Peer Review and Feedback

Grade Level

Grade 5 (Typical age: 10-11 years)

Duration

60 minutes

Unit Context

Unit: Retelling Percy Jackson Adventures
Lesson 6 of 8

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Curriculum Expectations (Ontario Language, Grade 5)

Overall Expectations:

• Writing (1.4): Use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, with guidance and support, to produce final written work that is clear and error free.
• Writing (1.6): Identify, select, and use a variety of appropriate organizational patterns and transitions to clearly communicate ideas and information.
• Listening and Speaking (2.3): Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by responding appropriately in a variety of situations.
• Listening and Speaking (2.4): Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

Specific Skills Addressed:

• Giving and receiving constructive feedback in a respectful manner
• Editing and improving writing based on peer suggestions
• Reflecting on peer review to revise written work

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Learning Goals / Intentions

• Students will understand how to give and receive constructive peer feedback using kind, specific, and helpful language.
• Students will use peer feedback to identify strengths and areas for improvement in their retelling drafts.
• Students will practise active listening and respectful communication when discussing peer writing.

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Success Criteria ("I Can" Statements)

• I can give specific and positive feedback that helps my peer improve their writing.
• I can listen carefully and ask questions to understand feedback given to me.
• I can use feedback from my peer to make my writing clearer and more interesting.

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Materials Needed

• Drafts of students’ Percy Jackson retellings (previously written)
• Peer Review Feedback template (with sentence starters)
• Chart paper or whiteboard with peer review guidelines
• Pencils/erasers
• Timer or clock

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Activate prior knowledge: Recap where students are in the unit: their Percy Jackson retelling drafts are ready for review.
• Explain the importance of peer review: Emphasize that writing improves through collaboration and constructive feedback, which is part of the writing process in the Ontario curriculum.
• Model giving feedback: Using a short anonymous paragraph on chart paper, demonstrate how to give one positive comment and one constructive suggestion.
• Establish Peer Review Guidelines:
  • Be respectful and kind
  • Be specific, not general
  • Focus on the writing, not the writer
  • Ask questions if unclear

2. Guided Practice (10 minutes)

• Pair students up or arrange triads depending on comfort level.
• Distribute peer review feedback templates featuring prompts such as:
  • "I really like how you..."
  • "One thing you could add is..."
  • "I have a question about..."
• Practice one round of feedback on a sample text provided by the teacher or a volunteer student draft (with permission and anonymity preserved).
• Model how to receive feedback calmly and ask clarifying questions.

3. Peer Review Activity (25 minutes)

• Students exchange their Percy Jackson adventure retelling drafts with their peer(s).
• Using the feedback template, students read through the draft and write their comments.
• Encourage students to provide at least two positive comments and two suggestions for improvement.
• Monitor pairs/groups closely, providing support and modelling turning feedback into actionable steps.
• Rotate if time allows to provide feedback from more classmates or proceed with one peer only.

4. Reflection & Discussion (10 minutes)

• Return drafts to original writers.
• Encourage students to read feedback silently and note one thing they want to work on.
• Facilitate a class discussion where volunteers (or all, depending on class size) share how receiving feedback felt and one new thing they learned from their peer.
• Reinforce the idea that feedback is a gift to help writers improve their work.

5. Closure & Next Steps (5 minutes)

• Remind students that the next lesson will focus on revising their drafts based on this feedback.
• Collect peer review templates or have students keep them for reference.
• Exit slip prompt: On a sticky note or piece of paper, students write a quick “I can” statement about what they learned today (to be reviewed by the teacher).

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Differentiation Strategies

• For Diverse Learners:

  • Provide sentence starters on peer feedback sheets to support expressive language.
  • Pair stronger writers with students needing more support for scaffolding.
  • Use simplified language or one-on-one mini-conferences for students requiring extra assistance.
  • Offer oral feedback options for students with writing difficulties.
  • Visual reminder charts of peer review rules for students needing behavioural support.

• For English Language Learners (ELLs):

  • Model vocabulary related to feedback (e.g., “I like,” “You could…”).
  • Allow the use of bilingual dictionaries or translated feedback phrases if needed.
  • Provide audio examples of feedback exchanges.

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Extension Activities (For Advanced Learners)

• Invite students to write a reflective paragraph explaining how the feedback helped improve their draft and what strategies they might use in the future.
• Challenge students to form a small peer editing group, taking turns to review multiple drafts, thereby deepening their evaluative skills.
• Have students create their own rubric or checklist for peer review based on today’s lesson and use it in subsequent reviews.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observes peer review interactions, checks for appropriate feedback language and listening behaviours.
• Peer Review Templates: Used to assess student ability to identify strengths and areas for improvement in peer writing.
• Exit slips: Quickly gauge student understanding of the peer review process and self-reflection.

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Teacher Reflection Prompts

• Did students demonstrate respectful and constructive feedback language?
• Were students engaged and able to apply feedback to their writing?
• What adjustments can be made to improve the peer review process for diverse learners?

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This lesson plan encourages collaborative literacy learning aligned with Ontario Language Curriculum expectations. It fosters 21st century skills such as communication, critical thinking, and empathy through structured peer feedback activities.