Socratic Seminar TEMPLATE and SAMPLES
Seminar Preparation
Using these big questions, prepare responses on note cards. PREPARE FOR TWELVE
QUESTIONS. You may use one or several note cards for each question. Make a point on the front of
the note card and put your proof on the back. All points must be backed up with proof in the forms of
text, research, packet information, etc. Label your proof so that you can direct the other seminar
members where to find it. Gain extra depth when you work the vocabulary words into your answers.
Seminar Big Questions
1.Is Milan Kundera correct? Have all ideologies been defeated? Was ideology surpassed by reality,
and reality replaced by imagology? (Back up your answers with examples used by Kundera and
other authors, as well as a present day example.)
2.Do the “anthropic cosmological principle” and the Gaia hypothesis hold inspiration or condemnation
for human rights and freedoms? Be sure to explain each idea fully in your answer.
3.Do you agree or disagree with Gabriel Garcia Marquez when he says that in order to deal with
colliding languages in the information age we should discard standardized spellings, assimilate
new expressions quickly, humanize grammar rules, make language more musical, and get rid of
outdated rules. Why?
4.Octavio Paz’s “To Talk,” Bei Dao’s “Language,” and John Ashbery’s “Paradoxes and Oxymorons”
all center upon language. According to each, what are the functions and power of language? Do
you agreee or disagree? Why
5.The clash of cultures is a topic for the unit and each of the following pieces of literature: Gary
Snyder’s “Smokey the Bear Sutra,” Wislawa Szymborska’s “The Terrorist, He Watches,” An
Account of Tourist Terrorism,” and “Rethinking the War on American Culture.” Turn the topic “clash
of cultures” into a theme (what insight is gained about humanity concerning the topic) and support
your theme with the four works of literature.
6.According to critics, Joyce Carol Oates focuses upon the spiritual, sexual, and intellectual decline of
modern American society. In what ways does her short story “Ace” comment on the decline of
modern American society? Is she accurate?
7.Which artist best typifies Postmodernism and the Information Age? Why? (Be sure to talk about
his art style and its connections to today’s society.)
8.What are the three most important contributions to music in the Information Age? Why?
9.Consider all of the examples of terrorism from the “Early Terrorism” readings. Which one is the
most shocking? Why?
10.What lessons should we learn from past incidents of terrorism? How can we win the “war on
terror”?
11.It is often said that, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” What distinguishes
between the two? Are acts of terrorism ever justifiable?
12.What is the proper balance between individual liberties and collective security in regard to the
threat posed by terrorism?
13.In his film An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore argues that we have a “moral imperative.” What does
this mean and what actions does it demand?
14.There are a wide range of environmental threats facing our planet. Which of them is the most
serious and should be confronted first?
15. Thomas Friedman maintains that “the world is flat” when he alludes to the growing economic
power of China and India and the competitor they present for the world’s resources and markets.
How should the USA respond to these new challenges?