Socratic seminars are a democratic, student-centered, approach to class discussions. They can be used at any grade level with any subject area. In a Socratic Seminar, members meet in a circle and share their insights. Participants do not raise their hands or call on names. Because there’s no discussion leader, each member can comment or ask follow-up questions to one another. This approach can be empowering for participants because they own the conversation. Unlike a typical class discussion, the conversation moves fluidly back and forth rather than having to go through the teacher.

This article outlines several approaches to conducting a Socratic Seminar:
- The Giant Circle Approach
- The “Fish Bowl” Approach
- The Round Table Approach
- The Scattered Approach
- Multiple Seminars
- Online/Offline Seminars

The author also provides a sample of how to run a Socratic Seminar and tips for ensuring that all students can participate.

This resource offers possible mentor texts to use with students to inspire writing with explicit purpose in mind.

A systematic approach to teaching writing in Grades 1-3 and Grades 4-9.Includes: Curriculum at a glanceRequired productsIdentified skills requiredConnection to brain pockets (memory, fact, imagination)Assessment optionsA toolbox of strategies & resources