English Language Arts · Kindergarten

Active learning ideas

Using Images to Gain Information

Active learning works for this topic because young children learn best by doing. Handling real images and labels helps them see that visuals are not just pretty pictures; they carry important facts. When students physically point, match, and discuss images, they build visual literacy skills that stick.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.7

• 10–25 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 20 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Label Makers

Give small groups a large photograph from an informational text but cover the labels. Students must work together to decide what the important parts of the picture are and use sticky notes to create their own labels before comparing them to the original.

Evaluate how a photograph provides different information than a drawing.

Facilitation Tip

During Collaborative Investigation: Label Makers, move around the room to listen for students’ conversations about why certain labels matter.

What to look for

Provide students with a nonfiction book page featuring a photograph with a label. Ask them: 'What does the label tell you about the picture?' and 'What else do you notice in the picture that the label does not mention?'

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

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 25 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Picture vs. Text

Display several pages from a book. On one side of a T-chart, students draw something they learned from the words (read by the teacher). On the other, they draw something they learned only by looking at the picture. They then walk around to see what others found.

Analyze how labels and captions clarify complex images in informational texts.

Facilitation Tip

During Gallery Walk: Picture vs. Text, set a timer so students move at a steady pace and focus on comparing each image to its text.

What to look for

Give students two images of the same animal, one a photograph and one a drawing. Ask them to write one sentence comparing what they learned from each image and one sentence about how a label would help them understand the drawing.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 10 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Zoom-In Challenge

Show a zoomed-in portion of a photograph. Students think about what the whole object might be, share with a partner, and then see the full image to discuss how the details helped them figure it out.

Justify the author's choice to include specific images in a nonfiction book.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share: The Zoom-In Challenge, provide magnifying glasses or digital zoom tools to make the close observation feel authentic and engaging.

What to look for

Show students a page from a nonfiction book that includes both text and an image with a caption. Ask: 'Why do you think the author chose to include this picture? What information does it give you that the words alone do not?'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should treat images as primary sources of information, not secondary decorations. Avoid rushing through visuals during read-alouds. Instead, pause, ask students what they see, and model how to read labels like you read the text. Research shows that when young learners practice extracting facts from images first, they become stronger readers of informational text overall.

Successful learning looks like students actively using images to gather facts rather than ignoring them. They should point to details, read labels aloud, and explain what the image teaches them. You’ll see them comparing visuals and texts with confidence, not just accepting words as the only source of information.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Collaborative Investigation: Label Makers, watch for students who skip the images and only focus on the words.

  Direct students back to the image by asking, 'Where in the picture does the label match? Show me with your finger.' This reinforces the connection between text and visual.

• During Gallery Walk: Picture vs. Text, watch for students who glance at the image but don’t read the captions or labels.

  Use a sticky note to cover one label at a time. Ask students to predict what the label will say based on the image, then reveal it to check their thinking.

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Methods used in this brief

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