English · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Text Features: Headings & Subheadings

Active learning works well for this topic because students need hands-on practice to see how non-fiction texts are structured. Moving around the room, collaborating, and applying skills immediately helps them understand the purpose of headings and subheadings better than passive reading alone.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E3LY03
• AC9E3LY04

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 25 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Feature Scavenger Hunt

Give groups a variety of non-fiction books and a checklist of features (e.g., 'Find a word in the glossary', 'What page is Chapter 3 on?'). The first group to find all items using only the navigation tools wins.

Explain how subheadings help a reader predict what a section will be about.

Facilitation Tip

During the Feature Scavenger Hunt, circulate to ask guiding questions like 'How did you decide this heading belonged in the table of contents?' to reinforce connections between features.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, fact-based article (e.g., about a specific animal or historical event) that includes headings and subheadings. Ask: 'What do you think the section 'Habitat' will be about? Read the section and write down one fact that supports this idea.'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: The Subheading Predictor

At one station, students are given a text with the subheadings removed. They must read the paragraphs and work together to create new, accurate subheadings that summarize each section's main idea.

Analyze the purpose of a table of contents in an informational text.

Facilitation Tip

In The Subheading Predictor station, provide highlighters so students can mark evidence in the text that supports their predictions about subheadings.

What to look for

Give students a simplified table of contents for a fictional book. Ask them to write down: 'Which chapter would you read to find out about [specific topic]? Explain why you chose that chapter.'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Index vs. Contents

Show students a Table of Contents and an Index. Pairs discuss when they would use each one (e.g., 'I want to find the whole section on sharks' vs 'I want to find the one page about shark teeth').

Differentiate between the main idea and supporting details within a section.

Facilitation Tip

For the Index vs. Contents activity, assign roles like 'Recorder' and 'Presenter' to ensure all students contribute to the discussion.

What to look for

Present students with two paragraphs on the same topic, one with a clear subheading and one without. Ask: 'Which paragraph was easier to understand quickly? Why? How did the subheading help you?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers introduce this topic by modeling how to use headings and subheadings to answer questions, then gradually release responsibility to students. Avoid spending too much time explaining features abstractly; instead, let students discover their purpose through guided tasks. Research shows that students grasp these skills faster when they see immediate utility, such as finding answers to their own questions quickly.

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying headings and subheadings, using them to locate information quickly, and explaining how these features improve comprehension. They should also articulate why skipping straight to the relevant section saves time compared to reading every word.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Feature Scavenger Hunt, watch for students treating the glossary like a generic dictionary.

  Use the matching game from the scavenger hunt to have students pair technical terms from the text with their glossary definitions, emphasizing that these terms are specific to the book’s topic.

• During the Subheading Predictor station, watch for students trying to read the entire text before predicting the subheading.

  Remind students to quickly skim the paragraph, focusing only on the first and last sentences and any bold or italicized words to predict the subheading before reading fully.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Stations Rotation
• Think-Pair-Share