A Socratic seminar lives or dies on its questions. Ask "Did you like the story?" and you get a two-minute discussion. Ask "Was the narrator telling the truth?" and you might not get them to stop.
Good seminar questions have three things in common: they have more than one defensible answer, they send students back to the text, and they're short enough to remember.
Opening questions
The opener gets everyone talking. It should be easy to answer and impossible to answer with one word.
Which line from the text stuck with you, and why?
If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?
What surprised you most?
Core questions
The core questions are where the thinking happens. They should require evidence.
What does the author want us to believe, and does the evidence support it?
Whose voice is missing from this text?
Which choice in the text was the most important? Defend your pick.
What would change if this happened today?
Closing questions
The closer connects the text to the students' world.
How does this connect to something in your own life or community?
What's one idea from today's discussion that changed your mind, even a little?
Keep the discussion honest
Require text evidence. A simple rule: no claim without a line number or page.
Track talk, not just talkers. A tally sheet of who spoke, who cited the text, and who built on someone else's idea gives you something real to grade.
Use an inner and outer circle so quieter students have a role: the outer circle tracks evidence and gives feedback.
Free tools
Questions for Socratic Seminar: 40 for Grades 6–12 has the full list, sorted by question type.
The Socratic Seminar Rubric is free to print.
Socratic Seminar walks through setup from start to finish.
On Positive Teacher: How to Run a Socratic Seminar Middle and High Schoolers Take Seriously.
Before the seminar, try the reading routines in annotation strategies for grades 6–12 so students show up with something to say.
Want it ready to print
Everything above is free. If you'd rather skip the prep, my TPT store, Teacher Emergency Toolkit, has print-ready packs for grades 6–12, including a free resources shelf and teacher forms and templates.
Need a warm-up for tomorrow? A new set of free bell ringers goes up every morning at Daily Bell Ringers.