Teacher(s): Hannah Bouska and Jess Kochendoerfer

Date: September 23, 2021

Content Area: US Literature

Title: The Things They Carried Socratic Seminar: “Notes” and “Speaking of Courage”

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard)

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
(CCSS: SL.11-12.1)

● Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by
referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of
ideas. (CCSS: SL.11-12.1a)
Use Key Ideas and Details to:

● Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (for example:
where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). (CCSS: RL.11-12.3)
Understandings: (Big Ideas)

● Students will understand the themes and connections between “Notes” and “Speaking of Courage,” as well as how they relate
to the rest of the book
● Students will develop public speaking skills by communicating with their classmates through a Socratic seminar

Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select applicable questions from
standard)

How do mine and my peers' thoughts about The Things They Carried shape my view of the text?

How does The Things They Carried help me understand the world around me better?

Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets)

Every student will be able to: (Create your own lesson objectives from the standard, follow the ABCD format, using student voice)
 1) I can effectively communicate my ideas using my notes from the readings to help shape my classmates' understanding of
The Things They Carried.
2) I can respectfully listen and respond to my classmates' thoughts and ideas about the book.
3) I can set a goal for myself and meet that goal

List of Assessments: (Write the number of the learning target associated with each assessment)

● Students will be evaluated on contribution to the Socratic seminar using Parlay (LT 1 and 2)
● Students will practice goal-setting with a pre- and post-assessment (LT 3)
● Students will answer any one of the Socratic seminar questions on a piece of paper (LT 1)

Name and Purpose of Lesson
Should be a creative title for you and
the students to associate with the
activity. Think of the purpose as the
mini-rationale for what you are trying to
accomplish through this lesson.
Approx. Time and Materials
How long do you expect the activity to
last and what materials will you need?
Anticipatory Set
The “hook” to grab students’ attention.
These are actions and statements by
the teacher to relate the experiences of
the students to the objectives of the
lesson, To put students into a receptive
frame of mind.
● To focus student attention on
the lesson.
● To create an organizing
framework for the ideas,
principles, or information that is
to follow (advanced organizers)
An anticipatory set is used any time a
different activity or new concept is to be
introduced.
Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account of what
students and teachers will do from the
minute they arrive to the minute they
leave your classroom. Indicate the
length of each segment of the lesson.
Planned Lesson Activities
The Things They Carried Socratic Seminar: “Notes” and “Speaking of Courage”
The purpose of this lesson is to deepen our understanding of these two stories and discuss
themes revolving around the heaviness of these stories. Students should share their own ideas
as well as listen to their peers.
Approx. Time
90 min.
Sticky notes, paper sheets, The Things They Carried, laptops, pencil
The first ten minutes of class is dedicated to independent reading. We will make a quick formative
assessment:
Who did the reading for today?
Who knows the names of the stories that we read for today?
If you have not completed the reading, now is the time to do so.
Students will practice goal-setting: Each student will be handed a sticky note and asked to set
one personal goal for themselves to achieve during the socratic seminar, after the seminar,
students will be asked to evaluate themselves on if they met their goal or not. This will be used as
an anticipatory set, a formative assessment, and an exit ticket.
Teacher Actions Student Actions
1. Teachers will inform students that for the first 1. Students will arrive in class and sit
10-12 minutes of class, there will be no need in their seats. They will begin to
to open their computers, as this time is read from their copies of The
protected reading time for everyone. Things They Carried.
List actual minutes.) 2. Teachers will distribute sticky notes for self
Indicate whether each is: assessment and half-sheets for participation.
-teacher input a. Sticky notes-- students will write a
-modeling goal for themselves to achieve within
-questioning strategies the class period and stick their notes
-guided/unguided: to the whiteboard in the back of the
-whole-class practice room. Teachers will remind students
-group practice to remember where they put their
-individual practice notes because they’ll need them at
-check for understanding the end of class.
-other b. Half-sheet. Each table will have a
printout of the discussion questions.
Students will identify a question they
can answer or that resonates with
them and record two or three ideas.
This activity ensures that all students
have something to contribute to the
discussion.
3. Teachers will instruct students to form a
circle with their chairs for the Socratic
seminar and open the Parlay stream.
4. Teachers will remind students that they can
receive participation points by volunteering to
speak and for taking notes in the Parlay
notes section.
5. Teachers will step in as needed, but most of
the discussion time should be filled by
students.
6. After about 40 minutes teachers will wrap up
discussion, and instruct students to return to
their tables.
7. Teachers will instruct students to retrieve
their sticky notes from the whiteboard and
write on the back whether or not they think
they achieved their personal goal and why.
8. Teachers will instruct students to complete
2. Students will fill out half sheets
and sticky notes and bring sticky
notes to the whiteboard.
3. Students will get in Socratic
Seminar formation, go to the
Google Classroom stream, and
open the Parlay.
4. Student moderators will lead
discussion using guiding
questions.
5. After discussion, students will
return to their tables.
6. When at their tables, students will
fill out the notes section on their
Parlay evaluating themselves on
the success criteria (0-4)
7. Students will retrieve their note
from the board and write on the
back whether or not they think
they achieved their personal goal
and why in a full sentence.
8. Students will spend the remainder
of class working on Weekly
Independent Work #4 under
“Exploring the Story Truth
Assignments”
 their self-assessment and continue working
on “Weekly Independent Work #4” under
“Exploring the Story Truth Assignments”

Closure
Those actions or statements by a
teacher that are designed to bring a Self-Assessment: students will retrieve their sticky note from the whiteboard and write on the
lesson presentation to an appropriate back whether or not they achieved their goal. These sticky notes and half-sheets will be their exit
conclusion. Used to help students bring tickets at the end of class.
things together in their own minds, to
make sense out of what has just been Thumbs up/sideways/down: Before exiting the classroom, we asked students to show a red,
taught. “Any Questions? No. OK, let’s yellow, green assessment with their thumbs based on how they thought the socratic seminar
move on” is not closure. Closure is went overall today and how it helped shape their understanding of the readings.
used:
● To cue students to the fact that
they have arrived at an
important point in the lesson or
the end of a lesson.
● To help organize student
learning
To help form a coherent picture and to
consolidate.
Differentiation
To modify: If the activity is too Our assessments are intended to monitor participation and reading preparedness. In the 10
advanced for a child, how will you minutes designated for independent reading at the beginning of class, students who have finished
modify it so that they can be the reading may refresh their memory or complete the goal-setting activity and Socratic Seminar
successful? half-sheet response. Students who did not do the reading will still get the chance to recieve
To extend: If the activity is too easy for participation points by participating in conversation. Students who are shy or uncomfortable
a child, how will you extend it to sharing “on the go” will inform teachers prior to the seminar and will get to contribute first on
develop their emerging skills? respective questions.
Assessment Students will evaluate their own contributions to class that day using sticky notes and Parlay.
How will you know if students met the Teachers will perform formative assessments to ascertain whether students are meeting the
learning targets? Write a description of learning targets.
what you were looking for in each
assessment.
 Jess’s Post Lesson Reflection:

1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to justify your level of achievement)

We were able to achieve more balance between students who talk a lot and students who are more reserved during socratic
seminars. We achieved this by our goal setting assessment. One student, Melinda, spoke during the seminar today and although she
was quiet, she was brave and achieved her goals! I felt so proud of her and I’m sure she felt proud of herself as well.

2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you were to teach again?

We did not come with enough questions prepared for the seminar. In Tuesday's class, Hannah and I worked with the moderating
group to develop five questions together and asked them to develop three more questions on their own. We should have come with
some more of our own questions prepared because the socratic seminar did not last as long as we had anticipated and the students
had too much independent work time at the end of class.

3. What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content, etc.)

For the next lesson, I hope to have more time in front of the room, practicing my teaching techniques. I think this was a great first
lesson to get my feet wet and present myself as a respected adult in the classroom. One thing I’ll have to take into consideration is
how I can keep the attention of all of my students. There is a louder group of students at the table in the corner that I believe
oftentimes distract the rest of the class. I will have to figure out how to work with them and encourage them to keep their volume
down for both the benefit of themselves and their classmates.

Hannah’s Post Lesson Reflection:

1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize assessment data to justify your level of achievement)
 I think that one of our “victories” from today’s lesson was that we were able to help students self-motivate through goal-
setting for participation in the Socratic Seminar. The result was that many individuals who usually choose to stay silent felt brave
enough to add their thoughts to our discussion. I believe this was achieved in part because of the goal-setting pre/post assessment
activity we did in which we asked students to set a personal goal prior to the discussion and then to determine whether they
accomplished their goal afterward. While many students set a goal to be better listeners, we found that a handful of students who
usually don’t participate in Socratic Seminars set goals to speak during discussion and that at least half of these individuals did
manage to contribute.

2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would you make if you were to teach again?

If I had a chance to re-do this lesson, I would be sure to come to class with more questions prepared for the Socratic
Seminar. In the feedback we received, Dawn mentioned that high schoolers often spend less time per question than college
students. This was an oversight that resulted in the seminar coming to an end about fifteen minutes earlier than anticipated.
Otherwise, I think this lesson went great! Jess and I worked together, effectively managing the classroom and prompting
participation from students in an open and inviting way.

3. What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice, reteach content, etc.)

For my next lesson, my goal is to spend more time doing direct instruction to the class. The Socratic Seminar didn’t
give me much of a chance to do this as the conversation was largely student-led. Additionally, I hope to continue to raise
engagement, especially from students who usually are quiet or distracted. I’m currently wondering about what kind of lesson I could
lead that might minimize the use of technology in class as I’ve noticed that the laptops and phones that are out in every period
sometimes serve as distractions rather than tools.