Drama

by Dawn McMillan
illustrated by Maxim Larin

PAIRED
The Perfect Present
READ

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 STRATEGIES & SKILLS
Comprehension ELL Vocabulary
Strategy: Make Predictions beginnings, miracle
Skill: Theme
Vocabulary
Vocabulary Strategy alarmed, anguish,
Root Words necessary, obsessed,
possess, reward,
treasure, wealth

Word count: 1,253

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ISBN: 978-0-02-118606-8
MHID: 0-02-118606-5

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 Essential Question
How do you decide what is important?

by Dawn McMillan
illustrated by Maxim Larin

Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Scene One
The New City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Scene Two
The Gods’ Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Respond to Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
PAIRED
The Perfect Present . . . . . . . . . . 17
READ
Focus on Genre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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 The Naming of Athens
Characters
Reader
Cecrops (SEE-krahps), a half-man, half-serpent,
who will be the king of the new city
Gods and Goddesses of Olympia,
including:
Zeus, king of the gods
Poseidon (puh-SIGH-duhn), god of the sea
Athena, goddess of wisdom
Citizen One
Other Citizens

List of Props
Poseidon’s trident, a large rock, water jars,
an olive seed, an olive tree

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 Scene One
The New City

On a rocky hilltop in ancient Greece

READER: Athens was the most powerful city
in ancient Greece. The people of Athens had a
civilization that is still admired today. This is
how the city got its name.
CECROPS: (to the gods and goddesses) Gods
and goddesses, look at the beautiful land below
us. I’ve named the land after myself, Cecrops.
Now I see the beginnings of a
wonderful new city. The
new city should be
called Cecrops as
half-man
well. Don’t you
all agree?

half-serpent

Cecrops

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 GODS AND GODDESSES: (together) No! No!
We want to name this new city after one of us.
Call it after me!
No, me!
The city should have my name.
I’ll name the city.
POSEIDON: Listen, my friends! The city should
have my name. I am Poseidon, god of the sea.
Everyone knows
trident Poseidon
how powerful
the ocean is.
This city is
surrounded by
ocean water. The
city should be
called Poseidon!

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 ATHENA: Poseidon, I can see that you are
obsessed with the idea of the city having your
name. But I don’t think it’s a good idea. The
ocean can be wild and angry. The city should
have a quieter name, like mine. I am the
goddess of wisdom. The people in our new city
will need to be wise.
POSEIDON: That is nonsense! I…
ZEUS: Wait!
Arguing will only
bring us anguish.
Poseidon, Athena,
both of you
deserve to have
the city named
after you. I need
to find a way to
decide between
you. I will ask
the thunder to
Zeus
help me.
Thunder rolls.

Language Adjectives can tell what kind.

Detective Find the adjectives Athena
uses to describe the ocean.

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 Athena

ZEUS: Gods and goddesses, do not be alarmed!

The thunder speaks great wisdom. Poseidon and
Athena, you will each bring a gift for the city.
Tomorrow we will all meet here again. Bring
us the best gift and the city will be named
after you.
GODS OF OLYMPUS: (together) Good idea!
Bring us your gifts. Tomorrow we will decide.

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 ZEUS: I think it’s necessary for the citizens of
the new city to see Poseidon and Athena’s gifts.
I will send a rainbow to lead them here.
GODS OF OLYMPUS: Yes!
Of course!
The citizens must agree!
Fair enough!
The citizens must decide!
ZEUS: See you tomorrow, then.

rainbow

STOP AND CHECK

How will Zeus decide who the city

will be named after?
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 Scene Two
The Gods’ Gifts

READER: The next day, the citizens of the city

and the gods of Olympus gather together.
CECROPS: Welcome! Welcome, everyone! Hello,
Zeus. Here, sit by me. It is a good morning. Just
a little rain earlier, to help make your rainbow.
Now the sun is shining brightly. It is a good day
for deciding the name of our new city.
ZEUS: Greetings, all. Gods, goddesses, and
citizens… we are here to see the gifts that
Poseidon and Athena have brought for
our city. Poseidon will present his gift first.
Welcome, Poseidon!
Poseidon steps forward and bows. Everyone claps.

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 POSEIDON: I possess great powers. See the
magic that happens when I strike this rock!
Poseidon marches forward and strikes a large rock
with his trident, then turns to face the citizens.
Look at the water coming from the rock!
Citizens of the new city, I bring you a source of
water that will never dry up! Your crops will not
dry up and die in the hot summer sun. You will
never go thirsty. This gift is a miracle. It is what
the city needs!
CITIZEN 1: Is it fresh water?
POSEIDON: Of course! It is fresh, clean water.
Taste it for yourselves!

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 CITIZEN 1: This water tastes terrible! It’s salty,
like the sea!
CITIZENS: (tasting the water)
Dreadful!
Disgusting!
We cannot drink this water!
CITIZEN 1: Poseidon, we can’t drink seawater.
This will not do! This water is not a suitable gift
for our city.
The citizens shake their heads and pour the water
from their jars.

In Other Words appropriate

present. En español, suitable gift
quiere decir un regalo adecuado.

citizens

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 CECROPS: Indeed, it will not do!
ZEUS: Poseidon, your power as god of the sea
is too strong. Strike the rock again and stop
the flow of this salty water!
Poseidon strikes the rock. Then he leaves the
stage angrily.
CITIZENS: Athena! Athena! We want Athena!
ZEUS: Yes. Athena, come and show us
your gift.
Athena comes to stand in front of the citizens,
gods, and goddesses. Everyone is excited to see
what Athena will bring.
ZEUS: (looking confused) Where is your gift,
Athena?
Athena opens her hand to show an olive seed.
She turns to face the citizens.

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 seed

ATHENA: Here is my gift for your city. This

olive seed will give you food and oil to cook
with. This seed will give you firewood to keep
you warm in winter. These things are necessary
for a good life in our new city. Watch as I plant
this seed.
The citizens, gods, and goddesses gather around as
Athena plants the seed in the ground.
ATHENA: See how the seed grows!
An olive tree prop is pushed onto the stage.

Language This is a limiting adjective. Can you

Detective find another one on this page?

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 GODS AND GODDESSES: It is a miracle!
CITIZENS: Incredible!
Everyone claps.
CITIZEN 1: This is a gift we need. It will bring
our city wealth. Athena, we will name the city
after you.
CITIZENS: Athena! Athena! Athena!

olive tree

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 ZEUS: Our problem is solved. Cecrops, announce
the name of the new city.
CECROPS: Athena, naming the city after you
is a great reward for bringing us such a perfect
gift! Our new city will be named Athens. We
will build beautiful temples and present you with
treasure. Our new city is to be called Athens!
CITIZENS: (dancing around) Athens! A great
name for a new city!
Athena bows and everyone applauds.

STOP AND CHECK

Why was Poseidon’s gift rejected by

the citizens and the gods?

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 15

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 Summarize Detail

Summarize the events of

Detail
The Naming of Athens. Use
a Theme Chart to help you.
Detail

Theme

Text Evidence
1. What kind of text is The Naming of Athens?
List two things that are special about this
kind of text. GENRE

2. What kind of gifts did Poseidon and Athena

choose to give the citizens? THEME

3. Find the word wisdom on page 5. What does

it mean? What gives you a clue? ROOT WORDS

4. Write a new ending to the play in which

Poseidon was the winner. WRITE ABOUT READING

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 Compare Texts
Read how Luke finds a perfect present for his mother.

The Perfect Present

The day before Mom’s birthday, I went to
the mall with my dad.

“I haven’t got a clue what to buy for your

mother!” Dad said.

I sighed and said, “I don’t know what to

get either. I’ve got $5.50. I can’t get too many
things with my amount of money.”

Dad bought a shirt for Mom. I looked in

all the shops, but I couldn’t find anything. I
thought about making a card and buying Mom
a bar of soap.
Illustration: Sole Otero

In Other Words I don’t know. En español, I haven’t got

a clue quiere decir no tengo ni remota idea.

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 On the way home, we went to the grocery
store. I found a better present for Mom. I
could afford strawberries! Strawberries were my
mother’s favorite fruit.

Before we left I paid for the strawberries.

At home, I hid the strawberries in my room.
I made Mom a beautiful birthday card shaped
like a strawberry.

The next morning I washed the strawberries

and put them in a bowl. Then I opened the
bedroom door.

“Happy Birthday, Mom,” I said. I gave her

the strawberries and the card.

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 Mom sat up. “Strawberries are my favorite!
And what a beautiful card!” said Mom.

“Eat your strawberries, Mom, and I’ll bring

you some coffee,” I said. Then I saw Dad’s
hand move.

“Watch out, Mom!” I yelled. “Dad is after

your strawberries!”

Mom laughed. “If Dad helps you make

the coffee I might give him one strawberry,”
she said.

Dad and I made coffee in the kitchen. Dad

said, “You got your mother a great present.”

I was really happy I found something special

for my special mom.

Make Connections
In The Perfect Present, how did Luke decide what
to buy for his mother? ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What helps the citizens in The Naming of Athens
Illustration: Sole Otero

and Luke in The Perfect Present get what they

want? TEXT TO TEXT
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 Plays A play is a story that is written to be
performed, rather than read. The people that
perform in a play are called actors. Sets show the
audience where the action is taking place. Props,
such as the olive tree in The Naming of Athens, also
help make the story come alive.

Read and Find In The Naming of Athens, the names

of the characters are written in upper case and
bold. A colon separates the name of the character
from the words that the character speaks. The stage
directions are written in italics. These directions tell
the characters what to do.

Your Turn
Imagine if Apollo, the god of the sun, also
entered the competition in the play. What gift
might he have offered? Write another scene for
The Naming of Athens. Remember to use text
features to show which character is speaking,
and what the character is saying and doing.

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 Literature Circles

Fiction

Plot
What is The Naming of Athens
mostly about?
What is The Perfect Present
mostly about?

Author’s Purpose
Why do you think the author wrote
The Perfect Present?

Characters
Who are the main characters in
The Naming of Athens?
Who are the supporting characters?

Setting
Where is The Naming of Athens set?

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 Treasures

GR O • Benchmark 34 • Lexile [t/k]

Grade 3 • Unit 6 Week 1

www.mheonline.com

ISBN-13 978-0-02-118606-8
MHID 0-02-118606-5
99701
EAN

9 780021 186068
3

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