Socratic Seminar & Lord of the Flies

Minnesota English Language Arts Standards: 9.4.1.1

o “Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.”

9.4.4.4 & 9.5.4.4o “Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,

including figurative and connotative (and technical) meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone) (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).”

9.5.6.6o “Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an

author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.” 9.9.1.1 a

o “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.”

9.9.1.1 do “Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of

agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning.”

Enduring Understandings (1-2):

It is important to be able to use rhetorical skills, audience awareness, and collaborative methods of discussion to effectively communicate ideas and learn from others. We will be able to contribute the most to generative discussion when we prepare in advance and consider the opposing point of view.

Essential Questions (2-5):

Why is it important to listen and make connections to others comments and questions?

How do you build credibility when you communicate with others? Why is credibility important?

How do you determine an author’s purpose and then explain how the author crafted a text to appeal to a specific audience?

Activities: Writer’s notebooks: Throughout the unit, students will be completing activities and

reflections in personal writer’s notebooks, which they will hand in at the end of the unit.  Writer’s notebooks will be used in a variety of ways, including answering daily focus questions (in freewrite format), taking notes on their reading and creating questions for Socratic Seminar, and writing personal reflections after each seminar. Students will also complete in-class small-group activities in their notebooks.

Daily focus questions: On the days on which we have Socratic Seminar, we’ll start class with a focus question. We will post a question up on the board that students will start writing about as soon as they come into class (this norm will be established when we introduce the Socratic Seminar).  This focused writing will be styled as a freewrite; students will be encouraged to write about whatever comes to mind, and not to worry about mechanics, grammar, etc.. While students write, we’ll check off their seminar preparation notes/questions so that we won’t have to waste valuable time doing it later in the class. The focus questions will hopefully get students reflecting on things that came up in their reading and brainstorming thoughts and questions they might want to share during their seminar discussions. This writing will be done in their writer’s notebooks, which they’ll turn in at the end of the unit.

Personal Ad activity: This activity will be done on the first day of class as a way for us to get to know each other and set expectations as a class. Students will create “classroom ads” by writing at least five statements about themselves and attaching a picture of themselves on a piece of construction paper. The statements they write should reflect the language they would use in a job interview. The language should be formal and highlight the best qualities in the student. This will lead the class into a discussion about rhetoric and all the different ways we use language. These classroom ads will also help us, as teachers, get to know our students and what they bring into the classroom. See “Classroom Ad” handout.

Allegory/Symbolism introduction: Students will participate in small and large group discussions in an introductory lesson to allegory and symbolism. First, we’ll go through an allegory/symbolism example as a class using the example of Harry Potter as an allegory of WWII. Then, students will attempt their own analyses of Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle as an allegory of WWII as we go through the book in class. Students will discuss the allegorical traits and symbols they noticed in small groups, and we’ll also brainstorm other ideas for what Yertle the Turtle and Harry Potter could be symbolic of.  This activity will be a good transition of introducing Lord of the Flies as an allegorical novel and giving students some background knowledge on WWII.  We may tell students that LOTF is often read as an allegory of WWII, but also reinforce the idea that it could be symbolic of other things, as well (just as HP and Yertle the Turtle can be seen as symbolic of other things).  

Island Drawing/Rulemaking Activity: Students will work in groups to imagine what it would be like to be stranded on a desert island. First, students will draw a map of the island they imagine. This map will include the areas in which they will sleep, eat, gather food, bathe, relax, etc., as well as any areas that they will need to avoid. Next, students will have to work together to come up with a list of rules that will best help them survive on the island. They will have to think carefully about their priorities,

as they will be limited to 6 rules. As a reflection on this activity, students will write about the communication and collaboration dynamics in their groups: Who made the most decisions? Why? Whose voice was silenced? Was the group successful in collaboration? If not, what could they have done better?

WebQuest: While students are reading Lord of the Flies, they will take part in a webquest activity to learn more about the background of the book. Students will be assigned one of the following topics: William Golding, World War II, the 1950s, or the reception of Lord of the Flies. We will spend one day in the computer lab where students will have the chance to discover as much as they can about their given topic. At the end of the research day, we will have students form groups with other students who have the same topic. They will discuss what they found, and take notes on any new information. The next day, we will form groups of four so that each group has one member with each topic. Each student will take a turn sharing their information with the group.

Anonymity Activity: This activity will be positioned after students have completed chapter 4 of Lord of the Flies. In this chapter, the boys in the novel paint their faces to go hunting, and ultimately kill the pig. We will have students free write on the questions: Why do the boys paint their faces? What changes happen once their faces are painted? We will come back to these free writes at the end of the class. Next, the class will read the article Anonymity on the Internet individually using reading strategies of underlining arguments that they agree with and circling ideas or words they have questions on. In small groups, students will discuss their ideas about the article and attempt to answer each other’s questions. We will then move into a shared inquiry discussion about internet anonymity, including ideas from the article and examples in their own lives. Then, as a class, we will look at some Tweets from the 2013 Miss America competition. We will use this new information to continue our conversation about internet anonymity. Individually, we will have students make connections between their free writing from the beginning of class and the ideas that have surfaced in the shared inquiry. We will close class with a final shared inquiry about new understandings of the meaning of facepaint and killing the pig in Lord of the Flies.

Socratic Seminar Introduction/Communication norms: As we introduce the Socratic Seminar method and explain how it will be used in our class (in both informal ways and as part of the summative assessment), we’ll come up with communication norms/expectations as a class. We’ll start by showing a short video of people communicating, and students will take notes on the things they observed about both verbal and nonverbal communication in the video. They’ll then discuss their findings in small groups, and share ideas with the class. We’ll then think about what “good communication” looks like and brainstorm ways to make sure that discussions are balanced, collaborative, and productive during seminars (and during class discussions in general). Next, we’ll come up with a list of “norms” that will be posted on the wall throughout the unit. We’ll also make copies of these norms so each student can have one at their disposal throughout the unit. Note: each class’ norms may look slightly different, as we’ll be creating them with our students.

Fishbowl Socratic Seminar: Students will participate in 1 formative Fishbowl seminar and 1 formal summative Fishbowl seminar, which will take place at the end of the unit. To begin seminars, students will spend 5 minutes freewriting about a prompt on the board while teachers circulate the room to check off each student’s

preparation notes and questions.  To begin the seminar, half of the students will sit in a circle at the center of the room, while the other half sits in a circle surrounding them.  Each inner-circle member is partnered up with an outer-circle member. Students at the center will be given a starting discussion prompt by the teacher, and will spend the next 15 minutes discussing both the prompt and their own questions, focusing on using the communication norms that they created as a class. Meanwhile, students in the outside circle take notes (using their peer assessment sheets and rubrics that have been explained in a previous class) on the communication skills (not content knowledge) of their partner. Outer circle members note the strengths and weaknesses of their partners, and provide a scale rating (1-10) for the quality of the inner-circles discussion in general.  Next, the teacher leads a 5 minute debriefing on the communication (not the content) of the first group, prompting the outer-circle members to share their scale ratings and general compliments and suggestions for improvement. After the debriefing, the roles are reversed and the same process takes place. After the seminar discussion, students will turn in their peer assessments write a reflection on their Socratic Seminar experience as homework for the following day. Students will be assessed more informally for the first seminar and more formally for the final seminar. They will be assessed based on the rubric, using data from teacher notes/observations, peer assessments, reflections, and a final seminar reflection that they will turn in at the end of the unit.

Mob Mentality Activity: This activity will be positioned after students have completed chapter 9 of Lord of the Flies. In this chapter, the boys in the novel have just killed Simon in a type of ritualistic mob. We will have the students free write on the questions: Why did the boys kill Simon? What were they thinking? What escalated the event? We will come back to these free writes at the end of class. Next, the class will watch a news clip of the 2011 Vancouver Riots. They will talk in small groups about what could have led to these riots and how people moved from angry to violent. We’ll share out ideas in the large group and move into a shared inquiry discussion about “mob mentality,” discussing what it is and where else students have seen it. Back in small groups, we will have students make connections between their free writing from the beginning of class and the ideas that have surfaced in the shared inquiry. We will close class with a final shared inquiry about new understandings of what lead to Simon’s death and what that means for the story.

Assessment of Unit:Formative AssessmentWe will use as many opportunities as possible to formatively assess students. These formative assessments include written entries in writer’s notebooks, like reflections, reading notes, and seminar preparation. Students will also be assessed on participation in class discussion, including small groups and large group shared inquiry conversations. Teachers will formatively assess students throughout every class by circulating the classroom and informally checking in with students to see where they’re at and addressing any concerns that students have. Because the summative assessment is a Socratic seminar, we will have a formative Socratic seminar one week prior so that students have an opportunity to play

with different methods, get feedback from peers and the teacher, and have time to adjust before the summative Socratic seminar.

Summative AssessmentThe summative assessment for this unit will be a Socratic seminar on Friday, April 4 (see attached summative seminar rubric). There will be three parts to this summative assessment: performance in the seminar, written reflection on the seminar, and written essay (on the main topic of the seminar).

Participation in a final Socratic Seminar (assessing the content they produce based on the topic question about rhetoric in LOTF, how well they follow Socratic seminar norms, and use of context and verbal citations)

Written reflection on how the Socratic Seminar method (assessing how well students thoughtfully reflect on Socratic methods and how those methods affected their understanding of LOTF and the art of rhetoric)

Written reflection on essay prompt: What message do you think William Golding was trying to send when he wrote Lord of the Flies? How does he use rhetorical devices (language, symbols, themes, etc.) to send this message? (assessing the students understanding of themes in LOTF and rhetorical devices learned in class)

Daily Lesson Plans:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

18In class:- Overview trimester- Classroom ads- Introduce Writer’s Notebooks

Homework:- Bring writer’s notebook- Write paragraph about “Power of Language”

19In class:- Partner share their paragraphs- Allegory PPT/small group activities

Homework:- think of 3 examples of allegory we didn’t talk about

20In class:- Dr. Seuss & Yertle the turtle- Make islands/maps/rules

Homework:- Reflect on decision making

21In class:- Share about islands/ group communication- Connect to LOTF kids’ experience- Introduce book & get books from office- Read first part of book, students draw islands as it’s being described (model forming questions)

Homework:- LOTF Ch. 1-2- Finish map

24In class:- Webquest research *Need comp. lab*

Homework:-LOTF Ch. 3

25In class:- Webquest research- Webquest present findings (30 min)

Homework:-LOTF Ch. 4 (face painting)

26In class:-Focus question about face paint-Anonymity connection to internet interactions. 4-64-connect to book: face painting, no real-world interaction

Homework:

27In class:- Facial Expressions introduction- Socratic Seminar norms- Small group seminar practice

Homework:-LOTF Ch. 6-prepare notes/questions for seminar

28In class:- Full Socratic seminar-Focus question-Check off preparation notes/questions-complete peer evaluations

Homework:-LOTF Ch. 7-8-Reflection on socratic seminar

LOTF Ch. 5- Compare how your island went to what’s happening in LOTF

31In class:- Check off seminar reflection-  Chapter/character pictures

Homework:LOTF Ch. 9 (Simon’s death)

1In class:- Focus question about Simon’s death-mob mentality activity (after Ch. 9)- Connect to mob mentality & group think in real world (seminar)

Homework:LOTF Ch. 10

2In class:- Read Ch.11(model reading strategies)- Free write about conch & Piggy’s death- Write predictions about end of book

Homework:LOTF Ch. 12

3In class:- Check off reflection- Lit. circle groups focused on themes- Review seminar rubric

Homework:-Finish LOTF if they haven’t yet-reflect/prepare notes on final seminar topic

4In class:- Summative socratic seminar- Reflection on socratic seminar (longer, more formal reflection)1. Seminar2. Book Theme- Turn in notes & reflection

Homework:None

7In class:- Wrap up unit- Seminar feedback-hand in books

Homework:

Day 1 (Tuesday, March 18)

Learner Outcomes: Students will understand class expectations and themes Students will begin to consider the power of language and how language shifts in

different contexts Students will meet other students in the class and begin to form a class community

Materials: Computer, LCD projector, and projector screen Semester overview roadmap handout First day survey handout

Procedures:1) Introductions (5 min) Teacher will give a short introduction of themselves2) Class overview roadmap, grading, schoology (10 min) Teacher will hand out roadmaps, talk through the trimester, and go over grading and logging into schoology3) Expectations (20 min) Students will work in small groups to 4) Personal ad writing activity (20 min) See “Personal Ad” activity

5) Writer’s notebooks (5 min) Explain how writer’s notebooks will be used throughout the trimester6) Explain Homework paragraph (2 min) Assign students a “power of language” paragraph for homework. Students will write 5-8 sentences describing how language is powerful and what it helps us do.7) Hand out first day survey (1 min) Students will complete the survey and turn it in tomorrow in class

Homework: Write one paragraph about the power of language Complete the first day survey Bring writer’s notebooks for the following day

Assessment: Students will be formatively assessed on their understanding of the power of

language by their participation group discussion about the language of their personal ads and their written paragraphs (to be checked off the following day)

Teachers will formatively learn about students’ learning interests and needs through the learning survey (to be handed in the following day)

Differentiation: Students can respond to a variety of questions for their personal ad, and be as

creative as they like.

Day 2 (Wednesday, March 19)

Learner Outcomes: Students will understand the concept of allegory and be able to identify examples of

allegory that they have seen/heard Students will understand some ways in which Harry Potter is an allegory for World

War II

Materials: Computer, LCD projector, projector screen “Allegory” Powerpoint presentation

Procedures:1) Partner share “Power of Language” paragraphs (10 min) During this time, teachers will check for completion and take attendance2) Allegory Powerpoint presentation (37 min) See “Allegory PPT” attachment

Homework: In their writer’s notebooks, students should write three examples of allegory that

were not talked about in class

Assessment: Students will be formatively assessed on their completion of the “Power of

Language” paragraph

Students will be formatively assessed on their participation and ideas during the allegory conversation

Students’ 3 examples will be checked off for completion the following day

Differentiation: Students will be able to work in pairs, small groups, and large group Students will be able to participate through both writing and speaking

Day 3 (Thursday, March 20)

Learner Outcomes: Students will continue developing their understanding of allegory by analyzing the

Dr. Seuss book Yertle the Turtle Students will imagine themselves in the setting of Lord of the Flies, and will develop

opinions about how they could best survive in that environment Students will think about the communication norms and dynamics that exist in group

decision making, and will reflect on the power of language and communication in group dynamics

Materials: Yertle the Turtle text and video Allegory PPT Instruction sheets for group work Butcher-block paper (for island/rule design)

Procedures:1. Show Yertle the Turtle, have students complete an allegorical analysis in their

writer’s notebooks. During this time, teachers will circulate the room and check for completion of yesterday’s homework. (10 min)

2. Students share their analyses in small groups, and share patterns/“ahas” in a large group (10 min)

3. Explain island design/rule-making assignment, break students up into groups, hand out materials (5 min)

4. Students have the remainder of class to complete their island drawing and rules (35 min)

Homework: In their writer’s notebooks, students will reflect on the communication dynamics of

their group work. Who was “in charge”? Who stayed quiet? How did peers argue their ideas? Who was successful?

Assessment: Students will be informally formatively assessed by their small-and large-group

responses to Yertle the Turtle Students’ analyses and reflections will be checked for completion the following day

Differentiation:

Students will be given the opportunity to work individually, in small groups, and in large group discussion

Students will be given the opportunity to work with either video or text when analyzing Yertle the Turtle

Students will have full choice within their groups regarding both the physical appearance of their island and its rules and values

Students who didn’t participate as actively (either by choice or because of controlling group members) will have the chance to reflect on their group’s communication in their writer’s notebooks

Day 4 (Friday, March 21)

Learner Outcomes: Students will reflect on their experiences trying to create “rules” for their islands,

thinking about communication and cooperation. Students will begin to imagine what might happen in Lord of the Flies and make

predictions about the book. Students will have a better understanding of the setting of Lord of the Flies by

listening to an oral reading and creating a drawing of what they imagine the island to look like.

Materials: Lord of the Flies books for each student Computer paper (one for each student)

Procedures:1. Talk in small groups about the island activity from yesterday (10 min)2. Make predictions about what will happen with the boys on the island (10 min)3. Check out LOTF books from the office (10 min)4. Read chapter 1 out loud. Students will independently draw maps of the island as

they listen. (35 min)

Homework: LOTF Chapters 1-2 Complete map drawings

Assessment: Through teacher observations, students will be formatively assessed on the content

that they share during small group time, as well as their active listening skills with peers.

Reflections will be checked for completion. Students will be formatively assessed on their connections between what they

learned from the island activity and their predictions of what will happen to the LOTF boys on the island.

Differentiation: Students will have the opportunity to work in small groups and independently

Students can listen (auditory) and or read along (visual) in their own books and draw (kinesthetic) during or after to solidify ideas

Day 5 (Monday, March 24)

Learner Outcomes: Students will practice collaborating with peers to gather and share important

information Students will gain important background knowledge about William Golding, Lord of

the Flies, and WWII

Materials: Instruction sheets Computer lab space

Procedures:1. Explain basics of WebQuest (5 min)2. Full class discussion about background information (10 min)3. Split students into groups of 4, assign 1 section to each group member (5 min)4. Spend the remainder of class in the computer lab completing searches (45 min)

During this time, teachers will circulate the computer lab answering questions and helping students one-on-one with research.

Homework: LOTF Chapter 3

Assessment: Students will be formatively assessed on their understanding of the WebQuest and

on their progress as the teacher circulates the computer lab and clarifies questions/misunderstandings

Differentiation: Students will be doing their research online, which means that they’ll be able to draw

information from text, video, audio, slideshow, and various other media to gain information

Students will get to decide what they think is most important and interesting about their topic

Day 6 (Tuesday, March 25)

Learner Outcomes: Students will practice collaborating with peers to gather and share important

information Students will gain important background knowledge about William Golding, Lord of

the Flies, and WWII

Materials: Extra instruction sheets Computer Lab space Skeleton WebQuest sheets (for students to fill in as they share/learn new

information)

Procedures:1. Go to the computer lab, spend first 15 minutes finishing up research (20 min)2. Students work in groups with others who shared their number/topic to

compare/contrast their findings and make any needed changes to their research (10 min)

3. Students return to their original groups and share their findings with their 3 other group mates. Group mates fill in WebQuest skeletons with the most important/interesting information they learn (20 min)

4. Class discussion about findings and about how background information can help students as they read the novel, and also about the possible limitations of applying this knowledge (10 min)

Homework: LOTF Chapter 4

Assessment: Through teacher observations, students will be formatively assessed on (a) the effort

they put into their research and their ability to locate important information and (b) their collaborative skills as they share and work with various peers

Webquest findings will be checked off for completion

Differentiation: Students will have opportunities to work individually, in small-group settings, and in

large group discussions

Day 7 (Wednesday, March 26)

Learner Outcomes: Students will make connections between what is happening in LOTF and their own

lives Students will practice socratic seminar speaking norms through discussion about

internet anonymity

Materials: Internet anonymity article Miss America Tweets handout

Procedures:

1. Students will respond individual to the focus question on the board: Why do the boys paint their faces? What changes happen once their faces are painted? They will have 10 minutes to free write. (10 min)

2. Read the article Anonymity on the Internet individually using reading strategies of underlining arguments that they agree with and circling ideas or words they have questions about. (5 min)

3. Discuss ideas about the article in small groups and attempt to answer each other’s questions. (10 min)

4. Shared inquiry discussion about internet anonymity (ideas from the article and examples in their own lives). (15 min)

5. Read Tweets from the 2013 Miss America competition as a large group and continue conversation about internet anonymity. (15 min)

6. Individually, we will have students make connections between their free writing from the beginning of class and the ideas that have surfaced in the shared inquiry. (5 min)

7. We will close class with a final shared inquiry about new understandings of the meaning of facepaint and killing the pig in Lord of the Flies. (5 min)

Homework: LOTF Chapter 5

Assessment: Students will be formatively assessed on their contributions to the class discussion

and small group discussion Students will also be formatively assessed for content on their short written reflection

about connections between class conversation and their free write.

Differentiation: Students will be able to participate through writing and speaking Content will be available through reading individually as well as speaking in a group

and reading out loud as a large group Students will work individually, in small g

Day 8 (Thursday, March 27)

Learner Outcomes: Students will discuss the importance of both verbal and nonverbal communication

styles in working with others and sharing ideas Students will develop a list of class communication norms for Socratic Seminar and

for group discussion in general Students will learn about the basics of Socratic Seminar and will understand how

they will be expected to prepare for and communicate during seminars. Students will practice communication norms and rules in small groups

Materials: introductory video on communication style PPT on Socratic Seminar/communication norms Butcher block paper for class norms Instruction/prompt sheets for small-group “seminars”

Socratic Seminar peer assessment sheets Socratic Seminar rubric

Procedures:1. Students will watch a video that focuses on verbal and nonverbal communication,

and will take notes on what they notice: what works? what doesn’t? Why? (15 min)2. Presentation on the basics of the Socratic Seminar and on how students will be

using the seminar method in class (10 min)3. Students collaboratively create class communication norms, teacher writes on

butcher block paper to hang in the classroom for the remainder of the unit (20 min)4. Students will be split into small groups and will practice communication norms with

prompts for the remainder of the class (20 min)

Homework: LOTF Chapter 6 Prepare notes and questions for Socratic Seminar

Assessment: Students will be formatively assessed on how well they understand positive

communication norms based on their observations in the video and the norms they create for class discussion

Students will be formatively assessed on the understanding of the seminar through a question-answer session regarding the process, the rubric, and the peer assessments

Students will be assessed on their ability to practice seminar norms through (a) teacher observation during small group practice and (b) the notes/questions they prepare for the first seminar (to be checked off at the beginning of class the following day)

Differentiation: Students will be exposed to communication norms in multiple forms, including video,

written explanation, class discussion, and small-group work Students have choice in what they want their class communication norms to be for

Socratic Seminar (and for class discussions in general)

Day 9 (Friday, March 28)

Learner Outcomes: Students will experience what it feels like to take part in a socratic seminar Students will understand how the norms that they set yesterday play out in a socratic

seminar and determine which norms, if any, need to be changed Students will gain insight into their personal strengths and areas of improvement in

socratic seminars through peer feedback

Materials: Socratic Seminar norms poster from yesterday Peer feedback handouts

Procedures:

1. Go over socratic seminar norms as a class (10 min)2. Conduct a fishbowl socratic seminar in which each student has a partner in the

opposite circle to observe and give feedback to (40 min total - 20 min for each seminar)

3. Give feedback in pairs after seminar (10 min)4. Address which norms, if any, should be changed (5 min)

Homework: LOTF chapters 7–8 Personal reflection on socratic seminar

Assessment: Students will be formatively assessed on their ability to use the socratic seminar

norms we built as a class Students will be assessed on their ability to bring in information from Lord of the Flies

to add to discussion Students will be assessed on how well they listen to the other group’s discussion and

give constructive feedback to their partner

Differentiation: Students will be able to practice working in the large group and with just one other

person through their feedback.

Critical Literacy, Participatory Culture, & Dialogic TeachingGiven that our Lord of the Flies unit is based on the Socratic Seminar lesson,

dialogic teaching is at the heart of our unit. Students will be constantly focusing on their communication and collaboration skills and will be given opportunities every day to engage in dialogue on the content we discuss. When students are not participating in seminar, they will often work in small groups to engage in discussion and complete activities. For example, during the island drawing activity, the rule-making activity, and the webquest activity, students will collaborate with their peers to produce work to turn in.  On other days, such as when we read articles about anonymity online/in the novel and “mob mentality” in current events, students will get to participate in large group discussions.  Another aspect of our unit that emphasizes the importance of dialogue and participation is that students will actually be assessed on their communication skills and efforts during Socratic Seminar. By giving dialogue weight in our assessments, we’ll hopefully send the message to our students that discussion and collaboration are fundamentally important to our classroom practices.  We chose to do Socratic Seminar early in the trimester in order to set these standards in our students’ minds from the get-go.  

When it comes to critical literacy, we’re planning on incorporating multiple “critical lenses” into our discussion of Lord of the Flies. We hope to encourage our students to look at the book from different perspectives and read it critically as much as possible without taking away the control that we want them to have over the dialogue that goes on in class. We think that the Socratic Seminar method is perfect for having critical, inquiry-based

discussions, as it allows students to gain the perspectives of their classmates and to build off of one another's’ ideas.  We also hope to focus on critical literacy throughout the unit by connecting Lord of the Flies and Socratic Seminar to our trimester’s overarching theme: rhetoric and the power of language. Though we plan on having students spend more time analyzing the power of language and rhetoric in our 2 following units, we do hope to bring it into our Lord of the Flies unit as much as possible.  By framing our entire trimester as an inquiry around the power of language, students will learn to recognize the power and meaning in everything they read and produce.

Differentiation (process, content, & product):Our unit leaves room for a lot of differentiation in all three forms: process, content,

and product.  As far as process goes, our students will have opportunities to learn and think in many different forms. They’ll work as individuals, in small groups, and in large groups. They’ll read, write, speak, and listen to learn.  These varying forms of process will ensure that each student will have the opportunity to succeed, whatever their preferred method of learning might be.  When it comes to content, the focus of our Lord of the Flies unit is largely in the hands of our students; they will get to decide what gets talked about in Socratic Seminar and in small and large group discussions.  Students will develop their own inquiries about the novel as they read, and will share these inquiries with their peers in dialogue virtually every day.  Though we will provide “focus questions” at the beginning of our seminars for students to freewrite about to get their thoughts brewing, the flow of the discussion from there will be based on what interest them in the novel.  We’ll also have differentiation in the content we teach in that we won’t only be reading from the novel. We plan to incorporate video, online interactive websites, newspaper articles, and other resources into our teaching to make Lord of the Flies relevant to today’s world. So, if students struggle to connect with the novel, we hope that these supplementary resources will help them find meaning in the themes we talk about as a class. Regarding product, students will have opportunities to produce various different pieces throughout our Lord of the Flies unit. They’ll be creating maps, making lists of island rules, drawing, coming up with lists of communication norms, writing informal reflections in their writer’s notebooks, and completing more formal writing.  Another major “product” they’ll produce will actually be in their dialogue; students will be assessed on their ability to communicate effectively using the norms they create as a class. We hope that the differentiation in process, content, and product will engage each unique student we work with and will allow students to work at their own pace and difficulty level.

Attachments:1. Classroom Ads2. Writer’s notebook guide3. Webquest assignment4. Miss America Tweets5. Island Activity

“Classroom Ad”

Through this activity you will be creating a classroom advertisement of yourself. You will use formal language to create an ad about who you are in the context of this classroom. Use language that you would use during a job interview.

Your classroom advertisement should include at least 5 statements about you and a picture. If you don’t want to use your school picture, you can bring a different picture tomorrow.

You will design a 8x11” piece of construction paper to advertise you as a member of this classroom. You can answer any of the following questions.

Tell us about yourself.What will you bring to this classroom?What makes you unique?What skills do you have?How will you be an important part of this community?

Example statements:

I am a younger sister. I am a soccer player. I am an artist. I am an uncle. I am part of the debate club. I am a good runner. I love writing short stories. I am passionate about environmental issues. I am interested in politics.

I will bring a sense of curiosity and a desire to learn into this classroom.I will bring my knowledge about history to this classroom. I will bring my love for debating and seeing different sides of an issue. I will bring my sense of humor.

I am unique because I had experience with radio podcasts. I am unique because I have traveled to 3 different continents.

I am a skilled listener and can bring out the best in other people. I am a skilled writer and can use difficult vocabulary words. I have people skills that will help me connect with others in the class. I am skilled at staying up-to-date with current events.

I will be an important part of this community by encouraging others. I will be an important part of this community by seeking out new answers. I will be an important part of this community by bringing spontaneity and humor.

Writer’s Notebook: Seminar PreparationOne of the most important parts of the Socratic Seminar takes place before you even walk in the door: preparation! The night before seminar, to prepare for our discussion, you will take notes about the book and about your developing ideas. You will also develop a list of questions that will form our discussion the following day.

Here are some examples to get you started! How does… What would you predict/infer from… What might happen if… What solutions would you suggest for… Do you agree… What is the most important…. What might _____ mean? How might_____connect to ______? How does_____differ from______? How have your opinions changed…

Don’t stop here… be creative as you can! The more creative and provocative the questions are, the better the discussion will be!

Writer’s Notebook: Seminar PreparationOne of the most important parts of the Socratic Seminar takes place before you even walk in the door: preparation! The night before seminar, to prepare or our discussion, you will take notes about the book and about your developing ideas. You will also develop a list of questions that will form our discussion the following day.

Here are some examples to get you started! How does… What would you predict/infer from… What might happen if… What solutions would you suggest for… Do you agree… What is the most important…. What might _____ mean? How might_____connect to ______? How does_____differ from______? How have your opinions changed...

Don’t stop here… be creative as you can! The more creative and provocative the questions are, the better the discussion will be!

Lord of the Flies WebQuestOne way to get meaning from a book is to think deeply about the context in which it was written.  By considering the author’s surrounding world, background, and beliefs, we can try to understand what drove them to write their stories. What messages are they sending through their texts? Why were these messages important to them?

To deepen your William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, you’ll be conducting a WebQuest project in which you will research different aspects of the author/text and share your findings with classmates.

Group 1: William Golding BiographyThings to consider:

family and homelife education career beliefs themes throughout writing career

Group 2: The World in the 1950’sThings to consider:

World events in the early 1950’s Political atmosphere What did Golding think about this world?

Group 3: World War IIThings to consider:

Countries/groups involved Points of conflict starting the war Implications on daily life What effect did this war have on the world? How did it end?

Group 4: Reception of the BookThings to consider:

Initial reviews and critiques of the novel When/why did it become popular? What has Golding said about this book? Any modern applications

You will meet with the other students who also researched your topic and compare notes. Then you will form groups of 4, including one person from each topic.

As other groups present, try to make connections between what they found and what you found. Does any information overlap? Do you see any cause and effect relationships? Take notes on these connections.

Island Activity

You’re stranded on a desert island… Now as a group you need to:

Make a map of the island (including where you will eat, sleep, gather food, bathe, relax, as well as the areas to avoid)

Make rules (What rules will best help you survive together? Prioritize here, you can only make 6 rules!)