Socratic Seminar Critical Reading and Thinking

This bundle is everything you need to implement Socratic seminar successfully! It includes a complete 4-page teacher guide for implementation; 10 editable Google slides to present Socratic seminar to your students; a rubric, a teacher note taking sheet for use during the seminar, an exit ticket, and a make up assignment; and a sample pre-seminar reading activity. (The teaching duration indicated is for a one class hour seminar and pre-teaching of the seminar structure. This may be modified.)

Socratic seminar is not a lesson. Rather, it is a student-centered teaching strategy designed to actively engage students in critical thinking and a conversation about a rich text. Until I started using the Socratic seminar strategy, I often struggled with many students not reading an assigned text at all, not reading it carefully or critically, or not participating in discussions I wanted to have about the text. Instead, I was faced with many disengaged students or blank faces, just waiting for me to tell them the “answer.” Since I started using this method, I often have students coming into class debating the text before the hour even begins--and then continuing the debate after the bell has rung! An added bonus is that creating and grading reading quizzes is no longer necessary.

I have experimented with the physical organization of the room, the way in which students participate, and with assessment methods. This packet includes all of the teacher guides, student instructions, and rubrics that I have used successfully for several years with Advanced Placement students and general education sophomores.

Please note: The link to the Google Slide presentation in the teacher directions has gone inactive. I have included a Power Point version in the zip file instead.

I will be adding to this resource bundle. Please follow at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Gayle-Martin to get a notification and your free update!