🗓️ Before Class: Teacher Prep
- Gather/set out: Printed vague-vs-specific feedback examples, One shared sample piece (printed) for guided practice, Sticky notes, An early sketch/doodle from earlier this year, for self-critique practice.
- If today includes physical/hands-on work: make sure the classroom cameras are charged, working, and have a cleared SD card ready for photo uploads.
- Print today's student handouts (see 🖨️ Student Handouts below) in the language versions your class needs.
- Pull up today's slide deck (see 🖥️ Slide Deck below) so it's ready to project.
🖨️ Student Handouts (print, one per class day)
Word + picture + definition + a short writing task for that day's vocabulary, in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese.
🧑🏫 Substitute Teacher Guide
A scripted, step-by-step runsheet for today's class -- hand this to anyone covering the room who doesn't know the daily routine.
- Day 1: 📋 Open Substitute Guide
- Day 2: 📋 Open Substitute Guide
🎯 Essential Question
- How do designers talk about work -- their own and each other's -- in a way that actually helps it get better?
📈 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson (2 Days), students will be able to:
- Explain why critique is a normal, expected part of the design process, not personal criticism.
- Use the "I notice / I wonder" sentence-frame protocol to give feedback that names a specific design choice, not vague praise.
- Practice self-critique on their own work before showing it to anyone else.
- Explain how classroom critique is direct practice for a future client feedback meeting, where a first design is always treated as a draft, not a final answer.
📐 Standards Alignment
CDOS (Career Development & Occupational Studies)
- CDOS 2 — Integrated Learning -- students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.
- CDOS 3a — Universal Foundation Skills -- basic literacy, communication, and problem-solving skills required for a career.
- CDOS 3b — Career Majors -- knowledge and skills required for success within a specific career pathway (here, Digital Design).
ACP (Adobe Certified Professional) Photoshop Exam Objectives
- ACP 1.5 — Demonstrate knowledge of basic design principles and best practices employed in the design industry.
🎓 Study this for the ACP exam: Domain 1: Working in the Design Industry
📚 Key Vocabulary
- Critique
- Structured, specific feedback on a piece of work, focused on what's working and what could grow -- not personal criticism.
- Self-Critique
- Looking honestly at your own work before anyone else sees it, and naming what you would change yourself.
- Iteration / Draft
- Any version of a piece of work that is expected to change -- the first idea is a starting point, not a final answer.
- Growth Mindset
- The belief that a skill grows through practice and feedback, not something a person either "has" or doesn't.
- "I Notice / I Wonder"
- A critique sentence frame that separates plain observation ("I notice...") from a suggestion phrased as a genuine question ("I wonder what would happen if...") instead of a command.
🧰 Materials & Tools
- Printed vague-vs-specific feedback examples
- One shared sample piece (printed) for guided practice
- Sticky notes
- An early sketch/doodle from earlier this year, for self-critique practice
🧠 Do Now (Warm-Up)
Someone once told you "this is good" about something you made. Did that comment actually help you improve it? Why or why not?
📋 Main Workshop / Lesson Sequence
This lesson spans 2 Days. Suggested pacing:
| Day | Focus | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Learning the Language | Do Now + discussion (5 min, above). Mini-lesson (12 min): why critique is a normal part of the professional design process, not an insult -- introduce the "I notice / I wonder" protocol side by side with vague comments ("I like it" vs. "I notice the dark line stands out sharply against the white background, which is the first thing my eye goes to. I wonder what would happen if you used that same dark line somewhere else in the piece too."). Guided practice (15 min): as a class, critique one shared sample piece together using the protocol, naming real elements/principles vocabulary already learned (line, shape, contrast, balance). Independent practice (10 min): write 2 "I notice / I wonder" sentences about a piece of your own earlier work -- this is self-critique. Share (3 min). |
| Day 2 | Practicing & Connecting to Client Work | Do Now (5 min): reread your self-critique from yesterday -- does it still feel true? Mini-lesson (8 min): growth mindset -- a first draft is *expected* to change; professional designers show early drafts specifically to get feedback, because that's the actual job, not a sign something went wrong. Preview: later in this pathway, a client feedback meeting works exactly like the critique protocol practiced today. Partner critique practice (20 min): trade a piece of work with a partner and critique it in writing using the protocol. Reflection (10 min): read your partner's critique and write 1-2 sentences on what you'd change. |
✅ Assessment & Exit Ticket
Written self-critique + partner critique notes scored with a simple rubric: correctly uses the "I notice / I wonder" frame, names an actual element/principle (not vague praise), and stays specific and kind.
Exit Ticket: Rewrite this vague comment into a specific one using "I notice / I wonder": "I like it, it's cool."
📊 Pull up the anonymous Class Check-In for students to fill out before they go.
🧩 Differentiation & Accommodations
English Language Learners: provide translated or bilingual glossaries, visuals, and sentence frames; pair with a peer for meaningful participation. Students with IEPs: provide extended time, step-by-step checklists, and one-on-one or small-group support as specified in each student's plan. Attention-related needs: break the task into smaller steps, use visual timers, and minimize distractions. Students who finish early: extend the task by adding a second design variation, mentoring a classmate, or writing a short reflection connecting today's skill to a career pathway.