Good Morning

Please sit in your assigned seat and take out a piece of paper and something to write with.

Please respond to the following guiding questions

• What do you think are the most important social issues that impact the world and our community?

• Why are people, maybe you, passionate about social issues?

• How can social issues that are worldwide be addressed in our community?

• What actions can you take to get involved in an issue?

Take a look at the list

• Ask any clarifying questions • Select the three you’d be most interested in

learning more about.

Select a Partner with similar interests. • You will be working together for the majority

of this assignment. • Picking your best friend may not be the best

choice. • Pick someone who is hard working, cares

about their quality of work, can balance out you strengths and weaknesses and whom you can trust to pull their own weight.

• Wednesday and Thursday of this week you and your partner will be researching the social issue and completing the following tasks:

• Answer the pre-research questions• 2 pages of notes on your topic, this will be used to

introduce your issue to the class. • 1 recent newspaper or journal article on this issue.

Refer to your handout as to how to do this. • Generate 6 thought provoking and open ended

discussion questions for the Socratic Seminar, questions should generate critical thinking and lead to a deep discussion.

Pilot/Copilot Socratic Seminar

The Vision

• Participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas through rigorously thoughtful dialogue, rather than by memorizing bits of information.

Discussion & Dialogue• Discussion in the dictionary is "a close

examination of a subject with interchange of opinions, sometimes using argument, in an effort to reach an agreement.

• Dialogue is "an interchange of ideas especially when open and frank and seeking mutual understanding." – It is a collective inquiry in which we suspend

opinions, share openly, and think creatively about difficult issues.

The Rules1. Speak so that all can hear you.2. Listen closely.3. Speak without raising hands.4. Refer to the text.5. Talk to each other, not just to the leader.6. Ask for clarification. Don’t stay confused.7. Invite and allow others to speak.8. Consider all viewpoints and ideas.9. Know that you are responsible for the quality of the seminar.

Format• Group will introduce the Topic and share the sources

of the Articles. 3 min• Critically read the articles, mark the text, underline

main ideas, take notes in the margins. 10 min• With your partner discuss the 6 questions. 6 min• Socratic Seminar discussion. 20-25 min – Pilots are the only ones allowed to speak, copilots may

write notes and pass them to the pilot to share. Partners will switch seats with the introduction of a new question.

• Reflections, 5 min