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Town Meeting Night in a Small Town

7th grade nonfiction passage about town meetings and direct democracy: 273 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

7th grade nonfiction town meetings and direct democracy 273 words

Town Meeting Night in a Small Town

In many small New England towns, the biggest decisions of the year are not made by a mayor or a council. They are made in a school gym or a town hall on a single evening, by whoever decides to show up. This gathering is called a town meeting, and it is one of the oldest examples of direct democracy still in use in the United States.

Before the meeting, the town prints a booklet called a warrant, which lists every question the voters will settle. Some items are routine, such as how much money to spend on plowing the roads. Others are unusual, such as whether to buy a field for a new park. A person chosen as the moderator runs the meeting, making sure that each speaker gets a turn and that the group discusses only one topic at a time.

Any registered voter may stand up, ask a question, and speak for or against an article on the warrant. Votes are often taken by voice or by raising a colored card, and if the result is close, the moderator may ask for a careful count. Neighbors who disagree during the debate still live on the same roads afterward, so most speakers try to be respectful.

Town meetings have a weakness. Only people who can attend on that particular night have a say, so a town of several thousand residents may see just a few hundred voters. Some towns try to help by offering childcare or by holding the meeting on a weekend. Supporters believe the effort is worthwhile, because citizens hear each other's reasons face to face before they decide.

Questions

  1. What is the booklet that lists the questions voters will decide called? in the text

  2. What does the moderator do at a town meeting? in the text

  3. Who is allowed to speak and vote on an article? in the text

  4. What is one weakness of town meetings? in the text

  5. Why might a town offer childcare during the meeting? think about it

  6. Why is a town meeting called direct democracy? think about it

Words to know

democracy
a way of governing in which the people make the decisions
warrant
the printed list of questions a town meeting will vote on
moderator
the person who leads a meeting and keeps it fair and orderly
article
one separate item or question on a list to be voted on
registered
officially signed up on the list of people allowed to vote
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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 · 177 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5

In some small towns, the big choices are not made by a mayor. They are made at a town meeting. The meeting is held in a gym or a town hall. Any voter who comes can help decide.

Before the night, the town prints a booklet called a warrant. It lists the questions to be settled. Some are plain, like how much to spend on plowing roads. Some are new, like whether to buy a field for a park.

A moderator runs the meeting. This person gives each speaker a turn. The moderator keeps the group on one topic at a time.

Any registered voter can stand up and talk. Voters often vote by voice or by holding up a card. If the vote is close, the moderator can count.

There is one problem. Only people who come that night get a say. In a town of thousands, only a few hundred may show up. Some towns offer childcare to help. Fans of the meeting say it is worth it. Neighbors hear each other before they vote.

▲ This passage · 273 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.8

In many small New England towns, the biggest decisions of the year are not made by a mayor or a council. They are made in a school gym or a town hall on a single evening, by whoever decides to show up. This gathering is called a town meeting, and it is one of the oldest examples of direct democracy still in use in the United States.

Before the meeting, the town prints a booklet called a warrant, which lists every question the voters will settle. Some items are routine, such as how much money to spend on plowing the roads. Others are unusual, such as whether to buy a field for a new park. A person chosen as the moderator runs the meeting, making sure that each speaker gets a turn and that the group discusses only one topic at a time.

Any registered voter may stand up, ask a question, and speak for or against an article on the warrant. Votes are often taken by voice or by raising a colored card, and if the result is close, the moderator may ask for a careful count. Neighbors who disagree during the debate still live on the same roads afterward, so most speakers try to be respectful.

Town meetings have a weakness. Only people who can attend on that particular night have a say, so a town of several thousand residents may see just a few hundred voters. Some towns try to help by offering childcare or by holding the meeting on a weekend. Supporters believe the effort is worthwhile, because citizens hear each other's reasons face to face before they decide.

■ Harder · 290 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 12.8

In numerous small New England towns, the most consequential decisions of the year are made not by a mayor or an elected council but by the residents themselves, who assemble in a school gymnasium or a town hall on one evening. This tradition, known as the town meeting, remains among the oldest examples of direct democracy still practiced in the United States.

Ahead of the gathering, the town distributes a booklet called a warrant, which enumerates every question that the voters will resolve. Certain items are routine, such as the amount of money to set aside for plowing the roads, while others are far more unusual, such as whether the town should purchase a field in order to create a new park. A person selected as moderator presides over the proceedings, ensuring that every speaker receives a turn and that the assembly considers just one topic at a time.

Any registered voter may rise, pose a question, and speak either for or against an article on the warrant. Votes are frequently taken by voice or by raising a colored card, and when the outcome appears close, the moderator may call for a careful count. Because neighbors who disagree during the debate must continue to live along the same roads afterward, most speakers make an effort to remain respectful.

Nevertheless, town meetings have a notable weakness. Only those who are able to attend on that particular night have any say, so a town of several thousand residents may see merely a few hundred voters. Some towns attempt to encourage attendance by providing childcare or by scheduling the meeting on a weekend. Supporters maintain that the effort is justified, since citizens hear one another's reasoning face to face before reaching a decision.

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 democracy, warrant, moderator, article and registered 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 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 "Town Meeting Night in a Small Town"?

It was written for 7th grade. It has 273 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 8.8. 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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