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Lesson 9

We will engage in a Socratic Seminar.

Lesson Goals

Reading and Knowledge

  • Gather and Organize Evidence: How well do I gather and organize relevant and sufficient evidence to demonstrate an understanding of the overall text and central ideas, support claims, and develop ideas?
  • Summarize: How well do I establish and explain an accurate understanding of the central issues of a text?
  • Form Claims: How well do I develop and clearly communicate meaningful and defensible claims that represent valid, evidence-based analysis?

Speaking and Listening

  • Communicate Effectively: How well do I use language and strategies to accomplish my intended purpose in communicating?
  • Listen: How well do I pay attention to and acknowledge others while thoughtfully considering their ideas?
  • Remain Open: How well do I change my ideas or perspective based on new, credible information and experiences?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot, Crown Publishing Group, 2010

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

We will engage in a Socratic Seminar.

Place the classroom chairs in a circle.

Share the word or words you chose from your Vocabulary Journal with the group.

Begin the seminar by discussing the following question:

  1. In what ways did the history of Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cells change our world?

Continue your discussion by sharing one of your open-ended questions to the group. Anyone can respond and start a discussion. This is a discussion, not a question-and-answer session.

Activity 2: Write

We will reflect on our discussion in our Learning Logs.

We will reflect on what we learned during our Socratic Seminar. Respond to the following questions in your Learning Log:

  1. How did the seminar deepen my understanding of the text and its central issues?

  2. What new questions emerged for me during the seminar? What do I still want to know?

  3. What questions most challenged me to think deeper or differently about the text?

  4. Which of my peers’ details or insights surprised me?

  5. What did I think of the Socratic Seminar format? How did I feel during the discussion?

Activity 3: Write – Discuss

We reflect on our work on the Section Diagnostic and assess how prepared we are for the Culminating Task.

Step 1

Choose at least three of the questions below and respond to them in your Learning Log:

  1. How well did you take necessary action to prepare for the task?

  2. What went well for you during the completion of this task?

  3. What did you struggle with during the completion of this task? How did you push through that struggle?

  4. How well did you actively focus your attention during this independent task?

  5. How well did you develop and use an effective and efficient process to maintain workflow during this task?

  6. What would you do differently during the next Section Diagnostic?

Step 2

Review your Culminating Task Progress Tracker. Think about all you have learned and done during this section of the unit. Evaluate your skills and knowledge to determine how prepared you are for the Culminating Task.

  • Add or refine any skills and content knowledge required for the Culminating Task.

  • Evaluate how well you are mastering skills and knowledge required for the Culminating Task.