Socratic Seminar

1. Socratic Seminar On the Recycling of Scrap Iron Miss Denise Maloof Roger Williams University General Chemistry dmaloof980@hawks.rwu.edu

2. GROUND RULES of the SOCRATIC SEMINAR • All members of the inner circle are expected to participate in the discussion. • Anyone who doesn’t wish to answer a question should so indicate by saying, “I’d like to pass.” • Try to direct your comments and questions to each other and not to the Seminar leader. • Please maintain rules of “civil discourse” It’s OK to disagree with a person’s ideas, but never to criticize the person offering them. • Members of the outer circle must maintain silent until it is time to switch circles.

3. Intended Audience • Typically chemistry is offered to juniors in high school, so this Socratic Seminar will be geared towards juniors. • The topic of this seminar is how scrap iron will be recycled and how it can affect the world as we know it.

4. From the National Science Education Standards • Learning Expectation F, in the 9-12 section of the standards: • “As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop [an] understanding of personal and community health, population growth, natural resources, environmental quality, natural and human-induced hazards, [and] science and technology in local, national, and global challenges.” Click here to read an article on Recycling of Scrap Iron

5. The Main Focus How is Iron Recycled Now and How Can That Be Improved?

6. Potential Follow-Up Questions • How is this topic important to today’s society? • Why is recycling important in general? • Why is recycling scrap iron important? • How has the iron been biologically treated? Why? • How were pollutant levels significantly improved? • What happens to the scrap iron if it is not recycled? • Are there other metals that you can think of that should be recycled as well? And why? • Why do you think scientists have only recently begun to recycle scrap iron and not earlier?

7. The inner circle will discuss the topic of Recycling Scrap Iron. While they are discussing, the outer circle will take notes about who speaks and how often each person speaks. Also, the outer circle will take notes about how to improve the next Socratic Seminar that will take place in the classroom. • At approximately half way through the class period, the inner circle and outer circle will switch positions, because since the outer circle cannot speak, they may have some important things to say. In order to allow them to say something, they will have to switch positions with the inner circle. • Once the positions have been switched, the new inner circle will be able to speak about the topic and the new outer circle will take similar notes to what the old outer circle did. Implementation

8. Materials A copy of the article will be required for each student. Notebooks will be needed for the students to write notes. Computers may be necessary if the teacher wants to do the lesson virtually. Assessment “What’s still confusing me” index cards will be distributed to each student and they will get credit for completing the card. Also, participation will be graded and the notes that were written will be passed in for a grade.

9. Resources • Lehigh University (2008, November 7). Reducing Pollution: Green Future For Scrap Iron. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 25, 2008, from <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103120927.htm#> • The National Science Education Standards. National Academy of Sciences: 1996. • Seminar was modified from original template made by Dr. Richard Audet.