If you have never heard of this before, at the bottom is a list of professional resources that you can use to learn about Socratic Circles. The basic principle is this: students get a chance to express their opinions about a certain topic/article (preferably about social studies) and a chance to critique their peers conversation in a Socratic Circle. Those in the inside circle discuss the material. Those on the outside circle critique the inside circle and give feedback. Pretty simple.
This would be a great addition to any classroom. How many times do you give students homework to "read" and they come back having not read? This would force them to do the reading because they will have to use the information to contribute in conversation. I hope this sparks and interest and some courage for you to try this in your classroom!
Professional Resources:
This link gives a presentation on Socratic Circles and how to use them in a classroom. It is mainly for teachers, but I think it would be beneficial for students to understand the guidelines. (Target Grade: 5-8) https://prezi.com/8rhncy5szgie/socratic-seminars-in-the-ss-classroom/
This site has a concise description of how to run a Socratic Seminar. If you follow other links on the site, there are resources and tons of things to give ideas for topics. (Target Grade: 3-6) https://www.facinghistory.org/for-educators/educator-resources/teaching-strategies/socratic-seminar
This is a PDF of a PowerPoint presentation. It has really great explanations and examples to use with middle and high school students. Every content area is addressed. (Target Grade: 7) http://intc.education.illinois.edu/events/btc2013/shad_skarzynski
This link provides an actual lesson plan for Socratic Circles. The topic is the Enlightenment in World History. (Target Grade: 7-9) http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/ghgonline/units/5/documents/LearningExpU5.pdf
This is a PDF of a PowerPoint presentation. It explains why Socratic circles are such a crucial part of 21st Century Skills. (Target Grade: application to any) http://www.mtagate.org/uploads/1/1/7/4/11741428/walker_socratic_seminar.pdf
This is a lesson plan for high school on Human Rights. I think the format is important here. (Target Grade: 9-12) https://www.uww.edu/Documents/colleges/coeps/cni/social%20studies/lesson%20plans/2008-2009/UN_Hum_Rights_SS.pdf
This site is a great way to form Socratic Questions to ask your students. (Target Grade: application to any) http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/socratic_questions.htm
This is a PDF that further explains Socratic Circles and how they work. There are some good example handouts. (Target Grade: 4-8) https://www.nwabr.org/sites/default/files/SocSem.pdf
On this site, under "Find lesson plans in your subject area:" there is a History section, and if you click on the topics it will bring up lesson plans. (Target Grade: varies) http://www.paideia.org/teachers/seminar-lesson-plans/
This is a PDF of a free lesson plan. It is mostly a template that can be used to Socratic Circle Lessons. (Target Grade: application to any) http://www.liketoread.com/Resources/Socratic%20Lesson%20Plan%20Template.pdf
This is a resource on Teachers Pay Teachers for Socratic Circle math cards. (Target Grade: 7-10) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Socratic-Circles-Number-Cards-227692
Great post! I enjoyed doing this in class so much when we first did it. As mentioned, it is an awesome way for students to do more speaking and listening in class. This builds their confidence when speaking in front of others. I hope to use this in the future.
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