Socratic Seminar Student Guide
Grade 9 English & Humanities Civil Academic Discourse
Socratic Seminar Student Guide
Phase 1 & Phase 2
Prepare & Dialogue
Student Name
Date & Period
Seminar Text & Core Inquiry Question
Core Rule: Disagree with the idea, never the person. Always point back to the text.
"You're wrong" "Line 14 says..."
1
Phase 1: Scholar Preparation (Before the Circle)
Every claim needs a quote or line number
Costa's Question Levels
Prep at least two L2 or L3
Level 1: Factual Recall In the text
Has one clear factual answer: "What happens when...?"
Level 2: Interpretive Best for Seminar
Needs text clues; has debate: "Why does the author use the word...?"
Level 3: Universal Real world
Big ideas about life & society: "Is it ever right to break a rule to do good?"
Evidence Launchpad
Anchor Quote & Page / Line #
My Opening Question
Annotate at least 3 passages before joining the circle.
2
Phase 2: Respectful Dialogue Stems (Quick & Clear)
Clear, simple ways to speak up
Instead of: "That makes no sense."
Say this: "Where in the text did you find that?"
1. Respectful Disagreement
- • "I see your point, but on line ___ it says..."
- • "Another way to look at that is..."
- • "What about on page ___ where the text states...?"
- • "I agree about [Name], but I disagree that..."
2. Citing & Asking for Proof
- • "On page ___, line ___, the author writes..."
- • "Where in the text did you find that?"
- • "What words in the passage led you to that idea?"
- • "The author's word choice here suggests that..."
3. Building & Connecting
- • "Building on [Name]'s point, I also noticed..."
- • "That connects back to what we read in paragraph ___..."
- • "I used to think ___, but now I realize..."
- • "To add to what was just said, look at..."
4. Clarifying & Inviting Peers
- • "Could you say that another way? I want to be sure I get it."
- • "Are you saying that [repeat idea]?"
- • "[Name], what do you think about this part?"
- • "Let's get back to our main question about..."
Seminar Norms: Talk to the circle, not the teacher • Wait 3 seconds before responding • Track the speaker with your eyes & pen
Active Observation & Metacognition Outer Circle & Self-Audit
Active Tracking & Reflection
Phase 3 & Phase 4
Observe & Evaluate
3
Phase 3: Fishbowl Observation Log
For Outer Circle observers tracking partner in Inner Circle
Partner Tracked:
Round: [ ] Round 1 [ ] Round 2
Discourse Codes: C = Cites Text B = Builds On P = Respectful Pushback Q = Probing Question
| Speaker | Code | Text Evidence / Core Argument Offered | Observation / Constructive Peer Feedback |
|---|
| C / B / P / Q | | |
| C / B / P / Q | | |
| C / B / P / Q | | |
| C / B / P / Q | | |
| C / B / P / Q | | |
Direct Quotes Cited _____
Respectful Pushbacks _____
Peers Invited In _____
3-Sec Pauses Given _____
4
Phase 4: Post-Seminar Reflection & Self-Audit
Evaluate individual performance
Textual Grounding
Grounded each assertion in line numbers, quotes, or direct evidence.
[ ] 1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4
Respectful Discourse
Challenged ideas respectfully using stems; never attacked individuals.
[ ] 1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4
Idea Synthesis
Built on peers' arguments and connected disparate threads together.
[ ] 1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4
Active Listening
Listened without interrupting; demonstrated 3-second pause.
[ ] 1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4
A Peer's Perspective or Pushback that Shifted My Thinking:
My Academic Dialogue Goal for the Next Seminar:
