Lesson Plan #1
Title: Socratic Seminar on They Cage the Animals at Night
Grade Level(s): 7
Subject(s): Language Arts
Overarching Objectives:
Students learn to identify character traits by analyzing the behaviors of the characters
Students learn to ask and answer three levels of questions, especially focusing on the universal level
Students learn to make connections to the character and events in the literary text and expand their questions to universal level
Students learn to participate in and contribute to dialogues in a Socratic Seminar
Content Objectives:
Reading 2.3: Students expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas in literary and informational text.
Communication2, 3: Students use communication skills/strategies to work with or talk with each other
Social and Affective Objectives:
The Cage the Animals at Night, a book about childhood hardship, can prompt students to think about a lot of the things happening in this society, for example, why there is poverty and how each child can have happiness. It leads them to form their own opinions about family, love, and friendship
Higher Order Thinking Skills Objectives:
Students are used to asking and answering literal level questions, and they can do a fair job on asking and answering interpretive level questions, but they need guidance and training on the universal level questions – connecting the text to the human nature or the whole society
Learning Activities
Materials and Resources:
Smartboard
Socratic Seminar Questions PPT file
Three levels of questions handout
Socratic Seminar handout
They Cage the Animals at Night
Directions/Procedures (including transitions and scaffolding):
Teacher Does/Says…
Student Does…
Time Frames…
1. Teacher prepares the beginning, greeting the students. She reminds the students to look at the whiteboard to see the class opening requirements. While students are writing down the homework, she gives the 3 levels of questions worksheets back to the students.
Students take out planners and record homework in them.
2 mins
2. (Transition): “Before today’s main activity, the Socratic Seminar, let’s revisit some of the things we learned yesterday – the three levels of questions.” Teacher leads students to pose a list of questions and group them into the three levels: literal, interpretive, and universal.
Students participate in answering questions.
3 mins
3. “I have come up with some of the interpretive and universal level questions for you to look at.” Teacher shows the PPT files to show the interpretive and universal level questions students come up the day before for their reference.
Students listen with intent and add more questions.
5 mins
2. “Remember, these questions are only for your reference. I do hope you can come up with more new and creative questions in the seminar.” Teacher states a few points before the Socratic Seminar:
1) Participate. Don’t be a hog, don’t be a log, and be a frog!
2) Use your 3-level questions worksheet, focus on universal questions; refer to some questions on smartboard, too.
Students listen with intent.
2 mins
3. First round of Socratic Seminar. Teacher takes notes of students’ participation and levels of questions and response. Teacher reminds them to follow the routine (for example, those in the outer circle cannot speak).
Teacher jots down students’ questions and some main points in their responses.
Students engage in a collaborative dialogue.
15 mins
4. Teacher leads inner circle and outer circle students to change roles. She jots down students’ questions and some main points in their responses.
Students engage in another round of dialogue.
15 mins
5. Teacher gives students time for self-reflection and turning in the evaluation sheet.
Students use paper to record their answers in groups and then share. They also write down what other people say.
6 mins
8. Teacher reminds students of the homework.
Students wait to be dismissed.
2 mins
Adjustments For Diverse Learners
A Socratic Seminar is a good place for diverse learners to meet together and participate. Students with different capabilities and different social skills can compliment each other. But for those who are more introverted and like to remain silent in class, it can be a great challenge. That’s why a three-level questions worksheet and a seminar observation form will also be counted into grading this performance task
Culturally Responsive Teaching and Anti-oppressive Pedagogy:
Learning activities support various cultural learning styles, especially in the oral aspect
Students can relate to their own cultural group in the discussion to talk about issues like poverty and childhood
Closure:
Reminding them of the homework – work on the dialectical journal
Assessment
Prior Knowledge:
In the previous lesson, students were given a mini-lesson about what Socratic Seminars are. Today they will revisit some of the roles like hog, log, and frog
The discussion of three levels of questions serves as an informal assessment on their prior knowledge in this area. If they are still unclear, correction and adjustment need to be made
Classroom Routines:
Socratic Seminar (inner circle participate, outer circle evaluate)
Formative Checks:
Performance-based observational assessment: using a call roster on the clipboard to record participation points when students are participating the Socratic Seminar
Write down the questions and responses of the students and assess their levels of understanding
Summative Assessment:
This task – Socratic Seminar—consists of three parts: levels of questions worksheet, Seminar evaluation worksheet, and performance assessment of the Socratic Seminar.
Summative Assessment Criteria:
Students display comprehension of the textual materials and can extend it to the universal level
Students can apply the concept to organize their thoughts and use details in the book to support their ideas
Students can communicate effectively
Formative Assessment:
Feedback on students’ two worksheets and a brief summary of their performance in the seminar
Adaptations and Differentiations:
For the benefit of ELL students and students who need directions repeated, paraphrasing will be used to review directions and to check for students’ understanding
For IEP students who might have difficulties participating in the Seminar, they can make up in their three levels of questions worksheet and observational form.
Adjust the grade based on their participation – less for the hogs