Socratic Seminar

1. Citizenship
1. For this seminar students will watch three video clips beforehand to be prepared. I'll explain the importance of being prepared. Students will be expected to participate in the seminar. I'll have two cards for each student during the seminar. When a student says something they'll put their card in the middle of the circle. When they've used both of their cards they can't say anything else in the discussion until everyone else has said something. I'll remind the students that during a socratic seminar the students need to be respectful of what each other says.
2. During the seminar I'll monitor the students. I'll also ask questions and take any notes. Some of the questions I'll ask are:
1. What specific types of citizenship did the videos name?
2. What does citizenship mean?
3. What are some examples of citizenship in our classroom?
4. How can you show more citizenship in the school?
5. How could you teach citizenship to someone younger than you?
3. I'll help the students summarize the seminar.
4. Students will blog about the seminar and self-evaluate their participation in it.
2. Hatchet
1. I'll conduct this seminar after we've read Hatchet as a class. Same rules and guidelines apply to this seminar as the last.
2. During the seminar I'll monitor the students. I'll also ask questions and take any notes. Some of the questions I'll ask are:
1. What was the secret that Brian was keeping?
2. How does keeping the secret make Brian feel?
3. Would you have kept the secret? Why or Why not?
4. Do you think you could've survived in the wilderness like Brian did?
5. If you could make a movie of Hatchet what parts would you keep or leave out?
3. I'll help the students summarize the seminar.
4. Students will podcast about the seminar and self-evaluate their participation in it.
3. Japanese Internment Camps
1. For this seminar students will watch three video clips and read an article beforehand to be prepared. I'd also like to read Journey to Topaz as a class. Same rules apply for this seminar as the first.
2. During the seminar I'll monitor the students. I'll also ask questions and take any notes. I'm also going to project the questions on the board. Some of the questions I'll ask are:
1. When were the Japanese Internment Camps?
2. Why did the USA put the Japanese in camps?
3. Should the USA have put the Japanese in camps?
4. How would you feel if you were put in a camp?
5. How could you teach someone else about Japanese Internment Camps?
3. I'll help the students summarize the seminar.
4. Students will blog about the seminar and self-evaluate their participation in it.