“Architect of the 21st Century” Socratic Seminar 

 
Pick one question from ​each​ section to answer in preparation for our 
Socratic Seminar. Dig deep! Use textual evidence to back up your 
responses.  
 
Previous Knowledge 
 
1. Have you ever felt uncomfortable in a situation because of your 
race, ethnicity, gender, economic class, or something else? When 
and why? 
 
2. What is one thing about our world that is unjust? Have you 
experienced an injustice?   
 
DOK 2 
 
1. Compare and contrast the image the author paints of our world vs. 
King’s ideal world. 
 
2. Look back at the text. Using context clues, interpret the meaning of 
this quote: “On the other extreme, there are liberals who believe that 
racial progress has been so glacial--never mind gradual--that the 
shooting of a young man like Trayvon Martin (and the subsequent 
acquittal of his killer) is all too often the rule rather than the 
exception in America.” 
 
3. Identify the counterargument to the quote in number 2. (Hint: It is in 
the same paragraph as the quote.) 
 
DOK 3 
 
1. Why did the author include the part where he talked about 
African-Americans hearing cars locking and being followed in 
stores?  
 
2. The author says, “The dream of which King spoke was less a dream 
to bring about on this side of paradise than a prophetic vision to be 
approximated, for King's understanding of equality and brotherhood 
 was much likelier to be realized in the kingdom of God than in any 
mortal realm.” What does this mean? Do you agree with this 
statement?  
 
3. What is the author trying to convince us of in this article? What 
details does he use to support himself? 
 
DOK 4 
 
1. What is the main point of this article? Synthesize details (using 
textual evidence) to identify the main idea.  
 
2. Did this article persuade you? Why or why not? What did the author 
say that was (or wasn’t) persuasive?  
 
3. How can we apply the thoughts from this article to our everyday 
lives? What can we do to further the author’s cause?