There are many ways to prepare a text for Socratic Seminar, but they rely on noticing elements of the text, particularly those that are interesting or confusing. There are many systems for such "Close Reading," but my personal favorite is Notice & Note by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst. The goal of preparing a text is ultimately to activate curiosity and wonder in the reader. This is why so many Socratic Seminar teachers have students practice crafting and generating their own questions. Most teachers know to have students highlight important passages, use sticky notes, and mark texts with symbols in the margin, but there are a lot of other tasks students should be doing in order to best prepare for a Socratic Seminar dialogue. Here are some examples.
Marking the Text
Underline interesting points and ideas
Use a vertical line in the margin for marking long passages
Use a star in the margin to mark for a test or quiz
Use numbers in the margin for sequences or lists
Cite page numbers when similarities are mentioned
Circle key words or phrases
Write questions and comments in the margin
Highlight important passages
Interpreting the Text
Define vocabulary words
Do background research
Draw an illustration or map
Organize sections so that they make more sense
Understand the author’s key or specialized words
Define the problem the author is trying to solve
Paraphrase the author’s important points
Do not agree or disagree until you know you understand
Make connections to your personal life
Make connections to other ideas and texts
Being Critical
Show where the author seems uninformed
Show where the author seems misinformed
Show where the author seems illogical
Show where the author’s account seems incomplete
Image by Tumisu - Pixabay
