Unit 1 · Stage 4

Building a Page Hierarchy

Your page already has a main title and section headings. Now you will use smaller headings to build sub-sections inside your page, so readers and screen readers can follow the structure. Play in the editor, or press 👀 Type it with me for a guide. (pause on a highlighted word to see what it does)

1 The heading ladder

HTML has six heading levels, from <h1> down to <h6>. Think of them as a ladder: <h1> is the page title, <h2> is a major section, <h3> is a sub-section inside that, and <h4> is a smaller detail inside the sub-section.

What this code means

<h3> ... </h3>: A sub-section heading. It sits under an <h2> and breaks a big section into smaller topics, like History and Today inside one nation's story.
<h4> ... </h4>: A smaller heading, one step below <h3>. Use it for a detail inside a sub-section, like a spotlight on one nation.

💡 The golden rule: never skip levels. Go h1, then h2, then h3, then h4 in order. Jumping from h1 straight to h3 confuses screen readers, which announce headings to people who cannot see the page, and search engines, which use the levels to understand your page.

🎮 Try it: in the editor, try typing a heading at each level, from <h1> through <h6>, and press ▶ Run. Watch how each one gets smaller than the one above it.

🤔 Quick check before you go on

Which heading is smaller: h2 or h4? Type it, then press Submit to unlock the next steps.

2 Add an About section for the Lakota

Under the Quick Facts list, add a new <h2> section about the Lakota Nations. Inside it, use <h3> for the sub-topics History and Today, then a smaller <h4> to spotlight one nation.

The shape you are building

<h2> then <h3>: The <h2> names the whole section. Each <h3> under it is a sub-topic that belongs to that section.
<h4> inside: The <h4> sits below the <h3> level for one small detail, here a spotlight on a single nation.

🎮 Try it: after the Quick Facts </ol>, add <h2>About the Lakota Nations</h2>, then <h3>Their History</h3> and <h3>Today</h3> each with a paragraph, then <h4>Spotlight: Oglala Sioux Tribe</h4> with a paragraph. Press Run.

3 Add an About section for the Dakota and Nakota

Do the same for the Dakota and Nakota Nations: an <h2> section with two <h3> sub-topics, History and Today.

🎮 Try it: after your Lakota section, add <h2>About the Dakota and Nakota Nations</h2>, then two sub-headings with a paragraph under each: <h3>Their History</h3> and <h3>Today</h3>. Press Run.

4 Why the hierarchy matters

Look at your page now. The <h1> is the title, the <h2> tags are the major chapters, the <h3> tags are sub-topics inside them, and the <h4> is one small detail. This is exactly how a real textbook or encyclopedia is organized.

💡 A clear heading ladder is not just for looks. Screen readers let people jump from heading to heading, so a page that goes h1, h2, h3, h4 in order is far easier to navigate than one that skips around.

5 Make it your own

Research one Dakota or Nakota nation and add your own <h4> spotlight under the Dakota and Nakota section, with a short paragraph about what you learned.

<h4>Spotlight: Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate</h4>
<p>Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate is a Dakota nation in Roberts County with a strong language program.</p>

✓ Finish this stage

To complete Stage 4, your page needs at least two <h3> sub-headings and at least one <h4> spotlight. Press Check my work when you are ready. This opens Stage 5 and lets your teacher see that you finished.

YOUR CODE

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