Using Socratic Seminar With J.F.K.'s Assassination To Improve Writing

While grading your student's essays, have you questioned their ability to write?  Often, it's not their ability to write that is the problem: it is their ability to understand the text they are writing about. As teachers of writing, we must understand students cannot write about what they do not understand. In recent years, the complexity of the text we are required to use with our students has become more complex. As a result, teachers must be more intentional in planning to provide opportunities for students to acquire the knowledge they need to write effectively. The large majority of our students need time to interact with others to deepen their understanding of text.  One way to do this is through the regular use of Socratic Seminars.

Socratic Seminars are a research-based strategy to help our students comprehend difficult text.  They provide students with an opportunity to work together and advance their own learning far more than singular activities or teacher lecture. The format of Socratic Seminar allows students to process their knowledge, while engaging in conversations where the back-and-forth of ideas helps them to gain understanding of those ideas in their own words and minds. During the seminar, the teacher takes a back seat in the classroom and students become facilitators of the discussion around ideas present in the text. Through a process of listening, making meaning, and discussion students work together toward a shared understanding of the text. 

Below is a power point created by Trent McManus with narration to explain the Socratic Seminar.

Socratic Seminar

While studying the effects of John F. Kennedy's assassination on the country, my students became fascinated with conspiracy theories.  Was it Oswald, or was there another explanation for his death?  Being focused on TN Ready Part II, I told them we would come back to it, once our standardized testing was complete if we had time. Now, testing has been suspended. We have time to explore their interests.  I have developed a series of lessons exploring the question: Who Assassinated J.F.K.?  Students start by analyzing Scope Magazine's The President's Been Shot and nine other texts through a jigsaw-think-pair-share. Using the jigsaw strategy allows a larger number of texts to be utilized. Once the texts have been shared with the group, students prepare for the Socratic Seminar.  During this activity, students will discuss the ideas presented in the different texts.  Finally, students write an extended response showing their understanding of the material covered.  I am very excited to integrate the different texts so my students can both speak and write knowledgeably about the assassination of J.F.K.  The knowledge they will acquire through the various activities will allow them to write effectively.  

I would like to share these lessons with you.  I hope that you can benefit from my work.  God bless you for all you do to make your students better thinkers and writers.

J.F.K. Assassinated by Christy Bailey McManus

Start Your Own Classroom Magazine

As teachers of writing, we need to invent ways to engage students in writing.  A classroom magazine is a way for students to participate in an authentic writing task.  I am starting a classroom magazine in my class.  Join me!  

Below, is how I set it up.  I can't wait to get our first issue published.  The name of our classroom magazine is Evolve. I would love to know what you think!

Objective: Evolve magazine provides students with authentic writing tasks for real-world audiences and purposes.

Method: Evolve is a student-ran magazine. Magazine staff includes: publishers, editors, and writers.  Staff jobs are outlined in staff descriptions.  All students in Mrs. McManus’s classes are eligible to submit materials to be published. There are no limits on how many submissions a student can enter.

Magazine Contents: A variety of informational, opinion, and narrative pieces will be included in Evolve, including:

• Feature Article – There can be only one!  This is the best article submitted during current period.
• Poetry Corner – Any topic allowed. Must use correct poetry formatting (i.e. sonnet, limerick, haiku, etc.)
• Cartoon Mania– Students create paneled comics.  Comics may be informational or narrative.
• CCMS Editorial – Student writes opinion piece on topic of choice.  Student must reference at least 2 sources in article.
• Short Stories – Any genre is allowed.
• Informational/Explanatory – Students write article on any subject.  A minimum of two sources should be sited.

*all submissions are limited to two-typed pages.

Staff Descriptions

Publishers

The publisher is responsible for the magazine overall, from start to finish. They do not handle these areas personally, but oversees the editors who are in charge of each area.  The publisher must approve all materials before submissions are made to Mrs. McManus.  The feature article will be chosen by the publisher from all the submitted pieces. 

Editors

The editors are responsible for the editorial content of the magazine. The top editor is the editor-in-chief, who oversees all of the other editors. These editors edit the work submitted by writers for grammar, style, accuracy and length.  They choose the pieces for Evolve from materials submitted. They may work with writers to improve pieces. 

Editors include:

Editor-In-Chief

Poetry Corner Editor

Cartoon Mania Editor

Editorial Editor

Short Stories Editor

Informational Editor

Writers

Writers will vary for each magazine.  They will be chosen from the materials submitted to the editors.  Not all materials submitted will be accepted.  Materials not ready for current issue may be revised for future issues.