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A Socratic Seminar is a type of collaborative discussion designed to explore a complex question, topic, or text. Participants engage in meaningful and respectful discourse by preparing for discussions, reading (or researching) required material, and then explicitly drawing on that preparation by referring to text evidence.
The goal is for participants to have a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas and, by the end of the discussion, arrive at a deeper understanding of a concept or idea. In this way, a Socratic Seminar is not a debate.
A strategy for thinking actively and interpretively about your reading is to ask questions before, during, and after reading. As you read any text, you can ask questions that aid your understanding of different levels of ideas. Questioning helps you experience a text in depth, gain information, and monitor your understanding.
Level One
Questions
Level One
Questions
Literal questions (Level 1): Literal questions can be answered by referring back to the text or consulting references.
Level Two
Questions
Level Two
Questions
Interpretive questions (Level 2): Interpretive questions call for inferences because the answers cannot be found directly in the text; however, textual evidence points to and supports the answers. These types of questions require readers to come to an understanding regarding the author’s intended purpose or meaning.
Inferential Questions: These types of questions require readers to combine text evidence with prior knowledge and experience.
Level Three Questions
Level Three Questions
Universal questions (Level 3): Universal questions go beyond the text. What are the larger issues or ideas raised by the text?
Evaluative Questions: These types of questions require readers to make judgments regarding the author’s ideas, argument, or the effectiveness of the text.
To have a good discussion:
1. Come prepared, having read and
thought about the text
2. Ask relevant questions to propel the
conversation and connect ideas
4. Refer to specific passages in the text
5. Be open to new ideas
Harkness Key for Mapping and Observing Socratic Seminar
Positive Points:
Check mark = substantive comment
? = substantive question
added star = Insightful comment or question
Y/N = text brought to class
txt = student refers to text
“txt” = student quotes text
“txt” p. = quotes text with page number
Bname = brings another into the conversation
B = builds on others’ ideas
CD = connection to previous class discussion
CLife = connection to life or contemporary issue
Ctxt = connection to other text
CL = clarifying question or statement, re-stating
F = facilitates moving topics, explicit transitions
MC = meta-conversation, referring to any of these moves, using names
L = leads conversation
CfO = calling for order
Pol = polite
P = persistence, sticking with an idea or question to explore or resolve
Ap= appreciation of another’s comment
R = resuscitates conversation
A = answers another’s question
SAL = speaking/thinking at length
Negative Points:
I = interruption or talking over others
SC = side conversation (self control)
OT = off-topic
NA = non-academic
M/LV = mumble, low volume
UP = unprepared (no book or didn’t read)
OD = over-dominates
Source: Adapted for class from Springboard English II and awnb-harkness-key-new-2016 (1).pdf
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