Editing Workshop: Text Features
Learn
Good editors make sure text features help readers, not confuse them! In this lesson, you'll practice finding and fixing problems with headings, captions, labels, and diagrams.
Common Text Feature Problems
- Vague headings: Headings that don't tell what the section is about
- Missing headings: Long sections with no way to know what's coming
- Useless captions: Captions that only describe what you can already see
- Wrong labels: Labels that point to the wrong part or use wrong names
- Mismatched text and images: Pictures that don't match what the text says
Text Features Editing Checklist
- Does each heading tell what that section is about?
- Are headings short and clear (not too long)?
- Do captions add information beyond what the picture shows?
- Do labels point to the correct parts?
- Are all labels spelled correctly?
Examples
Before Editing:
Heading: "More Information"
Caption: "A dog."
After Editing:
Heading: "How Dogs Use Their Senses"
Caption: "A golden retriever sniffs the ground. Dogs have 300 million scent receptors, compared to only 6 million in humans!"
Fixed: Made the heading specific and added useful facts to the caption.
Practice
Find and fix problems with these text features.
1. Which heading needs to be fixed? The section is about how caterpillars become butterflies.
A) From Caterpillar to Butterfly
B) Bug Stuff
C) Metamorphosis: An Amazing Change
D) The Butterfly Life Cycle
Answer
B) - "Bug Stuff" is too vague and doesn't tell readers what the section is actually about.
2. A student wrote this caption for a picture of the sun: "The sun is yellow." How should it be improved?
A) Add more colors
B) Add a fact readers can't see, like "The sun is a star that is 93 million miles from Earth"
C) Make it shorter
D) Change "yellow" to "bright"
Answer
B) - A good caption adds information the picture can't show, like distance or other facts.
3. A diagram of a tree has a label pointing to the leaves that says "branches." What's the problem?
A) The label is too short
B) The label points to the wrong part
C) There are too many labels
D) Nothing is wrong
Answer
B) - The label says "branches" but points to leaves. Labels must point to the correct parts.
4. Which is a better heading for a section about penguin habitats?
A) Section 3
B) Where Penguins Live
C) Penguins and Other Things
D) Animals
Answer
B) - "Where Penguins Live" is specific and tells readers exactly what the section covers.
5. A caption says: "This is a picture of a horse standing in a field." What's wrong with this caption?
A) It's too long
B) It only describes what readers can already see
C) It mentions a horse
D) Nothing is wrong
Answer
B) - This caption doesn't add any new information. Readers can see it's a horse in a field.
6. A report about weather has these headings in order: "Types of Clouds," "Thunder and Lightning," "What is Weather?" What should be fixed?
A) The headings are too long
B) "What is Weather?" should come first
C) There are too many headings
D) Nothing needs to change
Answer
B) - "What is Weather?" should come first since it introduces the topic before discussing specific types of weather.
7. A student's diagram of a plant has labels, but none of them are capitalized and one is spelled "leavs." What should they fix?
A) Nothing, it's fine
B) Only the spelling error
C) Check spelling and be consistent with capitalization
D) Remove all labels
Answer
C) - Fix the spelling ("leavs" to "leaves") and make capitalization consistent throughout.
8. Improve this heading: "This Part of My Report Tells You About What Dolphins Eat"
A) What Dolphins Eat
B) Dolphin Eating Report Section
C) Food
D) Part About Dolphins
Answer
A) - "What Dolphins Eat" is short, clear, and tells readers exactly what the section covers.
9. A caption for a map of the United States says: "This is America." How could it be better?
A) This is the United States
B) A map of the United States showing all 50 states and their capitals
C) Map
D) USA here
Answer
B) - This caption is specific and tells readers what information they can find on the map.
10. What should you check when editing a labeled diagram?
A) Only the colors used
B) That labels are spelled correctly and point to the right parts
C) That there are exactly 5 labels
D) That the diagram is big
Answer
B) - Always check that labels are spelled correctly and point to the correct parts of the diagram.
Next Steps
- Review your own writing for weak headings and captions
- Check that all labels in your diagrams are correct
- Ask a partner to read your text features and see if they make sense
- Continue to the Unit Checkpoint