Unit Plan 16 (Grade 4 Art): Structured Critique Session
Grade 4 art unit teaching structured critique, where students evaluate artwork using craftsmanship, composition, and clarity while giving respectful, specific, helpful feedback.
Focus: Practice a structured critique process to evaluate artwork using simple criteria such as craftsmanship, composition, and clarity of message.
Grade Level: 4
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Responding)
Total Unit Duration: 1–3 weeks, 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students learn how to be thoughtful art critics by using a simple, structured critique process. They explore what it means to look carefully at artwork and talk about it using clear criteria: craftsmanship, composition, and clarity of the idea or message. Through modeling, guided practice, and a class or small-group critique, students give and receive feedback in a respectful way that helps everyone improve. By the end, students can use a checklist and sentence starters to share specific, kind, and helpful comments about artwork.
Essential Questions
- How can I look closely at artwork and describe what I see in a respectful way?
- What simple criteria (craftsmanship, composition, clarity) can help me decide if an artwork is effective?
- How does structured critique help artists improve their work and learn from each other?
- What does helpful feedback sound like, and how is it different from unhelpful comments?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Describe what it means to evaluate artwork using simple criteria (craftsmanship, composition, clarity).
- Use a critique checklist to look at a piece of artwork and record observations.
- Share critique comments using sentence starters that keep feedback kind, specific, and helpful.
- Participate in a structured critique (whole class or small group), listening and responding respectfully.
- Reflect on how critique comments can help them revise or improve current or future artwork.
Standards Alignment — 4th Grade (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Re9.4a — Evaluate artwork using simple criteria such as craftsmanship, composition, and clarity.
- Example: Students use a checklist to assess artwork effectiveness.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can explain what craftsmanship, composition, and clarity mean when looking at artwork.
- I can use a critique checklist to evaluate my own or a classmate’s work.
- I can give kind, specific, and helpful feedback using sentence starters.
- I can listen to feedback about my art and think about how it could help me improve.
- I can tell how a structured critique made me see artwork in a new or deeper way.