Peer Review and Feedback

Year Level

Years 4, 5 and 6

Duration

50 minutes

Unit Context

This is Lesson 9 of 10 in the unit "Sustainable Design Explorations". Students have developed their sustainable design projects and now engage in peer review and feedback before finalising their work.

Learning Area

Technologies - Design and Technologies

Australian Curriculum Alignment

Content Descriptions:

ACTDEP018 (Years 4-6): Plan, create and communicate ideas and information independently and collaboratively, applying agreed ethical and social protocols.
ACTDEP019 (Years 4-6): Analyse and evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions, and consider interconnections between people, place, technologies, and environments.
ACTDIP024 (Years 5 & 6 - Digital Technologies): Work collaboratively to plan, develop and communicate ideas and information, using agreed ethical and social protocols.

Cross-curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:

Ethical understanding (giving and receiving constructive feedback respectfully).
Critical and creative thinking (analysing peer work, providing constructive suggestions).
Literacy (using scaffolded feedback forms to support expression).
ICT Capability (using digital tools for peer review and feedback).

Lesson Title

Peer Review and Feedback

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Engage in giving and receiving constructive feedback.
Participate effectively in peer review sessions for presentations on sustainable design projects.

Success Criteria

Provide constructive feedback on at least two peer presentations.
Use scaffolded feedback forms to guide clear and respectful comments.
Review and reflect on feedback received on own presentation.

Resources Needed

Digital devices (tablets or laptops) with presentation viewing capability.
Scaffolded feedback templates (printed and digital; dyslexia-friendly with clear fonts, bullet points, and guiding questions).
Projector/smartboard for group discussion.
Timer for managing presentation and feedback sessions.
Optional: Voice-to-text tools to support students with writing difficulties.

Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation & Support
0–5m	Introduction & Learning Intentions	- Recap previous lesson progress on sustainable design projects. - Explain WALT and success criteria. - Discuss the value of constructive feedback.	Use visual WALT and success criteria on board. Briefly discuss respectful language and tone.
5–10m	Modelling Constructive Feedback	- Teacher demonstrates providing constructive peer feedback using a sample presentation. - Highlight 'What worked well' and 'Even better if' comments.	Use simple language and examples. Scaffold "I noticed...", "I liked...", "I wonder if..." sentence stems.
10–30m	Peer Review Session - Round 1	- Students watch classmates' presentations in small groups (3-4 per group). - Each student provides feedback using the guided template focusing on content, sustainability ideas, and presentation skills. - Rotate so each student reviews two presentations.	Pair students strategically to support those who need encouragement. Use voice-to-text or scribe if necessary.
30–40m	Group Reflection and Sharing Feedback	- Groups discuss common themes from feedback. - Students share one positive comment and one suggestion from their feedback forms. - Teacher emphasises respectful language and constructive tone.	Use sentence starters to support sharing. Encourage a positive, supportive atmosphere.
40–45m	Receiving Peer Feedback	- Each student reflects on feedback received. - Discuss how feedback can help improve their project before final submission. - Optional quick journaling: "One thing I will change based on feedback is..."	Provide writing frames. Offer verbal reflection option for those who prefer speaking.
45–50m	Wrap-Up and Extension Challenge	- Recap the importance of peer review. - Explain homework/next lesson task: Implement feedback into final project. - Extension: Students who finish early begin drafting improvements digitally.	Provide digital templates for extension students. Allow use of predictive text or graphic organisers for students with additional needs.

Differentiation

For Diverse Learners & Dyslexia-Friendly:
- Use guided feedback templates with bullet points, clear font (Arial/Comic Sans), and ample spacing.
- Provide verbal prompts and opportunities to give oral feedback.
- Use visual icons or emojis to represent feedback categories (e.g., thumbs up, lightbulb for idea).
- Allow assisted typing or speech-to-text where appropriate.
For Advanced Learners:
- Encourage extension tasks such as suggesting further improvements or innovative ideas beyond the scaffolded template.
- Implement feedback received and present updated ideas in the next lesson.
- Mentor peers who may need help formulating constructive feedback.

Assessment

Formative assessment through observation of student participation in feedback sessions.
Checking completed feedback forms for use of constructive language aligned with success criteria.
Reflective journal entries or verbal reflection on how peer feedback will be used.

Teacher Notes

Foster a classroom culture of respect and kindness in feedback moments.
Emphasise that feedback focuses on ideas, not the person.
Model and co-create feedback language with students early in the unit for sustained use.
Use digital tools for presentation and feedback when possible to engage students digitally, reflecting your preference.
Plan seating to optimise effective peer discussions.
This lesson supports Australian Curriculum's emphasis on collaboration, ethical behaviour, and critical thinking within Technologies learning area for upper primary students.

This lesson plan offers a well-structured, scaffolded, inclusive, and technology-enhanced approach to peer review that aligns closely with the Australian Curriculum v9 for Technologies (Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies) for Years 4-6. It embraces the teacher's style of varied activities and digital integration while offering clear steps and supports for diverse learners and extensions for advanced students.

If you want, I can also help create the scaffolded feedback templates and dyslexia-friendly resources for this lesson!

Teaching Instructions