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A Motion on the Floor

7th grade nonfiction passage about rules of order in meetings: 266 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

7th grade nonfiction rules of order in meetings 266 words

A Motion on the Floor

Picture a student club of thirty members trying to plan a fundraiser. One person wants a car wash, another suggests a bake sale, and a third starts talking about last week's field trip. Without a system, the meeting would dissolve into noise. Groups have long solved this problem with rules of order, a set of steps that helps everyone be heard while still getting things done.

The most famous guide was written by an army officer named Henry Robert, who published it in the 1870s after watching a church meeting fall apart. His book is still used by clubs, school boards, and city councils.

The process begins when a member makes a motion, which is simply a proposal for the group to act. A different member must second the motion, meaning that at least two people want it discussed. Only then does the chair, the person leading the meeting, state the motion to the whole group. Members debate it one at a time, each waiting to be recognized, and then they vote. A majority decides the result.

Each step has a purpose. Requiring a second prevents the group from wasting time on an idea only one person likes. Debating one motion at a time keeps the discussion focused. Voting gives the majority the power to decide, while the debate protects the right of the minority to be heard before the decision is made.

These steps may feel slow at first, but they are a fair way for a group to disagree without a fight. Learning them is a skill that many adults use in their communities.

Questions

  1. What is a motion? in the text

  2. What must happen after a motion is made before it can be discussed? in the text

  3. Who wrote the famous guide to rules of order? in the text

  4. Why does a group require a second for each motion? think about it

  5. How do the rules protect people who disagree with the majority? think about it

  6. What does the chair do after a motion is seconded? in the text

Words to know

motion
a formal proposal that a group takes some action
second
to agree that a proposal should be discussed
chair
the person who leads a meeting
majority
more than half of the people who vote
minority
the smaller group that does not agree with the majority
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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 · 212 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.7

Picture a club with thirty members. They want to plan a fundraiser. One person wants a car wash. Another wants a bake sale. A third talks about last week's field trip. Without a plan, the meeting is just noise. So groups use rules of order. These are steps that help everyone be heard and still get work done.

A man named Henry Robert wrote the best known guide. He was an army officer. He wrote it in the 1870s after a church meeting fell apart. Clubs, school boards, and city councils still use his book.

First, a member makes a motion. A motion is a plan for the group to act on. Then another member must second it. That means two people want it discussed. Then the chair, who leads the meeting, tells the whole group the motion. Members talk about it one at a time. Then they vote. The majority wins.

Each step has a reason. A second stops the group from wasting time on an idea only one person likes. One motion at a time keeps the talk on track. The vote lets the majority decide. The debate lets the minority be heard first.

The steps can feel slow. But they are a fair way to disagree without a fight.

▲ This passage · 266 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.2

Picture a student club of thirty members trying to plan a fundraiser. One person wants a car wash, another suggests a bake sale, and a third starts talking about last week's field trip. Without a system, the meeting would dissolve into noise. Groups have long solved this problem with rules of order, a set of steps that helps everyone be heard while still getting things done.

The most famous guide was written by an army officer named Henry Robert, who published it in the 1870s after watching a church meeting fall apart. His book is still used by clubs, school boards, and city councils.

The process begins when a member makes a motion, which is simply a proposal for the group to act. A different member must second the motion, meaning that at least two people want it discussed. Only then does the chair, the person leading the meeting, state the motion to the whole group. Members debate it one at a time, each waiting to be recognized, and then they vote. A majority decides the result.

Each step has a purpose. Requiring a second prevents the group from wasting time on an idea only one person likes. Debating one motion at a time keeps the discussion focused. Voting gives the majority the power to decide, while the debate protects the right of the minority to be heard before the decision is made.

These steps may feel slow at first, but they are a fair way for a group to disagree without a fight. Learning them is a skill that many adults use in their communities.

■ Harder · 292 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 10.5

Imagine a student club of thirty members attempting to organize a fundraiser. One member advocates a car wash, another proposes a bake sale, and a third begins reminiscing about last week's field trip. Lacking a system, the meeting would quickly dissolve into confusion. Over the centuries, groups have resolved this predicament by adopting rules of order, a set of procedures that allows everyone to be heard while still permitting the group to accomplish its work.

The most celebrated guide was composed by an army officer named Henry Robert, who published it in the 1870s after witnessing a church meeting collapse into disorder. His book remains in use among clubs, school boards, and city councils to this day.

The procedure begins when a member makes a motion, which is simply a proposal for the group to act upon. A different member must then second the motion, which signifies that at least two people wish to have it considered. Only at that point does the chair, the person presiding over the meeting, state the motion to the entire group. Members debate it one at a time, each waiting to be formally recognized, and afterward they vote. A majority determines the outcome.

Every step serves a particular purpose. Requiring a second prevents the group from squandering time on an idea that only one person favors. Debating a single motion at a time keeps the discussion focused. Voting grants the majority the authority to decide, whereas the debate safeguards the right of the minority to be heard before the decision is finalized.

These steps may seem slow at first, yet they offer a fair way for a group to disagree without quarreling, and learning them is a skill that many adults rely on throughout their communities.

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 motion, second, chair, majority and minority 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 3 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 4 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 Motion on the Floor"?

It was written for 7th grade. It has 266 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 7.2. 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 3 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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