Culture of Critique

Created by Nic Moorman 303.827.8669

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Purpose
In order to achieve our best work, we must, as learners, build the capacity to give and receive
quality feedback. Creating a culture of critique provides students with language and opportunity to
support their peers to achieve their best work. Paired with revisionary skills, critique is utilized to
solicit feedback rooted in skills-based criteria. Critique encourages and challenges students to
create the highest quality of work and fosters a student-led classroom assessment practice.

When practiced, critique builds positive student culture in the classroom, while also strengthening
skills in vocabulary identification and evidence-based reflection.

NYS Standard NYS Literacy Standard

VA: Cr3.1. HSIII Reflect on re-engage, revise, WHST2d Use precise language and content-
and refine works of art or design considering specific vocabulary to reflect the complexity of
relevant traditional and contemporary criteria as the topic and to convey a style appropriate to the
well as personal artistic vision. discipline, context, and audience.
Culture of Critique
Created by Nic Moorman 303.827.8669
nicholasmoorman.weebly.com
nic.moorman1@gmail.com

Overview of Lessons
(Note: These protocols are designed to be used interchangeably across content areas and throughout the creation of a
large product assignment. Each protocol is meant to be placed within a lesson that involves student work time on a
large project/product assignment.)

Critique Student facing objective Materials and supplies needed

Protocols/Lessons

Show Call Students will be able to analyze  Student Exemplar

(10 min) student work based on specified  Document
criteria and give kind, specific, and camera/smartboard/visual
helpful feedback verbally. projection.

Walking Critique Students will be able to give written  Stickie Notes (optional)
(20-60 min.) feedback based on their analysis of  Writing utensils
the work of a peer based on a prompt
aligned to set criteria.

Socratic Critique Students will be able to give verbal  Socratic critique accountability
(45-60 min.) feedback to multiple peers using form
language from a rubric or set criteria  Writing utensils
in the form of large group discussion.

Successful Critique Checklist (for teachers)

 I have frontloaded the lesson(s) with a specified language oriented in growth and
improvement.
 My Critique Activity is tied to a clear Criteria for Success, or Rubric that the students have
access to before the lesson(s) is facilitated.
 Students have the opportunity to reflect on the feedback they received and are given an
opportunity to revise their work based on that feedback.
 Students are given examples and definitions of Kind Specific and Helpful Feedback
before/during the critique to ensure quality feedback.
Culture of Critique
Created by Nic Moorman 303.827.8669
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nic.moorman1@gmail.com

Show Call
Student Objective: Students will be able to analyze student work based on specified
criteria and give kind, specific, and helpful feedback verbally.

1. Facilitator utilizes a document camera or projection to display

student work that will be receiving feedback. This work can
be of the highest quality or work that needs support
depending on what the facilitator feels will be most valuable
Show in that moment*. If using work from a student currently a part
3 min of our community, ask their permission first.

2. Facilitator gives students time to review the criteria/rubric for

the project/assignment at hand as well as the work displayed
on the board.

1. The facilitator poses a question/multiple questions to the

class in whole-group format:
Example questions:
“According to the criteria for success, what is strong about
Call how this artist created value gradients?”
3-5 min “How can this student improve the craftsmanship of their
work using language from the rubric?”

2. Use any method you prefer to call on students to share their

kind, specific and helpful feedback.

1. Direct all students to review at their own work in relationship

to the feedback given, and the criteria from the rubric.
Revision 2. Instruct students to continue working on their own
10-30 min project/make revisions to their project based on any
feedback that was given in this lesson/language from the
criteria/rubric.

Walking Critique
Student Objective: Students will be able to give written feedback based on their
analysis of the work of a peer based on a prompt aligned to set criteria.
Culture of Critique
Created by Nic Moorman 303.827.8669
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nic.moorman1@gmail.com
1. Facilitator presents the students with a warmup that
reinforces Kind specific and helpful feedback.
Ex. Revise this statement to make the feedback more
specific and helpful: “This artist’s work needs more detail.”
Do Now
(3-5 min)
2. As students complete the warmup, make sure all
students have their work out that will be receiving the
feedback and hand out as many stickie notes as you
would like for the lesson.

1. Facilitator previews that there will be multiple rounds to

give feedback to a peer’s work based on the
criteria/rubric of our assignment (students should have
the criteria/rubric in front of them in the process).
2. The facilitator physically demonstrates the movement
of the walking critique:
Guided Practice
(5 min) Ex. Script: “When I say go, you will leave your work out
on your table, but you will stand up with your writing
utensil and your stickies. Once you have looked at
everyone’s work, I will instruct you to sit down next to
someone else’s work and give them Kind Specific and
Helpful feedback based on the prompt that will be
displayed on the board.

3. Facilitator displays the prompts on the board that solicit

feedback about the work based on the criteria/rubric.
Example questions/rounds:
Round 1: How can/could this student improve their work
according to the craftsmanship section of the rubric?
Round 2: How can/could this student improve their work
Independent Practice according to the technique section of the rubric.
10-30 min. Round 3: How can/could this student improve their work
based on the concept/idea portion of the rubric?

4. Students participate in as many rounds as the facilitator

desires to give. At the changing of each
round/question, the students should be moving to
another student’s work to give feedback to.

Closing 1. Students go back to their seats to review the feedback

(10-30 min.) they received.
Culture of Critique
Created by Nic Moorman 303.827.8669
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nic.moorman1@gmail.com
2. Students utilize the feedback they received to revise
their work for the reminder of class, or on an ongoing
basis.

Socratic Critique
Student Objective: Students will be able to give verbal feedback to multiple peers using
language from a rubric or set criteria in the form of large group discussion.

1. Do Now: Preferably a question about feedback,

Do Now reflection, etc.
(3-5 min) Example: Where in life do we receive feedback
regularly?

1. Facilitator will pass out the Socratic critique form and

demonstrate how to fill it out.
2. Each student will get with a partner and will record their
name at the top of their Socratic critique form.
3. The students will form two circles. One partner will a
part of the inside circle and the other partner will sit
Guided Practice directly behind their partner thus forming an outer
(5-10 min) circle.
4. Once students have their partners and have formed the
two circles, the facilitator will run a practice round of the
Socratic critique.

Ex. Script: Students who are on the inside of the circle

are going to put their work in the middle. All students
Culture of Critique
Created by Nic Moorman 303.827.8669
nicholasmoorman.weebly.com
nic.moorman1@gmail.com
on the inside of the circle are giving kind specific and
helpful feedback about each other’s’ work. Each time a
student gives kind specific and helpful feedback, their
partner should be recording it on their socratic critique
form.

1. Students will participate in the socratic critique in

two rounds:
Round 1: Half of the students will be in the inner
circle first to give feedback. (the other half on the
outer circle are giving their partner feedback on the
form)
Independent Practice
(20-30 min) 2. Students Switch places with their partner for round
2: The students that were on the outer circle are
now on the inner circle participating in critique.
Students that were on the inner circle are now on
the outer and they are assessing their partner’s
participation

1. Students have a chance to review their socratic critique

Closing feedback form that was filled out by their partner.
(10-20 min.) 2. Students go back to their seats to revise their work
based on the feedback they received.
Culture of Critique
Created by Nic Moorman 303.827.8669
nicholasmoorman.weebly.com
nic.moorman1@gmail.com

My Partner’s Name: ____________________________________

Directions: Use this sheet to record your partner’s participation in the group critique.

Speaks in the discussion:

Looks at the person who is speaking:

Refers to the rubric:

Ask a question about the artwork:

Gives Kind Specific and Helpful Feedback:

Engages in side conversation:

AFTER THE DISCUSSION: What was the most impactful piece of feedback your
partner gave during the discussion?

AFTER THE DISCUSSION: How can your partner improve their feedback for next
time?
Culture of Critique
Created by Nic Moorman 303.827.8669
nicholasmoorman.weebly.com
nic.moorman1@gmail.com