Using Text Features

Active learning works well for this topic because first graders need to physically interact with text features to understand their purpose. Moving around the room, handling books, and manipulating labels makes abstract concepts concrete. Hands-on experiences build memory and confidence in using these tools independently.

• 1st Grade
• English Language Arts
• 3 activities
• 15 min–20 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify headings and subheadings in a text to predict the main idea of each section.
2. Locate specific information within a text by using a table of contents.
3. Define unfamiliar words encountered in a text using a glossary.
4. Explain how labels and captions help readers understand images and diagrams.

Gallery Walk

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Text Feature Scavenger Hunt

Spread various non-fiction books and magazines across tables. Students carry a 'feature checklist' and work in pairs to find a heading, a caption, and a glossary, marking the page number for each.

Prepare & details

How do headings help us predict what we will learn in a section?

Facilitation Tip: During the Gallery Walk, circulate with a clipboard to listen for students explaining why they chose a feature as a heading or caption, not just pointing to it.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

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

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 20 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Labeling Lab

Give groups a detailed photograph of an animal but no text. Students must work together to create their own labels and a caption for the photo, then compare their work to the actual book.

Prepare & details

Why do authors use labels and captions instead of just writing sentences?

Facilitation Tip: In The Labeling Lab, give each pair only one marker at a time so they must agree on the most important label before writing.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

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

Simulation Game

⏱ 15 min·Individual

Simulation Game: Table of Contents Race

The teacher asks a question like 'On what page can I find out what frogs eat?' Students must use the Table of Contents in their own book to be the first to call out the correct page number.

Prepare & details

How does a glossary help us become experts on a new topic?

Facilitation Tip: For the Table of Contents Race, set a timer to create urgency and prevent students from flipping pages aimlessly.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by making text features visual and kinesthetic first, then connect them to real-world reading. Avoid long lectures; instead, model how you use a heading to locate information or how a caption adds meaning to a diagram. Research shows that young learners grasp these skills best when they apply them immediately in guided activities.

What to Expect

Successful learning shows when students can point to a heading and explain its role, find information quickly using a table of contents, or use a glossary to define a word. They should also recognize that skipping captions or labels means missing important details.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Gallery Walk, watch for students who ignore captions under pictures because they think they are extra sentences.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the walk and ask students to cover the picture with a sticky note. Have them read only the caption and predict what the picture shows, then lift the note to check accuracy.

Common Misconception

During the 'Front or Back?' sorting game in The Labeling Lab, watch for students who think the Glossary and Table of Contents serve the same purpose.

What to Teach Instead

Give pairs two bookmarks: one labeled 'Front' and one 'Back.' Ask them to place bookmarks where each feature belongs, then explain why the Glossary is in the back as a reference tool.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Gallery Walk, give each student a half-sheet with a heading and a caption from a text they visited. Ask them to write one sentence explaining what information that feature provides.

Quick Check

During The Labeling Lab, ask pairs to explain to you why they chose a particular label for a diagram. Listen for language like 'This label tells us the color' or 'This label names the part'.

Discussion Prompt

After the Table of Contents Race, pose this prompt: 'How did finding the page number in the table of contents save you time compared to flipping through pages?' Have students share examples from the race.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students who finish early to create their own mini non-fiction book with three text features and a peer reviewer.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide a word bank during The Labeling Lab with familiar vocabulary from the text.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to compare a picture book’s table of contents with a non-fiction book’s and note differences in organization.

Key Vocabulary

Heading	A title for a section of a text that tells the reader what the section is about.
Table of Contents	A list at the beginning of a book that shows the chapter titles and the page numbers where they can be found.
Glossary	An alphabetical list of words and their definitions, usually found at the end of a book.
Caption	A short explanation or title that goes with a picture, diagram, or chart.
Label	A word or phrase that identifies something, often used on diagrams or maps.