
o How does fear lead to the destruction of the civilization on the island in Lord of the Flies?
Demonstrate your ideas with specific evidence from the text and quotes.
2. The eighteenth-century philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau proposed that man was, by nature, good,
and it was society that corrupted him. Golding, however, completely rejected this belief, and many
critics have claimed that Golding writes about humanity as though we are naturally savages. In his
notes to the novel Golding claims that “the theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to
the defects of human nature.”
o Whose view of mankind is most clearly represented in the novel? State your claim clearly and
argue your claim using at least three examples from the text. *Include page numbers for
quotes and text references.
o Whose view of human nature do you agree with most, and why?
3. Is the central conflict (civilization vs. savagery) resolved in the end of the story? Why/why not?
Argue your position using specific text evidence (quotes) as support. You must explain the
connection between the text evidence and your claim.
4. Even though the novel was written and published in the early 1950s, is this novel still relevant today?
Are there lessons that readers can still learn from reading this story? Explain and demonstrate your
reasoning.
English 10H
Lord of the Flies
Name:
TEST: Socratic Seminar Rubric
3
Quality of Socratic
Seminar: The extent
to which the group
discussion covers all
parts of the question
and the extent to
which to participants
incorporate text
evidence in the
discussion

Preparedness: The
extent to which the
student used the time
before the discussion to
read the novel and to
prepare their responses
to the questions.
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Participation: The
extent to which the
student participates in
the discussion and takes
his/her role in the
discussion seriously.

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Group members
effectively discussed
all parts of the
questions.
Group members
supported their claims
and arguments with
adequate and
appropriate evidence
from the text.
Students responded to
each other’s ideas so
that the discussion
progressed naturally
Student completed all
assignments before the
discussion. It is
obvious that the
student has read and
comprehended the
novel thoroughly.
Student came to the
discussion prepared
with meaningful and
insightful responses to
the questions.
Student’s responses to
the questions were
text-based and wellreasoned.
Student’s responses to
the questions contained
adequate information
from the text.
Participant offers solid
analysis throughout the
discussion.
Participant participates
in and initiates
discussion without
being prompted.
Through his/her
comments, the
participant
demonstrates a
thorough and insightful
knowledge of the text.
Participant actively
listens to others and is
consistently engaged in
the discussion.
2
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
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1
Group members
discussed some parts
of the questions.
Group members
supported their claims
and arguments with
some evidence from
the text.
Students simply stated
ideas and/or the
discussion had an
awkward flow due to
lack of participation.

Student completed all
assignments before the
discussion. Student’s
knowledge of the text
is simple or superficial.
Student came to the
discussion prepared
with some meaningful
responses to the
questions.
Student’s responses to
the questions were
opinion-based or
overly general
Student’s references to
the text were
vague/weak.

Participant offers some
analysis but needs
prompting from the
seminar leader.
Through his/her
comments, the
participant
demonstrates a general
knowledge of the text.
Participant relies more
on his/her opinion and
less on the text to drive
his/her comments
Participant sometimes
listens to others and
his/her engagement in
the discussion in
inconsistent.

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

Group members only
discussed the main part
of the question OR went
off topic
Group members relied
more on their opinions
and did not use text
evidence to support their
claims and arguments.
The discussion reached
a “dead end” due to lack
of participation and/or
preparation.
Assignments were
incomplete or
insufficient. Student’s
knowledge of the text is
questionable.
Student was not
prepared for the
discussion.
Student’s responses to
the questions were offtopic or inappropriate.
Participant offers little
commentary.
Through his/her
comments, the
participant demonstrates
a limited knowledge of
the text.
Participant does not
listen to others and is
not engaged in the
discussion.
Name_________________________ Self appointed grade ______
Level 4 (A)
Preparation:
[ ] Actively participated in class preparation
[ ] Comes to class prepared with book, questions, and research
Behavior
[ ] Maintains a formal environment from the beginning until the end
[ ] Respectfully addresses and responds to others
[ ] Pays attention even when he is not involved in the conversation
[ ] Helps create an environment that everyone feels comfortable in
Participation
[ ] Actively engages in the conversation: listening and talking
[ ] Makes reference to the text
[ ] Uses outside resources and personal experience to deepen the discussion
[ ] Makes reference to the comments of others
[ ] Asks open ended and interesting questions
[ ] Brings the conversation to higher levels of thinking: universal truth/human nature
Level 3 (B)
Preparation:
[ ] Actively participated in class preparation
[ ] Comes to class prepared with book, questions, and research
Behavior
[ ] Maintains a formal environment from the beginning until the end
[ ] Respectfully addresses and responds to others
[ ] Pays attention even when he is not involved in the conversation
[ ] Helps create an environment that everyone feels comfortable in
Participation
[ ] Actively engages in the conversation: listening and talking
[ ] Makes reference to the text
[ ] Uses outside resources and personal experience to deepen the discussion
[ ] Makes reference to the comments of others
[ ] Asks open ended and interesting questions
Level 2 (C)
Preparation:
[ ] Comes to class prepared with book, questions, and research
Behavior
[ ] Respectfully addresses and responds to others
[ ] Helps create an environment that everyone feels comfortable in
Participation
[ ] Actively engages in the conversation: listening and talking
[ ] Makes reference to the text
[ ] Makes reference to the comments of others
[ ] Asks open ended and interesting questions