Courseversity

Text features

Primary EducationGrade 3English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G03-ELA-U04-L0345–60 min

You will learn

  • Name text features.
  • Use headings and captions.
  • Use a glossary and index.
  • Use a diagram.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Heading: names a section.
  2. Caption: explains a picture.
  3. Bold word: important word, see glossary.
  4. Index: find pages; glossary: word meanings.

Words to know

heading
a title that names a section
caption
words that explain a picture
glossary
a list of important words and their meanings
index
an alphabetical list of topics with page numbers

1. Discover: A book about elephants

A book has the heading How Elephants Use Their Trunks. A picture shows an elephant drinking. The caption says: An elephant sucks up water with its trunk. The word trunk is bold. At the back, the glossary says: trunk: an elephant’s long nose. The index shows that trunk is on page 6.

Think: How do these features help you?

2. Understand: Features that help readers

Idea 1: Headings and captions

A heading tells what a section is about. A caption explains a picture or photo.

Idea 2: Bold words

Bold words are important. The glossary at the back explains them.

Idea 3: Index and diagrams

The index lists topics with page numbers so you can find facts fast. A diagram is a labelled drawing.

Remember: Text features help you find, understand and check information quickly.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Caption

What does the caption explain?

  1. Look at the picture.

Answer: an elephant drinking with its trunk

Example 2 (We do it together): Glossary

What does the glossary tell you?

  1. Meaning of trunk.

Answer: trunk is an elephant’s long nose

Example 3 (You try): Index

Where do you find trunk?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Use the index.

Answer: page 6

Did you know?

The index of a book is in alphabetical order, so you can find a topic quickly.

Why this matters

Text features save time and help you learn more.

4. Explore: Feature hunt

Find text features.

  1. Open a nonfiction book.
  2. Find a heading.
  3. Find a caption.
  4. Find the index and glossary.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can use text features.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The heading is ___.
  • The caption says ___.
  • The glossary explains ___.
  • The index shows page ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A title that names a section is a ___.

heading

Question 2. Words that explain a picture are a ___.

caption

Question 3. A list of important words and meanings is a ___.

glossary

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A title that names a section is a ___.
  2. Words that explain a picture are a ___.
  3. A list of important words and meanings is a ___.
  4. A list of topics with page numbers is an ___.
  5. An elephant uses its ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Where is the index?
  2. What page is trunk on?
  3. What is in bold?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is a caption near a picture?
  2. Is the index in alphabetical order?
  3. Are bold words important?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Find five text features in a nonfiction book.

Show a sample answer

five features

Another one. Find a heading, caption, bold word and index entry in a book.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can name text features.
  • I can use headings and captions.
  • I can use a glossary and index.
  • I can use a diagram.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A heading ___ a section.

2. A caption ___ a picture.

3. A glossary explains important ___.

4. An index lists topics with ___ numbers.

5. Where is a glossary found?

6. What does the caption say?

7. What does trunk mean in the glossary?

8. Which feature helps you find page 6 for trunk?

9. Why are some words bold?

10. A diagram is a ___ drawing.

11. Which feature names a section?

12. Which feature explains a picture?

Challenge 1. Which feature is best to find all pages about drums?

Challenge 2. Which feature is best to learn what a hard word means?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Heading: names a section.
  • Caption: explains a picture.
  • Bold word: important word, see glossary.
  • Index: find pages; glossary: word meanings.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Cause and effect. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a caption? [1 mark]
  2. What is a glossary? [1 mark]
  3. What is an index used for? [1 mark]
  4. Name two other text features. [2 marks]
  5. Explain how text features help a reader. [3 marks]

Total: 8 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. words that explain a picture [1]
  2. a list of important words and meanings [1]
  3. to find topics with page numbers [1]
  4. heading [1]; diagram/bold words [1]
  5. headings show topics [1]; captions/diagrams explain [1]; index/glossary help find and check [1]

Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A title that names a section is a ___.
  2. Words that explain a picture are a ___.
  3. A list of important words and meanings is a ___.
  4. A list of topics with page numbers is an ___.
  5. An elephant uses its ___.
  6. Where is the index?
  7. What page is trunk on?
  8. What is in bold?
  9. Is a caption near a picture?
  10. Is the index in alphabetical order?

Homework

Find a heading, caption, bold word and index entry in a book.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A title that names a section is a ___. heading 1
2. Words that explain a picture are a ___. caption 1
3. A list of important words and meanings is a ___. glossary 1
4. A list of topics with page numbers is an ___. index 1
5. An elephant uses its ___. trunk 1
6. Where is the index? at the back 1
7. What page is trunk on? page 6 1
8. What is in bold? trunk 1
9. Is a caption near a picture? yes 1
10. Is the index in alphabetical order? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 heading; 2 caption; 3 glossary; 4 index; 5 trunk. Level 2: 1 at the back; 2 page 6; 3 trunk. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Name text features Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Use headings and captions Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Use a glossary and index Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use a diagram Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: name text features; use headings and captions; use a glossary and index; use a diagram.

Prerequisite knowledge. Supporting details.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 3 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 3 » Reading: Literature; Grade 3 » Reading: Informational Text. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RI.3.5 (use text features and search tools to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently) and RI.3.7; Cambridge Primary English Stage 3 (reading non-fiction). These sources informed the lesson.

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