Week 17 — Testing and Refining
Intentional Production — Phase 3
This week the student takes their project through the same kind of critical review they've been applying to other people's media all semester. They share their draft with someone else, receive constructive feedback, and make revisions. They also fact-check their own claims. The goal is to produce something the student can stand behind with confidence.
Key Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Peer review | Sharing your work with another person to get constructive feedback before finalizing |
| Constructive feedback | Feedback that identifies strengths AND suggests specific improvements — helpful, not hurtful |
| Fact-checking (your own work) | Verifying that every claim, number, and description in your project is accurate before publishing |
"Have you ever asked a friend to read something you wrote to see if it makes sense? That's peer review. This week, someone else looks at your project and gives you honest feedback. Then you use that feedback to make your project even better."
Connection
Last week students built their first draft and self-audited it. This week they take it through external review: peer feedback, fact-checking, and revision. This mirrors real professional workflows — journalists, filmmakers, and writers all go through rounds of review. Next week is the final presentation: the student shares their finished project and reflects on the full 18-week journey.
From Weeks 9-11: The fact-checking session in Session 2 uses the exact same verification tools students learned: check the source, check the date, search for confirmation. Now they're checking their own claims — which often feels different (and harder) than checking someone else's.
From Week 4: Just as the Re-Edit showed that presentation changes meaning, revision changes the impact of their own project.
Teacher Preparation
- Ensure the student's draft is in a state that can be shared (doesn't have to be perfect — but should be complete enough to give meaningful feedback on)
- Arrange a "reviewer" — another family member, a friend, or the adult themselves can play this role. If another student is doing the curriculum, a peer review is ideal.
- Prepare a simple feedback form with prompts:
- What was the main message? (Did the reviewer understand it?)
- What was the strongest part?
- What was one thing that could be improved?
- Did anything feel unclear, unfair, or exaggerated?
- Would you trust this media? Why or why not?
You (or another family member) are the reviewer. Print or copy the 5 feedback prompts from Session 1 onto a card. That's your entire prep.
Focus on confidence and pride in the work.
Receiving feedback can be hard for kids. Frame it positively: "Real creators ask for feedback because it makes their work better. The fact that you're doing this means you're taking your project seriously." Celebrate what's working before discussing what could improve.
The student should begin to feel:
"I built something meaningful, and I can explain every choice I made."
Guided Session 1
Peer Review
Learning Goal
Students can present their project to a reviewer, receive constructive feedback, and identify specific improvements to make.
Activities
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The Presentation — The student presents their project to the reviewer. Before they start, they share their Spec Sheet: "Here's who it's for, what the goal is, and what I want the audience to take away." Then they show or perform the project.
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Reviewer Feedback — The reviewer fills out the feedback form (or answers the prompts verbally). Guide the conversation to stay constructive:
- Start with positives: "What did you understand? What worked well?"
- Then growth areas: "Was anything confusing? Did anything feel exaggerated or unfair?"
- Then trust: "Would you trust this? Would you share it?"
Sentence starters for reviewers (especially helpful for younger reviewers or peers):
- "I understood that your message was about..."
- "The part that worked best for me was..."
- "I was confused by..."
- "I noticed you used [color/word/image] — I think that worked because..."
- "One thing that could make this stronger is..."
- "I wondered whether [claim] is accurate because..."
- "If I were in your audience, I would feel..."
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Processing Feedback — After the review, the student writes down:
- 2 pieces of feedback they agree with and want to act on
- 1 piece of feedback they want to think about more
- 1 thing the reviewer said that made them proud
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Revision Plan — Based on the feedback, create a short revision plan: what will they change? What will they keep? What needs fact-checking?
Reflection Questions
- How did it feel to have someone else look at your work?
- Was any feedback surprising? Did you learn something about your project you didn't see before?
- How is this peer review process similar to what real journalists, creators, and editors go through?
Guided Session 2
Revision and Fact-Checking
Learning Goal
Students can revise their project based on feedback and verify the accuracy of their own claims using the tools from Weeks 9–11.
Activities
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Fact-Check Your Own Work — Go through the project together and identify every factual claim (numbers, dates, quotes, descriptions of events). For each one, ask: "Is this accurate? How do we know? Can we verify it?" Use the tools from the Verification unit:
- Check the source
- Check the date
- Search for confirmation from other sources
- If using images, verify they're being used in the correct context
-
The Ethics Re-Check — Revisit the Spec Sheet's Ethics Checklist:
- Is every fact accurate? (You just checked.)
- Is emotion used honestly, not manipulatively?
- Is the full picture presented, or is important context missing?
- Would you be proud if someone analyzed this with the tools from this course?
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Make the Revisions — The student implements their revision plan from Session 1. This might involve:
- Rewriting a section for clarity
- Removing or toning down an exaggeration
- Adding a source or context
- Changing a visual for honesty or accuracy
- Strengthening the opening or closing
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Final Read-Through — The student reads, watches, or listens to their project one more time from start to finish. Ask: "Is this ready? Are you proud of it? Does it say what you want it to say?"
Reflection Questions
- Did you find any inaccuracies in your own work? How did that feel?
- What was the biggest improvement you made during revision?
- How would this project be different if you'd created it at the beginning of the course, before learning about media literacy?
Independent Session
Final Revisions
Instruction
This is your last building session. Make any final changes to your project based on this week's feedback and fact-checking.
When your project is done, prepare for next week's presentation:
- Practice presenting — Whether it's showing a video, displaying a poster, reading a blog post, or playing a podcast, practice the moment. Time yourself. Speak clearly.
- Write your introduction — Plan what you'll say BEFORE showing the project:
- "My project is about ______."
- "I made it for ______ (audience)."
- "I want them to ______ (goal)."
- "The most important thing I want them to take away is ______."
- Prepare for questions — Think of 2–3 questions someone might ask about your project. How would you answer them?
Skills Reinforced
- Self-directed revision and polish
- Presentation preparation and public speaking practice
- Anticipating audience questions (perspective-taking)
Setup
Provide all project materials and a quiet workspace. If the student is practicing a presentation, provide a mirror or a willing listener. Set a timer for 25 minutes — 15 for final revisions, 10 for presentation practice.
Quick Check
After this week's sessions, the student should be able to:
- Accept and use feedback: Describe one change they made based on someone else's feedback.
- Fact-check their own work: Walk through every factual claim in their project and explain how they verified it.
- Prepare to present: Deliver their project introduction clearly and confidently.
Caregiver Look-Fors
- The student receives feedback gracefully (they may need coaching — that's normal)
- They make genuine revisions, not just surface tweaks
- They take fact-checking their own claims seriously
- Their revision plan is specific ("I'll rewrite this sentence" not "I'll make it better")
- They practice the presentation with real effort
🎯 Takeaway
Big idea: Feedback and revision are how good media becomes great media. Even professionals go through multiple rounds of review.
Remember: Fact-checking your own work is harder than fact-checking someone else's — but it's one of the most important things a responsible creator can do.
Younger Learner Adaptation (Ages 6–8)
- Warm feedback first: Start with 3 positive things before any suggestions. Young learners are more sensitive to critique.
- Simple feedback form: "What did you like?" and "What was confusing?" is enough.
- Skip formal fact-checking: Instead, ask: "Is everything in your project true? How do you know?"
- Practice the presentation as play: Frame it as "show and tell" rather than a formal presentation.
Older Learner Extension (Ages 11–13)
- Written feedback exchange: If a peer is available, exchange written reviews using the full feedback form.
- Source citation: Add a "Sources" section to the project listing where each fact came from.
- Professionalism standard: Compare their revision process to how a real newsroom or studio works.
Accessibility Options
- Verbal feedback session: The reviewer speaks their feedback; the student listens and takes notes (or the adult takes notes for them).
- Recorded presentation practice: Record the practice run so the student can watch/listen back and self-evaluate.
- Visual revision tracking: Use colored sticky notes on the project to mark areas for change.
- Partner presentation: The student presents alongside the adult, who provides support as needed.
- Focus on one revision: If the full revision plan feels overwhelming, pick the single most important change and do it well.