In their Languge Arts classes, the 6th and 8th grade students participated in Socratic-style seminar discussions to showcase their understanding of their class novels. The discussions were 100% student-led with 0% teacher involvement.
In a Socratic seminar discussion, students ask and answer all of the questions. The teacher remains silent. The students sit in a circle or around a seminar table where every participant can make eye contact with all other participants while speaking or actively listening. The discussion moves freely as the students answer one another’s questions, build on the commentary of others, and, of course, invite one another to contribute to keep the discussion going.
The 8th graders wrapped up their reading of the novel Uprising with two Socratic discussions inside the “fishbowl.” The novel Uprising tells the intersecting stories of three young women before and during the tragic fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan on March 25, 1911. Along with reading the novel, the students analyzed the benefits and downsides of the Industrial Revolution in American life at the turn of the twentieth century.
To prepare for the discussion, students generated their own questions about the novel’s main themes, especially characterization. The 8th graders also shared their analyses of meaningful passages from the novel and real historical events before inviting other participants to add to their ideas.
While one-half of the class participated in the discussion inside the fishbowl, the other half sat around the room outside the discussion table to observe and listen to their peers. The discussion lasted for 20 minutes before the two groups switched roles.
While the discussion was underway inside the fishbowl, each observer tracked specific elements of the discussion in their Observer Notes. They logged specific types of commentary as they occurred, including when a speaker connected the discussion topic to a broader theme, when someone built on another person’s comment, or when an analytical question was asked to the whole discussion group.
The 6th graders finished reading the novel Flowers for Algernon, which is about a mentally disabled man who triples his intelligence through an operation. For their cumulative project, the class also held a Socratic Seminar. In the discussion, students evaluated the various themes present in the novel, such as the relationship between EQ and IQ. Students made connections with the nonfiction topics discussed in class, such as the story of Adam and Eve, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, and eugenics. When reflecting on their performance, the 6th graders were most proud of their ability to support one another’s intellectual thinking.
In both grades, the students were surprised at how quickly time flew by inside the fishbowl. The discussion participants in both grades asked if they could have more time to continue as they felt they had much more to discuss.
FRIDAY BLOG 