Introduction
A Socratic Dialog encourages educators and students to engage in a shared, open-ended dialogue where all participants experience productive discomfort through probing questions.
To begin, it can be helpful to prepare students by engaging them with a non-academic question.
This allows all students to access and “warm up” their Socratic discussion skills.
Here are two options:
“Warm-Up” Socratic Dialog (an accessible, non-academic question)
- Is a hot dog a sandwich?
This question may be accessible for most students and therefore a good starting point for establishing how the dialog will function. It also allows the teacher to observe patterns and underscore the procedures for productive participation.
“Warm-Up” Socratic Dialog (a moral dilemma)
Begin with a moral dilemma. For instance:
- After years of research, you have uncovered information that is both life-saving and life-threatening. You must present your findings to the general public. However, you must choose between sharing the life-saving aspects of your discovery, or sharing the life-threatening aspects of your discovery. Make your decision. Life-saving, or life-threatening?
Teacher Tips:
- Be comfortable with quiet moments, as students will be pausing and thinking.
- Reinforce expectations for communicating in this setting.
- Ensure that students consider their evidence and reasoning.
- Encourage students to not only respond, but also ask questions.
- Allow any Socratic Dialog to run its course in an organic way.
Classroom Application
Let’s use Socratic Dialog for an analysis of Frankenstein.
Use Open-Ended Questions
Carefully read the first three sentences in Chapter V, passage 73. Based on your reading, should Victor share his discovery with the general public?
Teacher Tips:
- Ensure that students make a claim, refer to evidence, and provide reasoning in order to defend their respective positions.
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Notice how we focused on the number of sentences our students should be reading rather than on which level.
Use Discussion Questions
Pair questions with excerpts. For the excerpts, using multiple levels or languages in a simplified view will ensure that more students have access to the content under discussion.
Provide preparation time so students can put together simple notes in response to questions. In addition to writing notes, they should also plan to ask questions of their peers in a way that propels discussion.
Teacher Tips:
- Notice how discussion questions 2 and 3 can be applied to any level.
- Generate questions that apply to all levels. By wielding the power of leveled and translated texts, students can have greater access to the content all students will discuss. This improves engagement and empowers students to make meaningful contributions.
Resource Links: Stanford University; Colorado State University; Socratic Dialog Image