Peer Review Lesson Plan
Develop collaborative feedback skills so students can give and receive constructive criticism that genuinely improves writing.
Lesson Overview
Duration
65-80 minutes
Grade Level
7-12 / College
Focus
Collaborative Feedback
Effective peer review is a skill that benefits both the reviewer and the writer. This lesson teaches students to provide specific, actionable feedback while also learning to receive and implement suggestions strategically—skills they'll use throughout their academic and professional lives.
Learning Objectives
Feedback Priority Framework
Higher-Order Concerns
Mid-Level Concerns
Surface-Level Concerns
Feedback Sentence Starters
Noting Strengths
"This argument is particularly effective because..."
"Your use of evidence here really supports..."
"The transition between these paragraphs works well because..."
Suggesting Improvements
"Have you considered adding..."
"This section might be clearer if..."
"Readers might benefit from more explanation of..."
Asking Questions
"What do you mean by...?"
"How does this connect to your thesis?"
"Can you provide an example of...?"
Materials & Tools
Digital Tools
Classroom Materials
• Peer review worksheet with guiding questions
• Sample feedback examples (helpful vs. unhelpful)
• Feedback sentence starter cards
• Revision action plan template
Activity Sequence
Review sample feedback together, identifying what makes comments helpful vs. unhelpful
Partners exchange drafts and complete guided review worksheets focusing on higher-order concerns
Partners discuss their feedback, clarify suggestions, and identify top priorities
Writers create action plans based on received feedback, prioritizing changes
Related Resources
Revision Guide →
Self-editing strategies
Common Mistakes →
Errors to watch for
Grammar & Writing Lesson →
Writing excellence skills
Essay Structure Lesson →
Organization fundamentals