This document discusses different text features that help readers locate and understand information in textbooks. It describes four main text features: headings, which label sections of writing; keywords, which are important bolded or underlined words; captions, which explain images; and footnotes, which provide additional explanatory information. The document provides examples of each text feature and emphasizes that these signs help readers efficiently find and comprehend important details.

1. Informational TextInformational Text
SPI 0701.6.3SPI 0701.6.3
Use text features to locate informationUse text features to locate information
and make meaning from the text.and make meaning from the text.
Based on Tennessee State Curriculum Standards from the 2009-2010 school
year. Prepared by Andy Lombardo, Sevierville Middle School

2. Text Features
• There are 4 main kinds of text
features that help you find
information in your textbooks:
– Headings
– Keywords
– Captions
– Footnotes

3. Heading
• What is a heading?
• The title of a section of writing (like
a chapter, a section inside of a
chapter, a newspaper or magazine
article, etc.)

4. Find the Heading:

5. Keywords
• Keywords are important words from
a text, usually vocabulary words or
names of important people, events, or
ideas.
• Keywords are usually in bold and/or
underlined in textbooks.
• Find the keywords in the following
example:

6. Find the Keywords

7. Captions
• Captions are located under pictures,
tables, graphs, forms, and other
images.
• Captions tell you what’s going on in
the pictures.
• What is the caption in the following
example?

8. Find the Caption

9. Footnotes
• Footnotes happen when the author wants
to give you more info about something in
the text.
• They’re usually used to explain things like
vocabulary words or to give background
information.
• Footnotes are usually marked with a small
superscript number like this1
• Find the Footnote in the following
example:

11. Why?
• Why is it important to know about
text features like headings,
keywords, captions, and footnotes?
• They help you find information
quickly
• They help show you important
information
• They’re like road signs pointing you
to what you need to know.

12. Text Features Quiz #1
Name: __________________________________________________
Text Features
SPI 0701.6.3
Use your literature book to answer the following questions:
1. p. 275: What is a tutorial program?
2. What’s the title of the painting on p. 384?
3. On p. 421, what is the name of the ship between Shakespeare and Drake?
4. What is the keyword on p. 422?
5. How many headings are on p. 236?
Use your geography book to answer the following questions:
1. What is the main heading that starts on p. 36?
2. What is the keyword on p. 53?
3. On p. 72, the family in the picture is showing us products made out of what?
4. Why is the keyword on p. 82 highlighted in yellow?
5. Why are keywords, footnotes, captions, and headings important?

13. Text Features Quiz #2Name: ____________________________________________________
Text Features Quiz
SPI 0701.6.3
Circle and label the following items from the page below. There should be four things circled and
labeled in all.
Headings Keywords Captions