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A Meeting That Cannot Start: The Quorum Rule

6th grade nonfiction passage about the quorum rule: 219 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade nonfiction the quorum rule 219 words

A Meeting That Cannot Start: The Quorum Rule

Imagine a town council with nine members. On the night of an important vote, only three of them show up. Could those three decide something for the whole town? Most groups say no, and the rule that stops them is called a quorum.

A quorum is the smallest number of members who must be present before a group can do official business. In many groups it is a majority, which means more than half. For a council of nine, that would be five. If fewer than five arrive, the meeting may talk, but it cannot hold a binding vote.

The rule solves a simple problem. Without it, a few people could slip a decision past everyone else by choosing a night when others were busy or unaware. A quorum makes sure that a decision belongs to enough of the group to be fair.

Groups set their own numbers in their bylaws, so a quorum is not always a majority. A large club might choose a smaller share so that meetings can still happen. A group that deals with very serious matters might require more.

The rule also shows why attending matters. Showing up is part of a member's job, because one extra person can be the difference between a decision and a meeting that must wait for another day.

Questions

  1. What is a quorum? in the text

  2. If a majority is needed, how many members make a quorum for a council of nine? in the text

  3. What can a meeting without a quorum still do? in the text

  4. Why might a large club choose a smaller quorum? in the text

  5. How does the quorum rule protect members who could not come? think about it

  6. Why does the writer say showing up is part of a member's job? think about it

Words to know

quorum
the smallest number of members needed to hold a vote
majority
more than half of a group
official
done in the proper way by a group or government
bylaws
the written rules a group makes for itself
binding
must be obeyed once it is decided
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 186 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.2

A town council has nine members. One night there is an important vote. Only three members come. Can those three decide for the whole town? Most groups say no. The rule that stops them is called a quorum.

A quorum is the smallest number of members who must be there. Then the group can do its official work. Often it is a majority. A majority is more than half. For nine members, that is five. If fewer than five come, the group can talk. But it cannot hold a binding vote.

The rule fixes a problem. Without it, a few people could pick a night when others are busy. Then they could decide without everyone. A quorum makes sure enough people are there to be fair.

Groups set their own number in their bylaws. It is not always a majority. A big club might pick a smaller number. Then meetings can still happen. A group with very serious work might need more.

This shows why going to meetings matters. One more person can be the difference. Then the group can decide, or it has to wait.

▲ This passage · 219 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.4

Imagine a town council with nine members. On the night of an important vote, only three of them show up. Could those three decide something for the whole town? Most groups say no, and the rule that stops them is called a quorum.

A quorum is the smallest number of members who must be present before a group can do official business. In many groups it is a majority, which means more than half. For a council of nine, that would be five. If fewer than five arrive, the meeting may talk, but it cannot hold a binding vote.

The rule solves a simple problem. Without it, a few people could slip a decision past everyone else by choosing a night when others were busy or unaware. A quorum makes sure that a decision belongs to enough of the group to be fair.

Groups set their own numbers in their bylaws, so a quorum is not always a majority. A large club might choose a smaller share so that meetings can still happen. A group that deals with very serious matters might require more.

The rule also shows why attending matters. Showing up is part of a member's job, because one extra person can be the difference between a decision and a meeting that must wait for another day.

■ Harder · 249 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.7

Picture a town council made up of nine members. On the night of an important vote, only three of them arrive. Would it be right for those three to decide something on behalf of the entire town? Most organizations say it would not, and the rule that prevents it is known as a quorum.

A quorum is the smallest number of members who must be present before a group is allowed to conduct official business. In many groups the number is a majority, meaning more than half of the members. For a council of nine, that works out to five. If fewer than five members are in the room, the meeting may discuss matters freely, but it cannot hold a binding vote.

The rule addresses a straightforward problem. Without it, a handful of people could slip a decision past everyone else by choosing an evening when the others were busy or simply unaware. A quorum ensures that any decision belongs to enough of the group to be considered fair.

Each group sets its own number in its bylaws, so a quorum is not always a majority. A large club might select a smaller share so that meetings can still take place, whereas a group that handles very serious matters might demand more.

The rule also illustrates why attendance matters. Showing up is part of a member's responsibility, because a single additional person can mean the difference between a decision and a meeting that has to wait for another day.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put quorum, majority, official, bylaws and binding on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "A Meeting That Cannot Start: The Quorum Rule"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 219 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 6.4. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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