Understanding Text Features to Locate Information
Understanding Text Features to Locate Information Objective: Students will learn how to use text features such as headings, subheadings, captions, and diagrams to locate key information in a nonfiction text.
Learning Objectives
- Identify different text features in a nonfiction passage.
- Use text features to find specific information quickly.
- Explain how text features help understand the text better.
Materials Needed
- A nonfiction book or article appropriate for 8-year-olds
- Printed copies of a short nonfiction passage with clear text features
- Notebook or paper
- Pencils
Key Vocabulary
- Text Features
- Parts of a nonfiction text like headings, captions, and diagrams that help you find and understand information.
- Heading
- A title at the beginning of a section that tells what the section is about.
- Caption
- A sentence or phrase that explains a picture or diagram.
Detailed Activities
Exploring Text Features
- Start by showing the student a nonfiction book or article and point out various text features like headings, captions, and diagrams.
- Discuss what each text feature is and how it helps to organize information.
- Give the student a printed nonfiction passage and ask them to underline or highlight text features they find.
- Ask the student questions that require them to use text features to locate answers, such as ‘What is the main topic of this section?’ or ‘What does the picture caption tell us?’
Practice Finding Information
- Provide the student with another short nonfiction passage with clear text features.
- Ask the student to read the passage and write down three facts they found by using the text features.
- Review the facts together and discuss how the text features helped them find the information faster.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Encourage your child to use text features as tools to help them understand and find information in nonfiction reading.
- You do not need to be an expert in the topic; focus on guiding your child to recognize and use the text features.
- Allow your child to take their time and ask questions if they are unsure about any part of the text.
Assessment Questions
- Can you name three different text features you found in the passage?
- How did the heading help you understand what the section was about?
- What information did the picture caption give you?
- Why do you think authors use text features in nonfiction books?
Extension Ideas
- Create a mini book with your child including headings, captions, and diagrams about a topic they like.
- Go on a nonfiction book scavenger hunt at home or online and list text features found in different books.
- Use a magazine or newspaper to find and cut out examples of text features and discuss them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with just one or two text features at a time, like headings and captions, and practice identifying them in short texts before moving to more complex ones.
Choose nonfiction topics your child is curious about, such as animals, space, or sports, to keep them engaged while learning about text features.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may think text features are decorations and don’t provide important information.
- Some students might confuse headings with the main text and overlook their purpose.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Provide texts with very clear and bold text features.
- Use graphic organizers to help them record information from each text feature.
For Advanced Students:
- Challenge them to compare how different texts use text features.
- Ask them to create their own nonfiction passage including multiple text features.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend more time on identifying text features if the student is new to nonfiction texts.
- Allow additional practice with locating information using text features before moving to writing exercises.
Standards
- 8.RI.7 — Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.
Printable Worksheet
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