Student: _______________________________
Socratic Seminar Rubric
Excellent
Conduct Demonstrates respect for the
learning process; has patience
with different opinions and
complexity; shows initiative by
asking others for clarification;
brings others into the
conversation/moves the
conversation forward; speaks
to the participants; avoids
taking over the seminar by
talking too much.
Contributes to academic
discussion often; understands
questions before answering;
Speaking cites evidence from text;
& expresses thoughts in
Reasoning complete sentences; moves
the conversation forward;
makes connections between
ideas; resolves apparent
contradictory ideas; considers
others’ viewpoints, not only
his/her own; avoids bad logic.
Listening Pays attention to details;
responses take into account all
participants; demonstrates that
he/she has kept up; points out
faulty logic respectfully;
overcomes distractions.
Reading Thoroughly familiar with the
text; has notations and
questions in the margins; key
words, phrases, and ideas are
highlighted; possible
contradictions identified;
pronounces words correctly.
Good Fair Unsatisfactory
Generally shows Participates and expresses a Displays little respect
composure but may belief that his/her ideas are for the learning
display impatience with important in understanding the process;
contradictory or text; may make insightful argumentative; takes
confusing ideas; comments but is either too advantage of minor
comments, but does not forceful or too shy and does not distractions; uses
necessarily encourage contribute to the progress of the inappropriate language;
others to participate; conversation; tends to debate, speaks to individuals
may tend to address only not dialogue. rather than ideas;
the teacher or get into arrives unprepared
debates. without notes, pen or
perhaps even without
the text.
Responds to questions Responds to questions but may Extremely reluctant to
voluntarily; comments have to be called upon by others; participate even when
show an appreciation for has read the text but not put called upon; comments
the text but possibly not much effort into preparing ideas illogical; may mumble
an appreciation for the for the seminar; comments take or express incomplete
subtler points within it; details into account but may not ideas; little or no
comments are logical but flow logically in conversation. account taken of
not connected to other previous comments or
speakers; ideas important ideas in the
interesting enough that text.
others respond to them.
Generally pays attention Appears to find some ideas Appears uninvolved in
and responds unimportant while responding to the seminar; comments
thoughtfully to ideas and others; may have to have display complete
questions of other questions or confusions repeated misinterpretation of
participants and the due to inattention. questions or comments
leader; absorption in of other participants.
own ideas may distract
the participant from the
ideas of others.
Has read the text and Appears to have read or skimmed Student is unprepared
comes into the the text but has not marked the for the seminar;
discussion with some text or made meaningful notes or important words,
ideas from it, but these questions; may show difficulty phrases, ideas in the
may not be written out with vocabulary; mispronounces text are unfamiliar; no
in advance; good important words; key concepts notes or questions
understanding of the misunderstood; little evidence of marked in the text; no
vocabulary but may serious reflection prior to the attempt made to get
mispronounce some new seminar. help with difficult
or foreign words. material.