Writing Application: Using Text Features
Learn
Good writers use text features to help readers understand their writing. In this lesson, you'll practice creating headings, subheadings, captions, and labels for your own writing.
When to Use Each Text Feature
- Title: Use to name your whole piece of writing
- Headings: Use to show the main topics in your writing
- Subheadings: Use to break big topics into smaller parts
- Captions: Use to explain pictures, photos, or illustrations
- Labels: Use to point out parts of a diagram or picture
Tips for Writing Good Text Features
- Keep headings short (2-5 words usually works best)
- Make headings tell what the section is about
- Captions should add information the picture doesn't show
- Labels should be clear and point to the exact part
Examples
Weak Heading:
"Stuff About Dogs"
Strong Heading:
"How Dogs Communicate"
Better because it's specific and tells exactly what the section is about.
Weak Caption:
"A butterfly." (This doesn't add any new information)
Strong Caption:
"A monarch butterfly uses its long tongue, called a proboscis, to drink nectar from flowers."
Better because it adds interesting facts the picture can't show.
Practice
Answer these questions about creating text features.
1. You're writing a report about the solar system. Which is the best heading for a section about Mars?
A) Mars
B) The Red Planet: Mars
C) Stuff
D) A Planet
Answer
B) - "The Red Planet: Mars" is specific and interesting while telling readers what the section is about.
2. You have a picture of a frog in your report. Which caption gives the most helpful information?
A) This is a frog.
B) A green frog sits on a lily pad. Frogs can jump up to 20 times their body length!
C) Frog picture.
D) Green.
Answer
B) - This caption describes what's in the picture AND adds an interesting fact readers might not know.
3. You're writing about "Animals of the Ocean" with sections on fish, whales, and sharks. What would make good subheadings under "Whales"?
A) More stuff, Other things
B) What Whales Eat, How Whales Breathe
C) Big, Wet
D) First, Second
Answer
B) - These subheadings are specific topics that relate to whales and tell readers what each part is about.
4. You drew a diagram of a flower. What should you do to help readers understand it?
A) Color it pretty colors
B) Add labels pointing to each part (stem, petals, leaves)
C) Leave it blank
D) Write a story next to it
Answer
B) - Labels help readers identify each part of a diagram clearly.
5. What's wrong with this heading? "Things I Want to Tell You About Different Kinds of Weather"
A) Nothing, it's perfect
B) It's too long and not specific
C) It's too short
D) It has too many facts
Answer
B) - A better heading would be shorter and more direct, like "Types of Weather."
6. When should you use a caption?
A) At the end of every sentence
B) Under pictures, photos, or diagrams
C) Instead of a title
D) Only in math
Answer
B) - Captions go under pictures, photos, or diagrams to explain what they show.
7. You have a diagram of a bicycle with labels. Which is the best label for the round parts the bike rolls on?
A) Circle things
B) Wheels
C) Parts
D) Stuff that spins
Answer
B) - "Wheels" is the correct, specific name for those parts.
8. Your report has these sections: "What Bees Look Like," "Where Bees Live," "Why Bees Are Important." What should the main title be?
A) Things
B) Bugs
C) All About Bees
D) Looking
Answer
C) - "All About Bees" covers all three topics and tells readers what the whole report is about.
9. What information should a good caption include that a picture alone cannot show?
A) What colors are in the picture
B) Facts, names, or explanations
C) How big the picture is
D) Where to find more pictures
Answer
B) - Captions should add facts, names, or explanations that help readers understand more than what they can see.
10. If you're writing about "My Favorite Animal: Tigers" what could be good subheadings?
A) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
B) What Tigers Look Like, What Tigers Eat, Where Tigers Live
C) The end, More info, Conclusion
D) Big cats, Cats, Animals
Answer
B) - These subheadings are specific topics about tigers that organize the information clearly.
Next Steps
- Practice adding text features to your own writing
- When you draw pictures, add captions with interesting facts
- Use headings to organize reports and essays
- Continue to the Editing Workshop