Did the Words or the Picture Tell You?
A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on distinguishing information that came from the pictures from information that came from the words.
Did the Words or the Picture Tell You? is a free 40-minute Grade 1 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RI.1.6 — say which facts came from the picture and which came from the words. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 1
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RI.1.6
Grade 1 · Reading: Informational Text
RI.1.6
Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
Objective
Students will be able to say whether a piece of information came from the words or from an illustration.
Students are successful when they can
- Sorts facts by source.
- Finds a fact only the picture gives.
- Finds a fact only the words give.
What you need
- An illustrated information text
- A two-column chart
- Sticky notes to cover the pictures
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — pictures covered
5 min- Read a page with all the pictures covered. Collect what they now know.
- Uncover them. Collect what they know now.
- The second list minus the first is what the pictures gave.
Teach — sorting by source
13 min- Fill the two-column chart from the warm-up.
- Read a second page and add four more facts, asking the source of each.
- Find one fact both give, and put it in both columns.
- Ask why an author would use a picture rather than words for something. Size, shape and colour are hard to write.
- Ask why they would use words rather than a picture. Numbers, causes and time are hard to draw.
“Both are the book. But you should be able to say which one told you.”
Guided practice — sort six
12 min- Pairs sort six facts into the two columns, checking the page each time.
- Take feedback on any fact placed in both.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the words-or-picture page.
- The passage is on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Give one fact and ask which column it belongs in.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Credits everything to the words.
Why: The words are what was read, and reading is what the lesson is about.
Fix: The covering exercise. A fact that appears only after the picture is uncovered cannot have come from the words.
Credits everything to the picture.
Why: The pictures are easier to take in and are what was looked at longest.
Fix: Cover the words instead. Half the facts disappear.
Cannot place a fact that both give.
Why: The chart implies one home per fact.
Fix: Allow both columns. Redundancy between words and picture is normal and worth noticing.
If they are not there yet
- Sort three facts rather than six.
- Use a page with one photograph.
If they finish early
- Find a fact the picture gives that would take a paragraph to write.
- Find a fact the words give that could not be drawn.
- Say what a caption does that neither alone does.
Exit ticket
Name one fact the picture told you, and one the words told you.
What to look for: One from each column. Two from the same source means the covering exercise needs repeating with the other half hidden.
Printable practice for RI.1.6
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Words or Picture?Read the text, then answer the questions.
Questions about Did the Words or the Picture Tell You?
How long does the Did the Words or the Picture Tell You? lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Did the Words or the Picture Tell You? teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.6 — RI.1.6, Reading: Informational Text for Grade 1: “Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.” In plain terms, say which facts came from the picture and which came from the words.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
An illustrated information text, a two-column chart, sticky notes to cover the pictures and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: credits everything to the words; credits everything to the picture and cannot place a fact that both give. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Name one fact the picture told you, and one the words told you.” One from each column. Two from the same source means the covering exercise needs repeating with the other half hidden. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Did the Words or the Picture Tell You??
Yes — 1 printable RI.1.6 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Did the Words or the Picture Tell You? free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RI.1.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.