Foundations of Literacy and Expression · 1st Year

Active learning ideas

Features of Non-Fiction

Active learning works because non-fiction features are best understood through hands-on interaction. Students need to physically engage with headings, captions, and labels to see how they guide and organize information. Movement and collaboration make abstract concepts concrete, especially for learners transitioning from narrative to informational texts.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Reading
• NCCA: Primary - Writing

• 15–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Feature Finders

Spread various non-fiction books, magazines, and posters around the room. Students move in pairs with a checklist to find and label examples of a heading, a caption, and a diagram using colorful sticky notes.

What is different about a non-fiction book compared to a story book?

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, circulate with a checklist of features to ensure students are not just looking but actively locating examples.

What to look for

Provide students with a page from a non-fiction book or magazine. Ask them to point to and name one heading, one caption, and one label they can find on the page. Observe their ability to correctly identify and name these features.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Label the Classroom

In small groups, students are given a 'mystery object' from the science corner. They must create a large diagram of it on poster paper, adding their own labels and a caption to explain what the object does.

Can you point to three special features you can find in a non-fiction book?

Facilitation Tip

For the Label the Classroom activity, provide a mix of obvious and subtle labels to push students beyond surface-level observations.

What to look for

Give each student a small card. Ask them to write down one way a heading helps a reader and one way a caption helps a reader. Collect the cards to gauge understanding of the functions of these text features.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why is it there?

Show a page with the captions removed. Students discuss with a partner what information is missing and why the author should have included a caption for that specific photo.

How do headings and pictures help us find information in a non-fiction book?

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, assign specific roles (e.g., speaker, recorder) to keep discussions focused and equitable.

What to look for

Present students with two texts: a short story and a factual article about animals. Ask: 'What is different about how these two texts are organized? How do the titles and any smaller titles help you understand what the animal article is about?' Facilitate a class discussion comparing the features.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by modeling how you use features yourself when reading informational texts. Avoid over-explaining; let students discover the purpose of features through guided exploration. Research shows that when students physically interact with text features, their retention and transfer of knowledge improves. Keep explanations brief and tied to real-world purposes, like finding a book topic quickly.

Successful learning looks like students actively pointing out, naming, and explaining non-fiction features with confidence. They should use these features to navigate texts efficiently, not just identify them in isolation. By the end, they should discuss why these features matter for understanding and locating information quickly.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk activity, watch for students who rush past captions without reading them carefully.

  Pause the Gallery Walk and display a photo without a caption. Ask students what they think is happening, then reveal the caption. Discuss how the caption changes their understanding and why it matters.

• During the Collaborative Investigation activity, students may call the title of the book a heading.

  Use a book with a clear title and headings. Ask students to sort sticky notes labeled 'Big Boss' and 'Little Boss' to represent the title and headings, reinforcing the hierarchy through a visual and tactile task.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share