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Worksheets5th Grade ELA LEAP Rosa’s Bold Message ✓
Total questions: 1
Worksheet time: 54mins
Rosa’s Bold Message
by L.M. Garcia
1 ONE HUMID SPRING evening in 1955, Rosa Parks stepped onto a Montgomery bus with a paper bag balanced on her arm. She had stayed late at the tailor’s shop and felt tired from standing.
2 She paid her fare and moved down the aisle. She saw the usual sign dividing the seats: "Whites Only." She sat anyway, not in protest—but in quiet refusal.
3 The bus filled quickly. Rosa watched the city lights flicker past the window. Her seat was warm, her bag heavy.
4 Then the driver turned. “You all need to move.” Four Black passengers were asked to stand. Three obeyed. Rosa did not.
5 She had followed that rule many times. But not tonight. Tonight, she thought of her grandparents, and their struggle.
6 The driver barked, the passengers stared. But Rosa did not flinch. Her voice was calm: “I’m not moving.”
7 She had been taught strength from an early age. Her mother had shown her books about justice, speeches about freedom.
8 At her school, teachers told her stories of Harriet Tubman, of Sojourner Truth—women who had refused to give up.
9 Rosa had listened, read, and learned. She studied history, kept a diary, and spoke in church youth groups.
10 At the tailor’s shop, she had spoken with other women about injustice. Rosa believed that small voices could make change.
11 So when the police arrived, Rosa stood and gathered her things, not with fear but with purpose.
12 She was taken to the station and charged. But the story did not end there.
13 Her friends from the community rallied together. They printed fliers, organized carpools, and made phone calls.
14 Word of Rosa’s arrest moved across town, then across the country.
15 People marched. Leaders met. Change began to rise, like a morning sun.
16 Rosa returned to her work, quietly. She said little—but the world had heard her message.
17 She was not a famous speaker, not yet. But she had become a symbol.
18 “I only knew,” Rosa later said, “that I was tired of giving in.”
19 HER ACT that night helped launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott—a movement that changed American history.
Part A: Which statement best expresses the main ideas of the article?
Rosa was exhausted after work and refused to follow the bus driver’s orders.
Rosa admired strong women and wanted to be remembered as one.
Rosa’s quiet act of courage led to a larger movement for justice.
Rosa learned about injustice in school and used that knowledge to make speeches.
Part B: Which two details from the article support the answer to Part A?
“She sat anyway, not in protest—but in quiet refusal.” (paragraph 2)
“Rosa did not flinch. Her voice was calm: ‘I’m not moving.’” (paragraph 6)
“Her friends from the community rallied together.” (paragraph 13)
“She had been taught strength from an early age.” (paragraph 7)
“Her act that night helped launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott.” (paragraph 19)
Part A: In paragraph 19 of Rosa’s Bold Message, what is the meaning of the phrase launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
begin
support
explain
oppose
Part B: Which sentence from the article helps the reader understand the meaning of launch as it is used in paragraph 19?
“Rosa returned to her work, quietly.” (paragraph 16)
“Word of Rosa’s arrest moved across town, then across the country.” (paragraph 14)
“People marched. Leaders met. Change began to rise, like a morning sun.” (paragraph 15)
“Her friends from the community rallied together.” (paragraph 13)
Part A: According to the article Rosa’s Bold Message, which statement explains Rosa Parks’s relationship with her community?
They avoided standing out to stay safe.
They supported her action after her arrest.
They offered her rides and gifts.
They told her to be cautious.
Part B: Which sentence from the article provides support for the answer to Part A?
“She had stayed late at the tailor’s shop and felt tired from standing.” (paragraph 1)
“Rosa returned to her work, quietly.” (paragraph 16)
“Her friends from the community rallied together.” (paragraph 13)
“She was not a famous speaker, not yet.” (paragraph 17)
Part A: How does the author use evidence to support the point that Rosa was determined to make a difference?
by showing that she learned about leaders from the past
by showing that she had no fear of jail
by showing that she acted boldly and had a strong foundation
by showing that she had traveled widely and met many people
Part B: Which two details from the article support the answer in Part A?
“Rosa believed that small voices could make change.” (paragraph 10)
“Rosa did not flinch. Her voice was calm: ‘I’m not moving.’” (paragraph 6)
“She was taken to the station and charged.” (paragraph 12)
“She had been taught strength from an early age.” (paragraph 7)
“She said little—but the world had heard her message.” (paragraph 16)
Part A: What is the difference between Rosa’s quiet act on the bus and the community’s reaction afterward?
Rosa made a small decision; the community helped her escape.
Rosa acted alone; the community created a large response.
Rosa did not know what would happen; the community ignored her.
Rosa expected support; the community gave only small help.
Part B: Which paragraph from Rosa’s Bold Message provides evidence to support the answer to Part A?
paragraph 10
paragraph 12
paragraph 13
paragraph 15
The article describes how Rosa was determined to achieve her goals.
Select two statements that describe her opportunities and two that describe her challenges. Place each statement into the correct box.
• 1. learned about history from her teachers
• 1. knew stories of Harriet Tubman
• 1. was arrested for staying seated
• 1. was tired from work
