1. If
Rudyard Kipling
By Rudyard Kipling

2. The Story Jacob’s Ladder Goals & Objectives Habits of Mind
Tier 1
The Story
Jacob’s Ladder Goals & Objectives
Habits of Mind

3. If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;

4. If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,

5. And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings-nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run- Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And-which is more-you’ll be a Man my son!

6. Kipling wrote “If” with Dr. Leander Starr Jameson in mind
Kipling wrote “If” with Dr. Leander Starr Jameson in mind. In 1895, Jameson led about 500 of his countrymen in a failed raid against the Boers, in southern Africa. What became known as as the Jameson Raid was later cited as a major factor in bringing about the Boer War of 1899 to But, the story as recounted n Britain was quite different. The British defeat was interpreted as a victory and Jameson portrayed as a daring hero.

7. Students will be able:
Ladder C
C1—To identify and explain specific story elements such as character, setting, or poetic-device.
C2—To use textual clues to read between the lines and make judgments about specific textual events, ideas, or character analysis.
C3—To identify a major idea or theme common throughout the text.
Ladder D
D1—To restate lines read using their own words.
D2—To provide a summary of text selections.
D3—To create something new using what they have learned.

8. Habits of Mind
Thinking about Thinking (metacognition)
Posing Questions
Creative, Innovative, Imaginative
Communicating with Clarity
Refer to Jacob’s Ladder Story Table for Ladders C & D Thinking Questions.

9. (Discussion) High Level Strategies with Ladder C & D Questions
Tier 2 Rigor
(Discussion)
High Level Strategies with
Ladder C & D Questions

10. Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write-around, 3-4 Podcast slides (Pixie, Frames)
*Choose 2 of the 3 activity options to complete
C3 -The theme of a story or a poem is the “Big Idea” the author wants to get across. What Big Idea do you think this author wanted to communicate to you as a reader? What was your thinking while choosing this theme?
C2 - For each descriptive statement you explained in Exercise C1 (#1) write the statement from the poem that proves and supports your idea.
D3—Choose an occupation: _______ (job title). Write two statements that give important characteristics of someone in your chose occupation. Write a new, eight line poem that ends with the line: And which is more, you will be a ____, my son / daughter. Fill in the blank with the occupation of your choice.

11. (Discussion) High Level Strategies with Ladder C & D Questions
Tier 3 Rigor
(Discussion)
High Level Strategies with
Ladder C & D Questions

12. Discussion Strategies: Think-Pair-Share, Write-around, 3-4 Podcast slides (Pixie, Frames)
*Choose 2 of the 3 activity options to complete
C1—1. IF was written to a military leader. From the author’s statements what description of the military leader do you get? What words have helped gather your description and thinking?
D1—2. After rereading the poem choose a stanza that you rewrite the ideas from your own words. Think about explaining the text to someone who may not understand Rudyard Kipling’s words while you paraphrase the stanza.
D2—3. Summarizing a poem shows understanding. Think about paraphrasing stanzas. Summarize each stanza in one or two sentences.

13. Reflections/Relevance
Tier 4
Reflections/Relevance

14. Choose one of the writing ideas to complete.  Be creative. 
Write a similar military poem from the view point of a famous landmark where the battle takes place. What is the landmark seeing, hearing, experiencing?
Write a similar major political or military poem from a view point of a child living during the time period. Remember to express what the child is seeing, hearing, experiencing, and feeling.
Be creative with either question you choose to complete.  Here are some suggested project strategies:  Write a podcast script; create a puppet show; develop a PSA; a PowerPoint presentation; write and be an actor in a skit; write a persuasive speech and give before the class.