Unit Plan 8 (Grade 7 Art): Structured Peer Critique
Grade 7 art critique unit where students use rubric-based feedback to evaluate artwork, set revision goals, and refine pieces to improve clarity, technique, and organization.
Focus: Use rubric-based critique to refine artistic work, practicing how to evaluate artwork with clear criteria and incorporate feedback to improve clarity, technique, and organization.
Grade Level: 7
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Studio Practice • Critique & Revision)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students learn how to participate in structured peer critique as a tool for artistic growth. Using a shared rubric and clear sentence stems, they practice describing what they see, connecting comments to criteria, and suggesting specific revisions. Students apply these skills to their Studio Project I works-in-progress (or recent major artworks), then use the feedback to revise and refine their pieces. By the end, students can explain how critique helped them improve craftsmanship, composition, and communication of their ideas, and they feel more confident giving and receiving evidence-based feedback.
Essential Questions
- How can rubrics and criteria help us give fair, useful feedback on artwork?
- What does constructive, evidence-based feedback sound like in an art critique?
- How can I use peer and teacher feedback to refine my artwork without losing my own voice?
- Why is critique an important part of the artistic process, not just something that happens at the end?
- How can we create a respectful critique culture where everyone feels safe to share and grow?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Use an art rubric and shared criteria (composition, craftsmanship, clarity of intent, use of media) to evaluate their own and peers’ artworks (VA:Re9.7a).
- Provide constructive, evidence-based feedback using sentence stems and visual evidence (“I notice…,” “I see that you used…,” “This part meets the criteria because…”) (VA:Re9.7a).
- Identify one or two focused revision goals for their artwork based on critique comments (VA:Cr3.7a).
- Revise artwork to improve clarity, technique, and organization, documenting at least one visible change linked to feedback (VA:Cr3.7a).
- Reflect on how structured critique and revision contributed to their artistic growth and communication of intent (VA:Cr3.7a, VA:Re9.7a).
Standards Alignment — 7th Grade (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Cr3.7a — Refine artwork by incorporating feedback from peers and teachers to improve clarity, technique, and organization.
- Example: Students adjust proportion, contrast, or composition after critique to better support their idea.
- VA:Re9.7a — Evaluate artwork using established criteria and provide constructive, evidence-based feedback.
- Example: Students use a rubric to assess composition strength and justify ratings with specific observations.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can use a rubric to talk about strengths and areas for growth in artwork.
- I can give feedback that is specific, kind, and based on evidence, not just “I like it” or “It’s good.”
- I can choose one or two changes to make to my artwork based on peer critique.
- I can show and explain how my artwork improved after revision.
- I can help create a safe, respectful critique space by the way I speak and listen.