Generic Questions to be Used for Socratic Seminar

1. What are the assumptions (explicit or underlying) of this text?

2. Is it self-contradictory to state _____________ in one part of the text
and _____________ in another part?
3. What if _______________ happened (or were true) instead of
___________________?
4. What would you do (or say) if you were __________________? (Put
student into the action.)
5. What might be some other good titles for this?
6. Here is a question:
________________________________________________________
7. What does the text say about this issue?
8. What do you think the text is saying about this?
9. Does the text agree or disagree with this statement:
__________________________________?
10. If _____________ were writing (composing, painting, etc.) today,
what would be different about this work?
11. Look at this list of key words or concepts and rank them according
to their importance to this work. Then explain your reasons for ranking.
12. In recent times, what well-known people are (were) like
__________________________?
13. Which of the following statements (phrases) fits with
________________’s view of humankind (or some other object of
comparison, e.g., conflict, love, beauty, progress)?
14. Would the meaning of this work change, if what the author (or artist,
etc.) said were changed as follows? (For example, change a key word,
substituting a word with a different connotation; or change a key idea,
character or event.)
15. What does the term _______________________ mean?
16. In what way would _________________________ change, if
__________________________ happened differently?
17. How do you think ______________________ was viewed by
(would be viewed by) ________________?
18. In what ways are ____________________ and _______________
viewed by (or would be viewed by)
____________________?
19. What part of this work is most useful for dialogue? (Least?)
20. Why do you say that?
21. How do you support that position from this work?
22. To check on listening: Jane, what did Richard just say? What’s your
reaction to that idea?
23. Inference. Fill in missing information, based upon a reasonable
extrapolation of evidence in the text.
24. Implications. Explain the consequences of information or ideas in
the text.
25. Hypothesis. Predict and justify future developments.
26. Reflection. How do you know what you think you know? What are
you left not knowing? What are you assuming?
27. Can you think of an example to illustrate this point?
28. Is the writer’s example a good one? Why/why not?
29. How does this idea connect to
______________________________? (Refer to another passage in
the text or to another text.)
30. What is puzzling you?