Socratic Science Circles

1. Socratic Science Circles Lara Arch larch1@rice.edu Rice University School Science & Technology (SST) sst.rice.edu Rice Elementary Model Science Labs (REMSL) As you enter, please read the Feynman excerpt “Tyrannosaurus in the Window.” While reading, keep in mind the question “What is Science?” and make notations of your thoughts.

2. Dialogue Question:What is Science? Versions of Socratic Circles: • Whole Class • Inner Circle – Outer Circle (Copeland) • Sliding Scale

3. Debriefing the Dialogue • If the dialogue was longer than 10 minutes, the circle can debrief the dialogue as a community. Each student should say: • What went well? • What could we have done better? • Then, as a class, ask them to suggest a standard that we all agree to implement.

4. Debriefing the Dialogue What did you notice about facilitating the circle? What did you learn from my modeling?

5. Why I like Socratic Circles. . . • Everyone at the same eye level – Fosters equity of thought, participation, and community • Fosters ownership of learning • Community maintains the standards, not me • Me as the authoritative peer, not the authority • Control shift – Reminds me to allow students to lead • Can make it as long or as short as class time allows

6. When students are struggling to ask questions/get started. . . . • Begin with a K-W-L • Have them sit somewhere on the circle (1-10) that shows how much they already know about (or how comfortable they feel with) the topic at hand • Begin with a ‘Turn n’ Talk,’ ‘Elbow Partner,’ or ‘Knee to Knee’ • At the beginning of the year, try having students brainstorm questions about anything they wonder about in the whole world. It will take some time to train them to ask questions and share thoughts.

7. Debriefing the Whole Class or Lesson • Perfect for when you have only a short period of time • Generic question prompts for debriefing a lab: • What was the point of this lab? • What did you learn? • How can you apply what you have learned in your life? • Can also be done at the start of the following day to activate memory of the day before (20 minute engage) • PP of all my Debriefing prompts

8. Tips • Speak as little as possible. It takes a long time to retrain students not to look to us for the answers. When you speak, try to speak in questions. • “When practicing wait time, wait double the amount of time you think you should.” • If wait time seems awkward at first, read your audience as to whether you should wait it out or integrate it more later in the year. • Prepare questions ahead of time for any dialogue (10-15 is preferable, but at least 1 from each level of Bloom’s). • Use prepared questions to redirect back to topic at hand, if needed. • Use phrases like, “Help me understand. . .“ to prompt students to give full thoughts. • Don’t be overly structured – let students lead the circle.

9. How other teachers have used Circles. . . • As a Friday “treat” • “In the News” • Talking stick/mic • Markers for thoughts • Write before speaking

10. Resources Many ideas in this presentation come from: • Socratic Circles: Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking in Middle and High School By: Matt Copeland • Teaching with your Mouth Shut By: Donald L. Finkel • Science Stories: Science Methods for Elementary and Middle School Teachers By: Janice Koch • Quality Questioning: Research-Based Practice to Engage Every Learner By: Jackie Acree Walsh and Beth Dankert Sattes Other resources that I have heard are good, but I have not used are: • Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms By: Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill • Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom By: John C. Bean

11. TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching • Contact: • Rice University School Science & Technology (SST): • sst.rice.edu • Lara Arch: • larch1@rice.edu