Generic Seminar Questions

Pre-Seminar (address both content and process preparation.)

What relevant information is important to know about this text?

What should we work on, as a group and as individuals, to make this a good seminar?

What do you already know about this topic/author/text?

Opening: (Introduce theme or ideas:  get participants into the text)

What is the author’s purpose in ____________________?

What might be another good title for this?

What is a main idea or value in this text?

What is the most important/meaningful line in the text?

Core:  (Identify central points:  require close consideration of the text)

According to the text, what does the term (or phrase) _____ mean?

In what ways are ______ and _____ alike (or different)?

How do you think _____ was viewed by (or would be viewed by) ______?

Does the text agree or disagree with this statement: ________________?

What does line ____ mean?

Closing:  (Get participants to apply the ideas:  get them out of the text)

What are the consequences or implications of this text and/or this discussion?  (How does this discussion MATTER in the real world?)

How do the ideas in the text relate to today?

What if _____ happened (or were true) instead of _____?

Why is this important?