ABSTRACT

Teach students how to engage in thoughtful discussions about a text. Socratic seminars are highly effective at helping students read closely and think critically about what they’ve read. They also teach students how to participate in authentic discussions. This practical book from bestselling authors Victor and Marc Moeller is your go-to guide for getting started! It will help teachers who are new at Socratic seminars and provide fresh ideas to teachers who are experienced with the format. Part I provides guidelines on how to prepare students for discussion and how to form good discussion questions. Part II includes ready-to-use lesson plans organized by compelling themes to engage students. The lesson plans include unabridged literary and nonfiction reading selections from classic and contemporary authors, as well as suggested film pairings.

Authors featured in this book include...

  • C. S. Lewis
  • William Faulkner
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Mike Royko
  • Isaac Asimov
  • Aldous Huxley
  • Andrew Postman
  • John Updike
  • Gina Berriault
  • Gene Siskel
  • Judith Guest
  • President Obama
  • Anton Chekhov
  • Robert Frost
  • John Cheever

And more!

part |60 pages

The Socratic Method

chapter |6 pages

Two Models of Teaching

If Good Teaching is a Dialogue, Why Does the Monologue Continue to Dominate?

chapter |12 pages

Lesson Plan 1

Active and Close Reading

chapter |5 pages

Lesson Plan 2

Three Kinds of Questions

chapter |5 pages

Lesson Plan 3

Qualities of Good Discussion Questions

chapter |9 pages

Lesson Plan 4

Basic Interpretive Questions

chapter |8 pages

Lesson Plan 5

Spontaneous Follow-up Questions

chapter |9 pages

Lesson Plan 6

Preparing Students For Discussion

part |186 pages

Socratic Seminars

chapter |13 pages

Socratic Seminars and Films

An Overview: Great Books Common Core Curriculum

chapter |14 pages

Lesson Plan 7

Why Would Someone Choose to Live Without Friends?

chapter |40 pages

Lesson Plan 8

How Important is a Brother or Your Country in Your Life?

chapter |29 pages

Lesson Plan 9

Is Technology as Much a Curse as a Blessing?

chapter |33 pages

Lesson Plan 10

Can We Forget That We Are Human?

chapter |11 pages

Lesson Plan 11

How Important is God in Your Life?

chapter |28 pages

Lesson Plan 12

How Does Someone Cope with the Death of a Child?

chapter |16 pages

Lesson Plan 13

Do We all Have the Same Unconditional Right to Life?