Text Features in Non-fiction
The Spark
Concept
Non-fiction texts use structural features to help readers find and understand information. Key features include headings (main topic of a section), subheadings (sub-topics), captions (explain images), diagrams (visual information), bold text (key terms), and table of contents (overview of structure).
Activity
Pick up a non-fiction book, a textbook or even a newspaper. Ask your child to identify five different text features and explain what each one does.
Check
After the worksheet, ask: If you needed to find information about a specific topic quickly, which text feature would you look at first?
Match the Text Feature to Its Purpose
Draw a line to match each text feature with what it does.
Sort: Navigation or Understanding?
Sort each text feature — does it help the reader NAVIGATE the text or UNDERSTAND the content?
Name the Text Feature
Read each description and circle the correct text feature name.
A list of key words and their definitions, usually at the back of a book.
A visual representation of information using images and labels.
The words printed in heavier, darker type to draw attention.
A smaller title within a section that introduces a new sub-topic.
A list at the back of a book that tells you what page a topic appears on.
Identify Text Features in a Passage
Read the model non-fiction passage. Identify the text features present and explain what each one tells the reader.
PASSAGE: AUSTRALIAN MARSUPIALS What is a Marsupial? A marsupial is a mammal that raises its young in a pouch. Australia is home to more than 140 species of marsupials. The Kangaroo The red kangaroo is the largest marsupial alive today. It can grow up to 1.8 metres tall. 1. Text feature: Purpose:
2. Text feature: Purpose:
3. Text feature: Purpose:
Sort Text Features: Front, Middle or Back of Book?
Sort each text feature into where it is typically found in a non-fiction book.
Text Feature Safari — What Is It?
Read each description of something found in a non-fiction book and circle the correct text feature name.
'The Great Barrier Reef' — printed in large, dark letters at the top of a page.
A small piece of text below a photograph of a coral reef that reads: 'A clownfish shelters among sea anemone tentacles.'
An alphabetical list at the back of the book listing topics with page numbers.
A picture of a coral reef with arrows pointing to labelled parts: polyp, reef crest, lagoon.
'Types of Coral' — a smaller title within the Great Barrier Reef section.
Spot Text Features in a Real Book
Pick up a non-fiction book. Find and record five different text features. For each one, write its name and explain its purpose.
1. Feature name: Purpose:
2. Feature name: Purpose:
3. Feature name: Purpose:
4. Feature name: Purpose:
5. Feature name: Purpose:
Match Example to Text Feature
Match each example to the text feature it is an example of.
Text Feature Preview
Using a non-fiction book or article, do a text feature preview before reading. Record what you noticed and what you predict the text will be about.
Title:
Headings and subheadings I can see:
Diagrams or images I noticed:
Bold words I spotted:
My prediction about what the text covers:
Sort: Which Type of Text Would Use This Feature?
Sort each text feature into the type of non-fiction text most likely to use it.
Text Feature Spotter — Week 1
Go on a text feature safari in real non-fiction materials.
- 1Find a non-fiction book and list every different text feature you can spot in one chapter.
- 2Compare two non-fiction texts on the same topic — which uses text features more effectively? Why?
- 3Design a contents page for a non-fiction book about yourself — what headings and subheadings would you use?
Design a Non-fiction Page
Plan one page of a non-fiction book on a topic you choose. Describe where you would place each text feature.
My topic:
HEADING: SUBHEADING 1: Body text summary: SUBHEADING 2: Body text summary: DIAGRAM idea (describe it): CAPTION for diagram: BOLD key terms I would use:
Strong or Weak Caption?
Circle the stronger, more informative caption for each image.
A photo of a spider web with dew drops.
A photo of children in a classroom.
A diagram of the sun's layers.
Write Captions for These Images
Write a strong, informative caption for each described image. A good caption: names what is shown, adds information the image alone cannot give, is written in present tense, and is one complete sentence.
Image: A photograph of a blue-tongue lizard on a rock. My caption:
Image: A diagram showing the layers of the atmosphere from ground level to space. My caption:
Image: A photograph of Aboriginal rock art in the Kimberley region. My caption:
Organise a Table of Contents
The topics below belong in a non-fiction book about Australian wildlife. Sort them into an order that would make sense for a table of contents.
Write a Table of Contents
Create a table of contents for a non-fiction book on a topic of your choice. Include at least six chapters, each with a clear, specific heading and a page number.
My book title:
TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: p. Chapter 2: p. Chapter 3: p. Chapter 4: p. Chapter 5: p. Chapter 6: p.
Plan a Diagram
Plan a diagram for one of the topics below. Describe: what the diagram would show, what it would be titled, and at least five labels you would include.
Topics: [ ] The water cycle [ ] Parts of a flower [ ] Life cycle of a frog [ ] Inside a beehive [ ] My own: Diagram title: What it shows: Five labels I would include:
Is This an Effective Text Feature?
Read each description and circle 'Effective' or 'Needs improvement'. Be ready to explain your choice.
Heading: 'Stuff About Volcanoes'
Caption: 'Mt Ruapehu (2,797m), New Zealand's most active volcano, erupts at sunset in 1996 — the last major eruption before the 2007 lahar.'
Diagram of a plant with no labels.
Glossary entry: 'Erosion: when things get worn away by water or wind over a long period of time.'
Compare Print and Digital Text Features
Compare a print non-fiction text with a website on the same topic. List the text features used in each, then write two sentences comparing how effectively each uses its features.
Topic:
Text features in the print text:
Text features in the website:
My comparison:
Sort Text Features by How They Present Information
Sort each text feature by how it mainly presents information.
Text Feature Spotter — Week 2
Continue your text feature exploration in new texts this week.
- 1Look at an online news article and identify at least four text features — headings, photos, captions, pull quotes.
- 2Find a non-fiction website about an Australian topic. List all the text features you can see.
- 3Compare a textbook chapter with a magazine article on the same topic — how does the audience change the text features used?
- 4Write three glossary definitions for technical words from your current science or HASS unit.
Write a Procedure Using Correct Text Features
Write a procedure explaining how to do something you know well (e.g. make a sandwich, play a game, care for an animal). Use at least four text features: title, numbered steps, bold key terms, and a diagram or illustration description.
My topic:
Materials/equipment needed:
Steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Diagram I would include (describe it):
Analyse a Non-fiction Text
Find a non-fiction text (book chapter, magazine article or website). Analyse how effectively it uses text features. Write your analysis in paragraph form, discussing at least four different text features.
Text title and source:
My analysis:
Evaluate Text Features in a Textbook Chapter
Read one chapter of a textbook (any subject). Evaluate how effectively the chapter uses text features. Include: a list of all features used, an assessment of one feature you thought worked very well and one that could be improved, and a recommendation.
Textbook and chapter:
All text features used:
Feature that worked well and why:
Feature that could be improved and how:
My recommendation for the author:
Sort: Relevant or Irrelevant Text Feature?
For a non-fiction text about the Great Barrier Reef, sort each potential text feature into 'Relevant — would help the reader' or 'Irrelevant — would not help'.
Write a Non-fiction Report — With Full Text Features
Research a topic from Australian history, science or geography. Write a one-page non-fiction report that includes: a main heading, at least two subheadings, body text, one diagram (describe it), captions for your diagram, at least two bold key terms, and a glossary of three terms at the end.
My topic:
My report:
Text Feature Review
Circle the correct answer for each question.
The feature that helps you find a word's meaning within a text:
The feature that shows the structure of the whole book:
The feature that uses images and labels to explain how something works:
The feature that introduces a sub-topic within a larger section:
The feature that tells you what page a specific topic appears on:
Reflect: How Text Features Help You as a Reader
Write a personal reflection (5–6 sentences) on how you use text features when reading non-fiction. Give specific examples from your own reading experience.
My reflection:
Text Feature Creator — Extended Project
Create your own illustrated non-fiction page or double-page spread on a topic of your choice, using at least five different text features.
- 1Draft your page in pencil first — plan the layout before you commit.
- 2Include: heading, subheading, body text, diagram with labels, caption and at least two bold key terms.
- 3If you have access to a printer, you could type and design it using a word processor.
- 4Add a mini-glossary of three terms at the bottom of the page.
- 5Read your finished page aloud to a family member and ask them: is everything clear? Are the features helpful?
Critical Analysis: When Text Features Fail
Analyse a non-fiction text that uses text features poorly — a confusing layout, unhelpful captions, missing glossary, or poor headings. Write a detailed critique (6–8 sentences) explaining what is wrong and how it could be improved.
Text source:
My critique:
Design a Non-fiction Book on a Research Topic
Plan a short non-fiction book (5 chapters) on a topic you have researched. For each chapter: write the chapter heading, two subheadings, describe one text feature you would include (diagram, chart, map, photo) and explain why you chose it.
My book title and topic:
Chapter 1 heading: Subheading 1: Subheading 2: Text feature and reason:
Chapter 2 heading: Subheading 1: Subheading 2: Text feature and reason:
Chapter 3 heading: Subheading 1: Subheading 2: Text feature and reason:
Chapter 4 heading + Chapter 5 heading (brief notes):
Write an Informative Report on an Australian Topic — Fully Featured
Research an Australian topic from history, science or geography. Write a two-page non-fiction report using all of the following text features: main heading, at least three subheadings, body paragraphs, one diagram description with labels, captions, bold key terms, a table of contents for your report, and a glossary of five terms.
My topic:
Table of contents:
My report:
Glossary (5 terms):
Teach It: Explain Text Features to a Younger Reader
Write a guide for a Year 1 or Year 2 student explaining what text features are and how to use them. Include five features and explain each in simple language with an example. Think carefully about your audience.
My guide:
Self-Assessment: Text Features Toolkit
Complete your own toolkit assessment. For each text feature, write: what it is, what it does, and one example of when you have used it or seen it used effectively.
Heading — definition, purpose, example:
Subheading — definition, purpose, example:
Caption — definition, purpose, example:
Diagram — definition, purpose, example:
Glossary — definition, purpose, example:
Text Feature Portfolio
Compile a portfolio of text features from real texts — clippings, printouts or photographs.
- 1Find and cut out or print examples of five different text features from newspapers, magazines or printed web pages.
- 2For each example, write a label explaining: what the feature is, which text it comes from, and why it is effective.
- 3Write a one-page reflection on what you have learned about text features in non-fiction during this unit.
- 4Share your portfolio with a family member and explain each text feature in your own words.
- 5Choose one text feature you would like to use more often in your own writing and practise it in a piece this week.
Write a Non-fiction Introduction Using Text Features
Write the introduction to a non-fiction chapter on a topic of your choice. Your introduction must: have a clear main heading, include a 'hook' first sentence, use at least one bold key term, and end with a sentence that previews the subheadings to come.
Topic:
My introduction:
Text Features: Which Is Better?
For each scenario, circle the better text feature choice.
To explain the water cycle in a junior science textbook:
For a Year 4 student trying to find which page discusses coral bleaching:
To highlight that 'photosynthesis' is an important term in a science text:
Match Text Feature to Non-fiction Genre
Match each text feature set to the non-fiction genre most likely to use it.
Design a Non-fiction Page for a Specific Audience
Choose one topic and two different audiences. Plan two different non-fiction page designs for the same topic — one for a young child (Year 1) and one for an adult reader. Describe the text features you would use for each and explain why they differ.
Topic:
Design for Year 1 audience (describe features and layout):
Design for adult reader (describe features and layout):
Why the two designs differ:
Sort: Which Text Feature Serves This Reader?
Sort each reader scenario into the text feature that would help them most.
Write a Glossary for Your Research Topic
Choose the research topic you have been studying this term (from any subject). Write a glossary of 8–10 key terms. Each definition should be clear, concise and written in your own words.
Topic:
Glossary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Text Feature Mastery Review
Circle the best answer for each question.
Which text feature would a reader use first to find out what a non-fiction book is about?
Which text feature explains the meaning of technical words used in the text?
Which text feature best helps a reader understand how the parts of a machine work?
Which text feature appears below a photograph and provides additional information?
Which feature helps readers find every page where 'climate change' is mentioned?
Final Project: Create a Non-fiction Booklet
Create a non-fiction booklet (4–5 pages) on a topic you have researched this term. Your booklet must include: a cover page with title and author, a table of contents, at least three sections each with a heading and subheadings, at least one diagram with labels, captions under all images, bold key terms in the body text, and a glossary of five terms on the final page.
Topic:
Table of contents (planned):
Draft of main content:
Glossary (5 terms):
Self-Assessment: My Text Feature Toolkit
Complete a self-assessment of your knowledge of non-fiction text features. For each feature, write: what it is, what it does, and whether you feel confident using it in your own writing.
Heading:
Subheading:
Caption:
Diagram:
Table of contents:
Glossary:
Index:
Bold text:
Text Feature Portfolio — Final Week
Complete your text feature portfolio with examples from three different types of non-fiction texts.
- 1Find examples of five different text features from a newspaper, a textbook, and a website. Mount and label them.
- 2Write a paragraph for each example explaining: what the feature is, which text it comes from, and what it achieves.
- 3Write a final reflection: how has your understanding of text features changed since starting this unit?
- 4Create a 'Text Features Guide' — a one-page reference card you could use when writing non-fiction in any subject.
- 5Share your portfolio with a family member. Teach them one text feature they might not have known about.
Write and Annotate a Non-fiction Passage
Write a short non-fiction passage (4–5 sentences) on a topic you know well. Then annotate it by labelling every text feature you used, writing arrows and labels in the margin.
Topic:
My passage (write and annotate):
Effective Heading or Not?
Circle 'Effective' or 'Needs work' for each heading.
Heading: 'How the Great Barrier Reef Is Affected by Rising Ocean Temperatures'
Heading: 'Animals'
Heading: 'The Role of Mangroves in Protecting Coastal Ecosystems'
Heading: 'Chapter 4'
Improve the Non-fiction Page
The non-fiction page below is missing text features. List at least five text features you would add, where you would place each, and what purpose it would serve.
PAGE: The platypus is one of Australia's most unusual animals. It is a mammal that lays eggs. It has a duck-like bill which it uses to sense electrical signals from prey. The platypus lives in eastern Australia and Tasmania. Males have venomous spurs on their hind legs. It is an excellent swimmer and can stay underwater for up to two minutes. Text features I would add and why:
Sort Text Features by Audience Need
Sort each text feature by which reader need it primarily addresses.
Match Text Feature to Example
Match each example to the text feature type it represents.
Write a Complete Non-fiction Report With All Text Features
Using your research from this unit, write a complete one-page non-fiction report. Include ALL of the following: main heading, at least two subheadings, body paragraphs, diagram description with labels, caption, bold key terms, and a three-entry glossary. Present it as neatly as possible.
Topic:
Complete report:
Glossary:
Text Features Unit Reflection
Write a final reflection on this unit. Include: three text features you now understand confidently, one challenge you faced, and one way you plan to use text features differently in your own writing from now on.
My reflection:
Which Text Feature Is Most Important Here?
For each situation, circle the most important text feature the author should include.
A student wants to find where 'erosion' is discussed in a geography textbook.
A reader does not understand the term 'plate tectonics'.
An author wants to show how a volcano erupts step by step.
A reader wants to know what topics are covered across the whole book.
A photograph shows the Bungle Bungle Range in Western Australia.
Evaluate a Website for Text Features
Visit a website about a topic you are curious about. Evaluate how effectively it uses text features. Write a detailed analysis of at least four text features you notice.
Website name and topic:
Text features I noticed and my evaluation of each:
Final Sort: Text Feature Purposes
This is your final sorting activity for the unit. Sort each text feature by its primary purpose.
Write a Non-fiction Page on an Australian Topic
Write a non-fiction page about an Australian animal, place or event. Include ALL of these text features: main heading, two subheadings, body text, a description of a diagram you would include (with labels), a caption, and at least three bold key terms. This is a showcase of your non-fiction writing skills.
Topic:
My non-fiction page:
My Non-fiction Reading Strategy
Write a short guide (5–6 sentences) explaining how YOU will use text features as a reader from now on. Include specific strategies for: starting a new non-fiction text, finding a specific piece of information quickly, and understanding unfamiliar vocabulary.
My reading strategy:
Final Review: Match Text Feature to Its Best Description
Review all text features by matching each one to its most precise description.
Letter to Next Year's Students: What I Learned About Text Features
Write a letter to next year's Year 4 students explaining what text features are and why they matter. Be encouraging, specific and give at least three examples. This is your final piece of writing for this unit.
Dear Year 4 students,