English Language Arts · 9th Grade

Active learning ideas

Text Features and Visual Aids

Active learning breaks down the abstract concept of text features by turning analysis into a tangible, hands-on process. When students physically search for, manipulate, or explain these features, they move from passive recognition to active comprehension, seeing how headings, captions, and graphics act as guides in real texts.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.5
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The 'Feature' Scavenger Hunt

Give groups a complex technical manual or a long scientific article. They must find and label five different text features and explain how each one 'saved them time' or 'clarified a confusing point.'

How do visual aids like charts support the central claim of a text?

Facilitation Tip

During the scavenger hunt, provide a mix of magazines, textbooks, and infographics so students see how features adapt across genres.

What to look for

Provide students with a short informational article. Ask them to identify one heading and one subheading, explaining in one sentence each what topic they introduce. Then, have them describe how a specific visual aid (if present) supports the article's main point.

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

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 45 min · Pairs

Role Play: The Information Designer

Students are given a 'wall of text' with no features. They must work in pairs to 'design' the page by adding three subheadings, one sidebar, and one 'captioned image' that would help a 6th grader understand the main points.

Explain how headings and subheadings guide the reader through complex information.

Facilitation Tip

For the Information Designer role play, assign roles like 'Headline Writer' or 'Chart Creator' to ensure each student contributes meaningfully to the text's structure.

What to look for

Display two versions of the same informational paragraph: one without clear text features and one with effective headings, subheadings, and a simple chart. Ask students to write two sentences explaining which version is easier to understand and why, referencing specific features.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Structure Match-Up

Students are given three different 'topics' (e.g., 'The History of the Internet,' 'How to Fix a Bike,' 'Why Bees are Dying'). They pair up to decide which 'structure' (Chronological, Process, Cause/Effect) would be best for each and why.

Evaluate the effectiveness of different text features in enhancing reader comprehension.

Facilitation Tip

In the Structure Match-Up, give pairs a set of headings and paragraphs with blurred text so they focus on logical flow rather than content.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are creating a guide for a new school club. What text features would you use to make the information clear and engaging for potential members? Explain why each feature would be helpful.'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often start by modeling how to read with text features first, not last. Point to headings and ask, 'What do you think this section will explain?' before reading. Avoid treating features as decorations; instead, frame them as tools for efficiency and clarity. Research suggests that when students create their own text features, their retention of informational text structure improves significantly.

Successful learning is visible when students can articulate not just what a text feature is, but how it functions within the text’s purpose. By the end of these activities, they should explain why an author chose a specific heading or graphic and how it changes the reader’s understanding.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation: The 'Feature' Scavenger Hunt, watch for students who skip visuals because they assume captions are 'extra.'

  Instruct students to answer scavenger hunt questions using only the graphics and captions first, forcing them to see how visuals carry meaning. For example, ask, 'What does the pie chart prove about the topic?' to highlight evidence in visuals.

• During the Role Play: The Information Designer, watch for students who treat headings as simple labels instead of structural guides.

  Give students a paragraph with no headings and ask them to add three subheadings that divide the text into logical sections. Then, have them explain how their headings help a reader navigate the information.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Role Play
• Think-Pair-Share