Headlines, captions and labels — Media, 7–10 years
Small pieces of text can steer how we understand a picture, page or video. Learn to read the words around a media message, not just the biggest image.
What the words around a picture do
A headline, caption or label gives a picture a direction. The same photo of a dog could seem funny, frightening or helpful when the nearby words change. Read the image and its surrounding words together.
Why these words matter
A picture cannot tell us every detail, such as where it was taken or what happened before it. People added captions, labels and headlines to make images quicker to understand. The problem is that these words can also leave out details or push one interpretation.
Try two captions
Imagine a photo of a child holding a wet coat beside a puddle. Caption A says, “Child rescues a puppy in the rain”; Caption B says, “Child drops a coat after playing.” First, notice that the picture alone does not prove either story. Then ask which words make you expect each story.
The picture proves it
It is easy to treat a caption as if it were part of the picture, especially when it sounds certain. That is reasonable because captions are placed close to images and are meant to help us. Remember to separate what you can see from what the words claim.
Where you meet them
You meet these words in a museum, a library book, a school website, a recipe and a video. A label can tell you what an object is; a caption can explain a photograph; a headline can point to the main subject. Each one helps you choose what to notice first.
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