ALEX Learning Activity

The teacher will use a YouTube video to help students understand text features as it will explain each one. After each text feature is explained, the teacher will ask a follow-up question to determine if the students are comprehending the new information. The students will then play a game to interactively identify text features through the game.

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

The students will be able to identify text features in informational passages to locate information.

1. The teacher will explain that today the students will watch a video to help them identify and use text features in informational passages to locate information. 
2. Play the Understanding Text Features YouTube video.
3. Table of Contents: Stop at 1:16 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "Where would a reader find information about where an animal lives?" 
4. Play the video.
5. Index: Stop at 2:35 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "Where would a reader find information in the text about acid rain?"
6. Play the video.
7. Glossary: Stop at 3:18 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "How would the glossary help the reader understand text about animal adaptations?"
8. Play the video.
9. Titles: Stop at 3:55 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "What do the titles of these articles in these newspapers tell you?"
10. Play the video.
11. Subheadings: Stop at 4:53 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "Where would the leader look to find out about a fire ant?"
12. Play the video.
13. Text: Stop at 5:52 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "How do the words in italics help the reader understand the text?"
14. Play the video.
15. Photographs/Illustrations: Stop at 6:56 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "How might these photos help the reader understand the text?"
16. Play the video.
17. Captions: Stop at 7:37 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "How does this caption help the reader understand the picture?"
18. Play the video. 
19. Textbox: Stop at 8:47 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "What is the purpose of a textbox?"
20. Play the video. 
21. Maps: Stop at 9:10 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "How do the words in italics help the reader understand the text?"
22. Play the video. 
23. Diagrams: Stop at 9:48 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "How could this diagram help the reader understand volcanoes?"
24. Play the video. 
25. Tables: Stop at 10:38 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "How would a table about volcano eruptions help the reader understand volcanoes?"
26. Play the video.
27. Timelines: Stop at 10:17 to ask the students to discuss the following question: "How would a timeline help a reader understand an article about why older people aren't knowledgeable about computers?"
28. Stop at 11:42.
29. Afterward, have the students log in to their devices and access the Text Features Game. The students will play this game to practice and/or reinforce identifying text features in a silly newspaper article.

The teacher will take anecdotal notes of how the students perform in the game.

• The teacher will need a clipboard with paper to take anecdotal notes.
• The teacher will want to preview the video before playing it. 
• Prior to assigning the game for the activity, the teacher needs to sign up for an account on education.com and add their students so they can assign the game and see their reports. 
• If the teacher wants the students to individually complete the activities they need to make sure the game is uploaded properly for each student. 

If the internet is down, the teacher may use these text feature slides.

What to do next? The following activities can be used with this learning activity. 

Informational Text Features Part 3 (after)

Informational Text Features Part 1 (before)