Another Socratic Seminar practice session and analysis! How did today's class go for you? What thoughts do you want to share with us? Please comment and respond!
Unfortunately, I missed last week. It seems like a lot of valuable activities occured. I am impressed with the response of the group during Maeve's seminar. It just really showed me how valuable the discussion is. The more discussion, the more I understood. I think that the process will become more clear to me when I try it this week in my resource class.
Thank you all for your amazing insights. Here's the "real socratic seminar!"
[first lines] Bonasera: I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom but I taught her never to dishonor her family. She found a "boy friend," not an Italian. She went to the movies with him. She stayed out late. I didn't protest. Two months ago he took her for a drive, with another boy friend. They made her drink whiskey and then they tried to take advantage of her. She resisted. She kept her honor. So they beat her. Like an animal. When I went to the hospital her nose was broken. Her jaw was shattered, held together by wire. She couldn't even weep because of the pain. But I wept. Why did I weep? She was the light of my life. A beautiful girl. Now she will never be beautiful again. [He breaks down at this point, and the Don gestures to his son to get him a drink] Bonasera: Sorry... [He regains his composure and carries on] Bonasera: I went to the police, like a good American. These two boys were brought to trial. The judge sentenced them to three years in prison, and suspended the sentence. Suspended sentence! They went free that very day! I stood in the courtroom like a fool, and those two bastards, they smiled at me. Then I said to my wife, "For justice, we must go to Don Corleone." Don Corleone: Why did you go to the police? Why didn't you come to me first? Bonasera: What do you want of me? Tell me anything. But do what I beg you to do. Don Corleone: What is that? [Bonasera gets up from his seat and whispers into the Don's ear; for a long moment the Don is silent] Don Corleone: That I cannot do. Bonasera: I will give you anything you ask!
Socratic Seminar
Watch the following clip from Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather.
Jot down observations… Prepare to discuss…
Questions to have on hand…
What time of day is it?
How do you know?
Why is the room so dark? What could be the reason for that?
Why do the characters hold their bodies the way they do?
How does Don Corleone sound?
What happened to this man’s daughter?
What does Sr. Bonasera mean by “now she will never be beautiful again?”
Who is to blame for what happened to this girl?
Did you notice any words that were repeated? What were they? What was the effect?
Who do you think will suffer more from the attack—the father or the daughter?
Why is America mentioned a few times?
What do you think Bonasera whispers in DC’s ear?
Why does he whisper it?
Why does DC sit in silence after Bonasera whispers in his ear?
Is Tom Buchanan Don Corleone?
(I’m hoping students will discuss the themes below—in bold—especially picking up on the role of women…control and submission)
Is Jay Gatsby Don Corleone?
(as a class, we haven’t yet discussed Gatsby much, but students have been assigned later chapters in which he appears)
[Not sure if I’ll ask this—may be giving too much away—but this is what I’m hoping they’ll discuss…
What’s the most important big idea (theme) of this scene? (respect, obligation, fear, justice, assimilation, virtue/sexuality, control, beauty)]
I'm planning a socratic seminar based on an image. We are studying the impact of the media on the political agenda in my AP Government class and I thought analyzing an image would be a powerful way to get the students involved in the content. I'll test it out on you all next week!
Maeve, I can't wait to hear how this session went for you! Love the swtich to Gatsby at the end! Bam! Mary, I am looking forward to practicing a seminar based on an image!
Unfortunately, I missed last week. It seems like a lot of valuable activities occured. I am impressed with the response of the group during Maeve's seminar. It just really showed me how valuable the discussion is. The more discussion, the more I understood.
ReplyDeleteI think that the process will become more clear to me when I try it this week in my resource class.
Thank you all for your amazing insights. Here's the "real socratic seminar!"
ReplyDelete[first lines]
Bonasera: I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom but I taught her never to dishonor her family. She found a "boy friend," not an Italian. She went to the movies with him. She stayed out late. I didn't protest. Two months ago he took her for a drive, with another boy friend. They made her drink whiskey and then they tried to take advantage of her. She resisted. She kept her honor. So they beat her. Like an animal. When I went to the hospital her nose was broken. Her jaw was shattered, held together by wire. She couldn't even weep because of the pain. But I wept. Why did I weep? She was the light of my life. A beautiful girl. Now she will never be beautiful again.
[He breaks down at this point, and the Don gestures to his son to get him a drink]
Bonasera: Sorry...
[He regains his composure and carries on]
Bonasera: I went to the police, like a good American. These two boys were brought to trial. The judge sentenced them to three years in prison, and suspended the sentence. Suspended sentence! They went free that very day! I stood in the courtroom like a fool, and those two bastards, they smiled at me. Then I said to my wife, "For justice, we must go to Don Corleone."
Don Corleone: Why did you go to the police? Why didn't you come to me first?
Bonasera: What do you want of me? Tell me anything. But do what I beg you to do.
Don Corleone: What is that?
[Bonasera gets up from his seat and whispers into the Don's ear; for a long moment the Don is silent]
Don Corleone: That I cannot do.
Bonasera: I will give you anything you ask!
Socratic Seminar
Watch the following clip from Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather.
Jot down observations…
Prepare to discuss…
Questions to have on hand…
What time of day is it?
How do you know?
Why is the room so dark? What could be the reason for that?
Why do the characters hold their bodies the way they do?
How does Don Corleone sound?
What happened to this man’s daughter?
What does Sr. Bonasera mean by “now she will never be beautiful again?”
Who is to blame for what happened to this girl?
Did you notice any words that were repeated? What were they? What was the effect?
Who do you think will suffer more from the attack—the father or the daughter?
Why is America mentioned a few times?
What do you think Bonasera whispers in DC’s ear?
Why does he whisper it?
Why does DC sit in silence after Bonasera whispers in his ear?
Is Tom Buchanan Don Corleone?
(I’m hoping students will discuss the themes below—in bold—especially picking up on the role of women…control and submission)
Is Jay Gatsby Don Corleone?
(as a class, we haven’t yet discussed Gatsby much, but students have been assigned later chapters in which he appears)
[Not sure if I’ll ask this—may be giving too much away—but this is what I’m hoping they’ll discuss…
What’s the most important big idea (theme) of this scene?
(respect, obligation, fear, justice, assimilation, virtue/sexuality, control, beauty)]
I'm planning a socratic seminar based on an image. We are studying the impact of the media on the political agenda in my AP Government class and I thought analyzing an image would be a powerful way to get the students involved in the content. I'll test it out on you all next week!
ReplyDeleteMaeve, I can't wait to hear how this session went for you! Love the swtich to Gatsby at the end! Bam!
ReplyDeleteMary, I am looking forward to practicing a seminar based on an image!