"To find yourself, think for yourself": Socratic Seminars

School:: Van R Butler Elementary
Subject:: Literacy
Teacher:: Tia Shubert
Students Impacted:: 38
Grade:: 5
Date:: October 5, 2021

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

The Alys Foundation - $955.43

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 58

My students, as well as students in other grade levels, have benefitted from the books I received through this year's grant. The students were eager to dive into the new books and we had rich discussions about the novels. The students came to class each day yearning to uncover the detials of the next chapters. Students developed their comprehension and collaborative communication skills as we utilized the texts. They continue to make references and connections to the novels we've completed as we discuss new topics and texts daily. These books added an opportunity for students to increase their vocabulary, comprehension, speaking and listening skills, as well as a love for learning!

Original Grant Overview

Goal

100% of students in my 4th and 5th grade classes will increase their vocabulary, reading stamina, metacognition, and interpersonal skills by the end of 4th/5th grade.

What will be done with my students

The students will increase their literary endurance by reading chapter books. Students will also increase their vocabulary and appreciation for literature. The students will work collaboratively in literature circles while participating in concerted conversations and Socratic seminars.

Benefits to my students

Socratic seminars allow students to develop a deeper understanding of the text through a comprehensive discussion. Using chapter books will develop the students' stamina, while practicing patience and perseverance. The Socratic seminars will empower students to ask and answer open-ended questions and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the content. Socratic seminars will encourage students to respond to higher order thinking questions and motivate them to predict, infer, analyze, and disseminate the intricate details of the texts. Utilizing chapter books with Socratic seminars will also facilitate team building, and collaborative conversations, while teaching students to be responsible and accountable for their own learning.

Budget Narrative

This list of books is from Amazon and are selected based on my students' reading levels. There are 22 books per title to ensure each student per class can hold a book independently. One title has fewer than 22 copies to complete the partial set I've previously purchased.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Where the Red Fern Grows (22 books)	$197.78
2	Esperanza Rising (22 books)	$117.48
3	A Wrinkle in Time (22 books)	$117.70
4	Charlotte's Web (22 books)	$120.34
5	Treasure Island (22 books)	$108.90
6	Wonder (22 books)	$213.84
7	Holes (17 books)	$79.39
	Total:	$955.43

Please share this page to help in fulfilling this grant.