What's a Socratic Seminar Without Class Novel Sets?

Funded Nov 29, 2017

My students and I would like to thank you for your generosity and donations that allowed us to get the four class-sets of novels that we needed! By using these texts, students are able to look more carefully at a variety of character traits, points of view, and plot changes. Each of these books: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, A Long Walk to Water, The Finest Hours, and Ungifted give my students a different view of the world, which in turn helps broaden their own. With so many characters in different situations, students are able to work at putting themselves in other people's shoes. My students have been able to connect with characters vastly different than themselves and it's a joy to see each day we read.

In our classroom, we read as a whole class, in small groups, or to ourselves. After, we engage in a Socratic seminar where all students are given the opportunity to talk about what they read and answer our interpretive question for the day. Many students had not read or heard of Harry Potter at all. Therefore, it's amazing to me that, when we finish our reading section for the day, I hear groans of dissatisfaction. They don't want to stop reading!

Before we began this unit, I overheard many students say that they weren't interested in Harry Potter or that they disliked it. I found that this was mainly because many had not given it a chance before. Now my students, one in particular who declared, "I hate Harry Potter!", is one of the ones who groans the loudest when we stop reading for the day. My students have jumped feet first into this story and really enjoy discussing each of the characters. During the sorting hat chapter, my students had heated debates about each Hogwarts House. They took a sorting hat quiz which helped identify their own characteristics and connections to each house.

I often get asked what we are reading next and can't wait discuss Sudan, life in the Coast Guard, and what the meaning of 'ungifted' is with them.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Asay