Of Mice and Men - Socratic Seminar Preparation
A Socratic Seminar is a whole-class discussion regarding a text, and you are responsible for starting this discussion.
You must come prepared on the day of the final with the following questions and answers. These questions will
help start the discussion, but you may also discuss other issues related to the text as they come up in the discussion.
You will be graded on your participation in the class discussion, the depth of your thoughts and responses, and your
ability to use textual evidence to support your points.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PART I: QUESTIONS YOU ASK
Write an insightful question for every question type below. Include answers underneath each question. The
answers for the questions must be in paragraph form and contain textual evidence for support.
- Questions and responses must be typed.
- All answers must include textual evidence as support.
1. Open-Ended Question about characterization in Of Mice and Men.
Write an insightful question about how one of the characters is presented in the text that will require proof,
group discussion, and "construction of logic" to discover or explore the answer to the question.
Open-Ended Question Example (Lord of the Flies): Analyze the portrayal of Ralph’s character in terms of
whether or not he is a “good person”. Consider his treatment of Piggy).
2. Open-Ended Question about a passage in Of Mice and Men.
Choose a specific passage that stuck out to you from the novel and ask the class why they think this might
be an important passage from the book. Make sure you can give some context of where the passage appears
in the novel and some information of why you chose this specific passage.
Open-Ended Question Example: Interpret the significance in regards to the ideas of civilization and
savagery in the following passage describing Maurice’s actions, “Now, though there was no parent to let
fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing” (60)?
3. World Connection Question: Of Mice and Men
Write a question connecting the text to the real world. Prepare an answer that gives examples from
the real world as well as from the text.
Example: After considering the events in Lord of the Flies, do you think that our political leaders more
often show leadership traits that remind you of Ralph or Jack?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PART II: QUESTIONS YOU ANSWER
Answer the following questions in analytical paragraph form. Support claims with textual evidence.
4. Universal Theme
Choose one of the topics below and create a universal theme about life that you think is apparent in the novel.
Support your claim about this theme with examples from the text.
- Friendship
- Loneliness
- Dreams
- The Value of Human Life
5. The End
Evaluate Steinbeck’s dramatic ending to the novel. Do you think the way the novel is resolved is necessary?
Consider the past actions and potential futures of the characters. Support your opinions with examples from the
text.