A differentiated reading unit exploring the historic 1920 election and the struggle for women's suffrage. Features three tiered reading passages spanning 7th, 5th, and 4th grade levels, alongside standards-aligned questions addressing main idea, inferencing, and theme, plus an educator answer key.
D. Harry Burn chose not to attend the final legislative session in Nashville.
2. Write one detail from the text explaining why the Tennessee vote was so important before November 1920:
Skill 2
Making Inferences
3. Why were people surprised when Harry Burn voted "Aye"?
A. He had been wearing a red rose, which showed he was against women voting.
B. He was not a citizen and did not have permission to speak in the room.
C. He had promised to vote for three new amendments instead of only one.
D. He was wearing yellow shoes that matched the suffragists' flowers.
4. Why did Harry's mother write that he should help "put the 'rat' in ratification"? Infer what she meant:
Skill 3
Theme & Big Ideas
5. What big life lesson does Harry Burn's historic decision teach us?
A. It is always easiest and best to do whatever the loudest crowd wants.
B. Standing up for what is right takes courage, and one person can make a huge difference.
C. Elections only matter when everyone agrees on the candidates beforehand.
D. Young people should never try to participate in community decisions.
6. Think about a time you had to make a tough choice when other people wanted you to do something else. What happened?
Grade 5 Differentiated Reading Series • Yellow Roses Page 2 of 2
3. Why did Harry's friends probably feel shocked when he shouted "Aye"?
A. He was wearing a red rose, so they expected him to vote against the law.
B. He had forgotten to wear shoes to the capitol building that morning.
C. He had decided to vote for five different presidents at the same time.
D. He had never learned how to speak English in front of crowds.
4. Why was his mother's letter so important to Harry? Infer why it changed his mind:
Part 3
Theme (The Big Life Lesson)
5. What is the big life lesson this story teaches us about standing up for fairness?
A. You should always agree with your friends even if they are being unfair.
B. One brave voice can help change history and make things fair for everyone.
C. Rules should never be changed once they have been written down.
D. Only old people are able to make important decisions in a country.
6. Why is it important for every person in a community to have a say and a vote?
Grade 4 Differentiated Reading Series • First Ballots Page 2 of 2
Tier 5: "Febb Burn used wordplay on 'ratification' to urge Harry to take action and not hesitate when voting for women's suffrage."
Tier 4: "Harry respected and loved his mother, and her words reminded him that giving women a voice was the right thing to do."
Teacher Guide • Ballot Box Revolution Page 1 of 2
Theme Analysis, Rubric & Inclusive Facilitation
Instructional Guidance & Rubric
Skill 3: Universal Theme Solutions
All Tiers: Question 5 = B
Q5 Correct Answer: B (A single individual exercising moral courage can alter the democratic destiny of millions)
Theme Core: Democracy is not self-executing; it requires individuals willing to withstand immense social and political pressure to expand justice and inclusion.
Exemplary (Full Credit) Articulates how civic courage and standing up against peer pressure directly protect and expand democratic rights for everyone in a community.
Partial Credit Mentions that voting or helping people is good, but does not connect the concept of personal bravery to broader civic responsibility.
Needs Revision Merely retells the story of the letter without formulating an analytical or personal thematic connection.
All three passages explore the identical historical turning point. Use these prompts to lead a rich whole-class conversation across reading levels:
Prompt 1 (Main Idea): "Why was Tennessee considered the 'last hope' for women before the 1920 presidential election? What was at stake?"
Prompt 2 (Inferencing): "Harry Burn walked in wearing a red rose. What risks did he take when he changed his vote to 'Aye'? What does that reveal about his character?"
Prompt 3 (Theme): "How can one person's vote or choice change the lives of millions of people who don't have a voice?"
Classroom Differentiation Strategies
Target 7: Have students investigate how voting rights continued to evolve through the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Tier 5: Pair with historical primary source photographs of the 1920 yellow and red rose marches.
Tier 4: Provide sentence starters for Question 6: "It is important for every person to vote because..."
