A Socratic seminar is a good way to involve the whole class in a discussion.
In this short film, Beth Hickey, a teacher from Westminster Academy, explains how to run a Socratic Seminar.
This technique is based on Socrates' theory that it is more important to enable students to think for themselves than to provide them with the ‘right’ answers. Answering a question with a question provokes discussion and deeper thought and understanding of the topic.
A Socratic seminar also helps classroom management as only one half of the class is directly involved in the discussion, the other half assesses the discussion. The notes taken while listening can form the basis of a plenary or homework. Encourage students to think about who they agreed with and why, or what they have heard that changed their opinion and why.
Download PDF (327 Kb) presenting an overview of discussion techniques including a Socratic seminar.