Socratic Seminar Sharpens Critical Thinking

Hailey Matson ’23 speaks during a Socratic Seminar in Erin Wenal's AP English class.

Socrates. The name is familiar to many, but what do you know about him? You may recall that this fifth-century philosopher lived in Athens, Greece, or that he died from drinking hemlock.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Socratic method, which helps develop critical thinking skills. The technique involves a teacher asking students a question, then another question based on the first response, and so on. Gradually, the teacher helps students question their beliefs and achieve deeper understanding.

This fall, teacher Erin Wenal has engaged her AP English Language & Comp students in a similar exercise “designed to ignite critical thinking and help students articulate and defend their positions on a specific topic,” she said.

The topic of the first seminar was “Nuclear energy is the best clean energy option for the United States.” To be ready to talk about that claim, four teams of students spent days doing research and developing arguments.

That preparation was key, said senior Hailey Matson of Surry, “because you really had to understand [the topic] to have a stance.”

On the day of the seminar, when each team presented their arguments, asked and answered clarifying questions, defended their ideas, and refuted the other teams’ arguments, speed was of the essence.

“When it came to answering and asking questions,” Hailey said, “you had to be quick before someone else asked or before the topic moved on.”

All that hard work paid off. “It was one of the most interactive and smooth-flowing” seminars she has experienced, Hailey said. “I enjoyed the way everyone voiced their opinions because I was able to see how similar our stances on the topic were.” always asked questions if he did not understand something.”

Thanks, Erin, for helping your students strengthen their critical thinking skills.

Tommy Norgang '23 speaks during a Socratic seminar.