Using Text Features for Information

Active learning works because text features are visual tools students must physically interact with to grasp their purpose. Students need to touch, sort, and compare these features to see how they organize and extend information beyond the main text.

• 3rd Grade
• English Language Arts
• 3 activities
• 15 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify specific text features (captions, headers, sidebars, glossaries, indexes) within informational texts.
2. Explain how a specific text feature, such as a sidebar, provides additional factual information related to the main text.
3. Synthesize information from a header and its corresponding paragraph to answer a specific question about a topic.
4. Compare the purpose of a glossary with the purpose of an index in locating information within a book.

Stations Rotation

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Text Feature Scavenger Hunt

Set up stations with different types of informational texts (magazines, textbooks, websites). Students use a checklist to find specific features like a 'caption that explains a photo' or a 'sidebar with extra facts' and record what they learned from each.

Prepare & details

How do visual text features support the information presented in the main body text?

Facilitation Tip: During the Text Feature Scavenger Hunt, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'Why did the author include this sidebar here?' to push students beyond simple identification.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

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

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Feature Designers

Pairs are given a plain paragraph of informational text without any features. They must work together to 'design' a header, a helpful caption for an imaginary illustration, and one bolded glossary word to make the text easier for a younger student to understand.

Prepare & details

Why do authors choose specific organizational structures like cause and effect or sequence?

Facilitation Tip: For Feature Designers, require students to present their feature’s purpose and how it connects to the main text to reinforce understanding.

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

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The 'Missing Feature' Mystery

The teacher shows a complex diagram or map without its title or labels. Students discuss with a partner what they think the visual represents and then share how much easier it becomes once the text features are 'developed' and added back in.

Prepare & details

How does a glossary or index help a reader navigate a complex technical topic?

Facilitation Tip: In The 'Missing Feature' Mystery, limit the discussion time to 2 minutes per pair to keep the focus on concise, evidence-based reasoning.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

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

Teaching This Topic

Teach text features by treating them as tools for efficiency, not decorations. Model a think-aloud where you first scan all features, then read the text to see how they connect. Avoid assigning text features as isolated tasks—instead, tie them to real purposes like answering questions or finding facts. Research shows students retain more when they use features for authentic tasks rather than rote labeling.

What to Expect

Students will confidently use text features to locate information, explain their purpose, and connect them to the main content. Success looks like students purposefully scanning features first, then applying that skill to answer questions or complete tasks.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Text Feature Scavenger Hunt, watch for students who rush through features without considering their purpose.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the activity after 5 minutes and model a 'Feature First' strategy: point to each feature, read it aloud, and ask, 'What does this tell me that the main text doesn’t?'

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: Feature Designers, watch for students who create features without connecting them to the main text.

What to Teach Instead

Require students to include a written explanation on their poster: 'This feature helps readers understand [main idea] by showing [specific detail].'

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Text Feature Scavenger Hunt, provide students with a short informational article. Ask them to circle all headers and underline all captions, then write one sentence explaining what the first header helped them find.

Exit Ticket

During Collaborative Investigation: Feature Designers, ask students to present their feature and explain how it supports the main text. Listen for evidence that they understand the feature’s purpose and connection to the topic.

Discussion Prompt

After Think-Pair-Share: The 'Missing Feature' Mystery, present a scenario where a key fact is only found in a glossary. Ask students to discuss in pairs which feature they would use to find the answer and why, then share responses with the class.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Give students an unfamiliar informational text with no features and ask them to design missing features (e.g., a map, a glossary entry) to support the topic.
• Scaffolding: Provide a word bank or sentence stems for students to describe how a feature helps them understand the text.
• Deeper: Ask students to compare two texts on the same topic and explain which features made one easier to use for research.

Key Vocabulary

Caption	A short explanation or title that accompanies a picture, drawing, or diagram, providing context or additional information.
Header	A title or heading that introduces a new section or topic within a text, helping to organize information.
Sidebar	A box of text that is separate from the main body of the article, often containing related facts, definitions, or examples.
Glossary	An alphabetical list of terms and their definitions found at the end of a book or article, used to clarify difficult vocabulary.
Index	An alphabetical list of topics, names, and places mentioned in a book, along with the page numbers where they can be found.