"If"
by Rudyard Kipling
Unit Log
Created by Inna Bilik
Pre-reading
1. Brainstorming the theme
Write as many words as you can that you associate with the word “adult”:
adult
2. Asking a thought-provoking question
Answer the following questions:
a) What is the difference between childish behavior and adult behavior?
______________________________________________________________
b) Can a child (a teenager) behave like an adult?
______________________________________________________________
c) And can adult sometimes behave like a child?
______________________________________________________________
3. Introduction
You are going to read the poem “If” , written by a great British writer and poet, Rudyard
Kipling. Everybody knows his “Jungle Book”, where he describes the life of the child,
Mowgli, among wild animals.
But today we’ll read his poem. The poem is written in 1896 and was published in 1910
and for more than 100 years has served as an advice for the next generation.
The poem is dedicated to Kipling’s friend, Dr. Leander Starr Jameson, the prime minister
of the British colony in South Africa. And, in my mind, it is still relevant nowadays.
4. Vocabulary Exercises
Exercise A
Match the words in A with their definitions in B
A
B
1. doubt
__ a) people who lie to you
2. twist
__ b) keep doing something, go on
3. foes
__ c) good deals, good behavior
4. knaves
__ d) don’t believe in someone’s opinion
5. force
__ e) a device for catching somebody or something.
6. tools
__ f) turn around
7. trap
__ g) not friends
8. hold on
__ h) instruments
9. virtue
__ i) to make somebody do something
Exercise B
Complete the sentences with the words and expressions from the box. Make any
changes if needed.
common touch
pitch-and-toss
stoop
can bear
heap
count
sinew
worth
1. I know the old children’s game, called _______________________.
2. He became a famous person, but has never lost the ___________________ with the
crowd.
3. I _________________ everything, except lies.
4. The coin fell down and I __________________ to pick it up.
5. Today the _____________ of one dollar is 70 rubles.
6. They put all the toys in one big ___________________.
7. Yesterday I ran a lot and today my _________________ hurt me.
8. He listens to what I advise him. He _____________________ with me.
"If," by Rudyard Kipling
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;
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 worn-out 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,
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!
Glossary of low-frequency words:
Knave – ‫ שקרן‬,‫רמאי‬
Pitch-and-toss – ‫משחק ילדים בו זורקים מטבעות לעבר הקיר והקרוב ביותר לקיר זוכה בהם‬
Basic Understanding
1. Complete the sentences in your own words, according to the poem:
If everybody panics, you should (stanza 1)
When people don’t believe in you, you are
advised to (stanza 1)
You should relate to wins and defeats
(stanza 2)
Knaves may (stanza 2)
If you lose everything, you should (stanza 3)
If you socialize with the elite, don’t forget
(stanza 4)
2. Word Puzzle
a. Find the high frequency words from the poem, definitions of which are written
below:
T G U T D M M E C H S Y Z M N
T H W R L K N C K N L I A A J
N D O I Z Q O N W O U S N Q R
C S Z U H T R A E B T Y T E V
J A B M G X W W F E L B T I W
N A F P L H X O R Z U S S G A
O C R H N W T L Y O A H U T G
E U T R I V R L D S E T R R U
S T O O P W P A I L L M T I Z
Y D J Q I Q G D C P O I A Q H
S T I S I K Q H O A S O O L E
U Q E K X A Y U U F X D T W B
G G Y E G R N W N L P L X D K
I M P O S T E R T N R F C V V
Q L J F P P F H L I L Q K O J
allowance
sinew
bear
stoop
blame
thought
count
tool
disaster
triumph
doubt
trust
foe
virtue
imposter
wise
master
b. Write at least 6 sentences using the words from exercise a.
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3. LOTS
Answer the following questions:
a. According to stanza 1, what should you do when people doubt you?
_________________________________________________________________
b. According to stanza 2, who may twist the truth?
_________________________________________________________________
c. According to stanza 3, what should you do after your heart, nerve and sinews are gone?
_________________________________________________________________
d. According to stanza 4, with what should you fill an unforgiving minute?
_________________________________________________________________
e. According to the poem, what will happen if you follow all the conditions listed in it?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
HOTS questions
Explaining Patterns
Writers frequently use the same word/phrase/structure repeatedly in order to emphasize their message
in the poem or story. This repetition is called a pattern.
There are different kinds of patterns we can identify in a poem:
1. Word repetition
2. Phonetics
3. Rhyme
4. Rhythm
5. Structure
Look for an example, on the following tongue twister:
In this text, the word “why” is repeated several times. Also, the phonetic sound [w] is heard over and
over again. All these create an atmosphere of a crying baby, who cries for no reason and nobody can
stop him. You can also feel a rhythm – because the word “why” is stressed. And if you look at the
structure of the poem, you see the lines are becoming shorter and shorter – as if the parent is becoming
more and more annoyed.
In this tongue twister, there is also the rhyme why-cry. A rhyme is two words that make a pattern of
sounds, usually due to its similar ending.
Write rhymes to the next words:
Bee-Tree
Far-____
Fly-_____
Go-______
Now, try to make a small song out of the rhymes you’ve created:
When a bee
Sits on a tree,
It will ____
To the ____.
In order to find the rhyme scheme, we name the last word in the first line as A. Then, we name all the
last words in the lines that rhyme with it as A. Then we go to the next unnamed last word and name it B,
and so on.
For example – the rhyme scheme in the poem you completed above is AABB.
Now let’s go back to the poem “If”:
1) Word repeat
a. Which word is repeated in all stanzas?
_____________________________________________
b. What feeling does it give you?
_____________________________________________
2) Rhyme
a. Look at the second stanza. What is the rhyme scheme in it?
______________________________________________
b. Look at the other stanzas. Do they have the same scheme?
______________________________________________
c. Why do you thing the author chose to use this scheme?
______________________________________________
3) Rhythm
a. Listen to the reading of the poem in the next link. Pay attention to the rise and fall of
the voice of the narrator:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUQPHkYLayM
b. Which of the drawings, you think, represents better the rhythm of the poem? Explain
your choice:
____________________________________________________________
c. Which lines go up and which go down in voice?
___________________________________________________________
d. In your opinion, why do you think the author used this pattern?
___________________________________________________________
4) Structure
a. How many lines are in each stanza? _________________
b. Is the length of the lines the same? _________________
5) How do these repetitions (of the word “if”, the stanza’s structure, the rhyme scheme and the
rhythm) contribute to our understanding of the message of the poem?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Possible answer: the repetitions are to stress the everyday need to continue applying to all the
conditions in order to be a responsible adult. It is not enough to do it once. You have to continue
doing it all your life. And only by doing so you will become a man. And you always continue to
grow up – it’s a journey that never ends. That is why the author uses the verb “to be” a man in
the last sentence. It is continuous. And also this is why he uses verbs like “keep”, “hold on”,
“bear” etc.
More HOTS questions
6) How are the first and last stanzas of the poem alike and how are they different of each other?
Use “Compare and Contrast” thinking skill.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Possible answer: Both stanzas have the same number of lines and the same rhyme scheme.
They both start by the author giving conditions on how to become a responsible adult. However,
the in the last stanza, the author “closes the circle” of conditions and presents what would be
the consequence of applying all of them. In order to stress this, the rhythm of the poem changes
in the two last lines and goes down.
7) “If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run” (Stanza 4) –
What message do you think the author tries to pass in this line? Do you relate to this message?
Give an example from your own life in which you applied or should have applied this message.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Possible answer: The author stresses that time flies. If you don’t use it properly, you will lose it.
Also, he reminds that everyone has the same amount of time. Once one is well organized and
determined to achieve your goals, one can have enough time to do everything he wants. For
example, when I didn’t prepare for my Bagrut exams and went to swim in the sea, I failed them.
But when I started studying according to a schedule I organized, I did better.
8) What do you think was the goal of the author by writing the word “Man” with a capital letter?
Justify your answer by giving quotes from the poem. Use the “Uncovering Motives” skill.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Possible Answer: I think it was important for the author to stress this word by writing it with a
capital letter because he wanted to say that these conditions, given in the poem, differ Homo
sapiens from other animals and a child from an adult. Only a man is expected to be responsible
for his deeds. For example, a person can “force his heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn
long after they are gone” (Stanza 3) but a child or an animal would probably stop because they
are leaded by their emotions.
9) Speculate, what other conditions would you suggest for being a Man? Why did you decide to
mention them? Hypothesize on how would you think they would affect the society? Try to write
the conditions in the form of the conditions in the poem.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Possible answer: I would also suggest that a person should help others, mainly the poor, the
disabled and the elderly. I think that it is possible to relate to the commandments of “Honor thy
father and thy mother” and “You shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house” that I think are very
important because this is what makes a makes a man to a Man and creates a healthy and more
cohesive society where nobody is left out and its identity continues.
“if you honor your mom and dad,
and call them every day,
If you are happy with the belongings of your friend,
And you don’t get jealous by them,
If you help others and not only yourself,
You’ll become a Man and the Society”
Learning Literary Terms
There are different terms in literature that you will meet, like metaphor, oxymoron, antonyms etc. In
this poem, we will focus on idioms.
Idioms
In the poem “If” there are many idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that you cannot
understand from the meaning of each word. You have to learn it as a whole. Using idioms makes your
language more attractive.
For example: The name doesn’t ring a bell; You talk behind my back; My hands are tied.
a) Match the idiom in A to its meaning in B
A
B
Get on your nerves
Have second thoughts about something
Melt your heart
Agree about something
Doubting Thomas
Get crazy
Behind your back
Be irritating
Going bananas
Get out of a difficult situation
See eye to eye
Feet emotional about something
Land on your feet
Secretly say unkind things
Choose the right meaning of the idiom from the poem:
a. Keep your head
I.
Make sure your head is safe
II.
Stay calm
III.
Bet on your head in a game and win
b. Lose your head
I.
Forget where you left your head
II.
Get into panic
III.
Being sentenced to decapitation
c. Make allowance
I.
Let someone do something
II.
Create pocket-money given by parents to their kids
III.
Design a new kind of bonus in a pay-check
d. Give way
I.
Allow something to happen, step aside
II.
Name a road after someone
III.
Sell a street to someone
e. Twist the truth
I.
Present the situation differently than the reality
II.
Dance to the song “The Truth”
III.
Take the truth in your hands and turn it to different directions
f. Hold on
I.
Keep doing something
II.
Press on the button “ON”
III.
Grab something
g. Count with someone
I.
Try to define the number of some items together with a friend
II.
A noble man with a partner
III.
Believing someone’s advice should be taken into consideration
Bridging Text and Context
The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century was associated with
European imperialism in Africa. European countries – France, Britain, the Netherlands,
Belgium, Portugal etc. – fought to expand their influence in the world by and occupying
territories in Africa.
The colonies of those countries throughout the world brought wealth to the European
empires, but also created political tensions between them.
From time to time, in different parts of the world wars between the empires erupted. One of
them was the Anglo-Boer war in today South Africa. The Boers were Dutch villagers who
occupied some lands and gold mines in the British colony.
In 1895, the British colony decided to overthrow the Boer government in Transvaal in what
was called the Jameson Raid, after its honorable leader Leander Starr Jameson. The raid failed
and its leaders were sent to prison. Jameson, who took the blame for the failed raid, was
criticized by the English public. Later, he was pardoned and released from jail.
The raid led to the Anglo-Boer war in the region (1899-1902), which the British army won. In
1904, Jameson became the Prime Minister of the Cape colony.
Leander Starr Jameson was a friend of Rudyard Kipling. Kipling wrote in his autobiography
that the poem “If” was “drawn from Jameson’s character”.
Question: What is the connection between what you have just read to the poem and its
message?
Answer:
The poem "If-" contains different characteristics that the writer sees as essential to the ideal
man. In particular, a man must be humble, patient, rational, truthful, dependable, and
persevering. His behavior stands against tragic events and cruel men. It is not so important
what are the outside events, whether you win or lose, whether you are beloved or hated – as
long as you acts honorably.
For example, Jameson, who used to “walk with kings” and met “with Triumph” but then knew
disasters but continued to act as a gentleman: had faith in himself when “all men” doubted
him, he dealt with times when his words were “twisted by knaves”, felt when his “loving
friends” left him, withstand lies and hatred from others.
Jameson knew to take responsibility after the failed raid, was set on trial but his character
didn’t break and allowed him to overcome these events and eventually gave him strength to
come to top again.
For Kipling, the true measure of a man is his humility and his preserve manners.
Another Possible Bridging Question
Read the following information and answer the question below:
Michael Utley was a famous football player. In 1991, during a match, he fell and hurt his back. While
he was taken off the pitch, he raised his thumbs up to the crowd as a symbol that everything would be
alright. Later, he found himself paralyzed and had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
One month after his injury, he started the “Mike Utley Foundation” with “Thumbs Up!” as its slogan.
The foundation has helped people with disabilities.
Question:
How does this information connect with the poem “If”?
Sample Response:
Mike was a successful football player. He met “with Triumph” and walked “with kings”, but one day he
experienced “Disaster”. Mike “kept his head” and trusted himself when others doubted him and found
the strength to build him up. Even though his “nerve and sinew” literally were gone, he managed to
“Hold on”. For many people his diagnose would sound as a verdict. But not for Mike. He fought for a
normal life and for helping others and, thereby, “filled the unforgiving minute with sixty second worth
of distance run” – that is, giving aid to people with the same problem as he had. Mike showed on his
own example how a true “Man” should act like.
Post Reading Activity
Choose one of the following assignments:
1. With your partner, choose a famous character which went/is going through hard times (For
example: Michael Schumacher, Mickey Rourke, Eyal Golan, or Christopher Reeve). Write an
interview with the character. Then, create an enactment of the interview in the class. Add the
written script and pictures from the show.
2. Imagine your friend lost a decent amount of money and was put into prison. He is in deep
depression. Write a letter of advice and encouragement that will help him to get out of this
hard situation.
3. Imagine that you compete for the role of the Prime Minister of Israel. Create a Fakebook page,
in which you explain your platform, write slogans, show your good ways with the public and
add responses of others. Add relevant pictures with captions, if needed, and comments and
posts.
http://www.classtools.net/FB/home-page
Summative Assessment (Module D)
LOTS Questions
Question 1: complete the sentence
In the poem “If”, Kipling is urging the reader not deal in _________
i)
Lies
ii)
Gambling
iii)
Prejudice
iv)
Politics
(9 points)
Question 2:
What are the two “imposters” Kipling mentioned in the poem?
_________________________________________________________________
(9 points)
Question 3:
How does Kipling believe you should treat the two “imposters”?
__________________________________________________________________
(9 points)
Question 4:
According to Kipling, what should a person do if he lost all his winnings?
__________________________________________________________________
(9 points)
Question 5:
According to the poem, what will happen if you follow all the conditions?
_____________________________________________________________________
(9 points)
HOTS Questions
Question 6:
Explain why the word “if” is repeated in the poem? Support your answer with information from the poem.
_______________________________________________________________________________
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(12 points)
Question 7:
“Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’”
Explain why the poet wrote the word “will” with a capital letter, using the information from the poem?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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(12 points)
Question 8:
What do you think the poet meant when he wrote, “Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it”? Support
your answer with information from the poem.
Thinking Skill:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(16 points)
Bridging text and context
Question 9:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”
Winston Churchill
“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value”
Albert Einstein
Choose one of the quotes above. Make a connection between these quotes and the poem “If”.
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(15 points)
Possible Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
i
Triumph and Disaster
You should treat them the same way
Start again and not complain
You will become a grown up man
The repetition of the word if implies that it is not simple to become a Man – you must follow
many rules and fulfill many conditions for it. For example, you should not deal in lies, be
patient, not lose the connection with the crowd etc.
7. The word is written with a capital letter because the poet wanted to infer that only the will of
a man decides his further behavior, whether to give up or to hold on. It is one of the most
important things in person’s character.
8. Thinking skill: Inferring
I can infer, that the poet meant that if you follow all the conditions, you will have all the
potential in the world and all gates will be open for you to conquer the things you want. We
can conclude you will know how to deal with every situation in life.
9. The first quote teaches us that the success or failure are not absolute things, and that is why
they are pretty much “the same”, like the Triumph and disaster from the poem. The quote
also implies that not the result of the events that is important, but rather the desire to
continue – which is one of the main characteristics of a “Man” - like in the poem.
Unit Graphic Organizer (UGO)
Pouch for “If”
1. 10 commandments – good for pre-reading or bridging.
2. Discussing the video - “Latet” in Thailand (good for post reading or reflection)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_uJcEsDEr0
3. Discussing the video - How to become a better person (good for post reading or reflection)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX3C3GnvKVI
4. Discussing the picture – how to become an adult (good for pre-reading)
5. Bringing a toy crown and simulating how a student feels putting the crown on his head.
6. Bringing roulette, asking the class how will they feel if they had won a lot of money and put all of it
on one number? How would they feel if they lost everything?
7. Discussing the picture - I want to be this person…
8. Discussing the video - Marathon runner – How to continue to act when having no power
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZKbN3Mw2cs
9. Discussing the video - Pascal Berkovic – How to outdo yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpKL2cLBcUU
10. Discussing the story of Alfred Dreyfuss – not to be afraid to stand for your ideas
Another Assignment that is not connected to our log
Comparing and Contrasting the Two Units for Count That Day Lost
For each component, write at least one similarity and one difference between the three-point and
four-point units for Count That Day Lost.
You may focus on: length, content, choice, language, complexity, activities, presentation, types of
questions and more.
Describe the differences and similarities in the chart below. Pre-reading has been done for you. You
can change it or add to it if you wish.
Component
Pre-reading
Similarities
Both sets of
worksheets
concentrate on the
same theme of doing
good deeds
Basic Understanding
Checking vocabulary
knowledge, LOTS
questions
Analysis – explicit
HOTS
Both using video clips.
Analysis – literary
Both teaching
Differences
More emphasis in the
three-point
worksheets on
specific vocabulary
(good deeds and
count)
Use of a video clip
and emoticons in
three-points instead
of only verbal cues
and a checklist in four
points.
3 pointers are using
more visual exercises
(flashcard games),
words are already
defined and some of
them are in Hebrew.
The multiple choice
exercise for 4-points
gives more possible
answers. 4-points
requires writing
answers while 3points only matching.
Different HOTS
taught. Order of
teaching HOTS and
literary terms.
Comments
The three point
worksheets are more
visually oriented
which is good for
these students.
3-points teach only
The 3-points part is
3 pointers are using
more visual exercises
(flashcard games),
cognates.
terms
metaphor.
Analysis – application
of the HOTS
Both have a part of
application of HOTS
to students’ lives.
Analysis – other
questions
Both require writing
examples from the
text. Both require
using specific HOTS
vocabulary in
answers.
Same pictures given
and the aim is the
same in both (what is
the connection...)
Bridging Text and
Context
Post-reading
One assignment is the
same (#1). Emphasis
on good deeds.
Summative
Assessment
Both have LOTS and
HOTS questions
Other:
one literary term. 4points learn the
difference between
metaphor and simile.
In 3 points there is
emphasis on
expressing verbally,
visually…
more scaffolded while
4-points have to
analyze on their own.
More questions in 4
points. Different
HOTS.
One question is the
same in both
modules.
For 3-points the
exercise is more
scaffolded – the
teacher explains the
set and the idea. In 4points the students
must come to the
conclusion on their
own.
More choice in 3points. 4-points
assignments require
more writing (not
necessarily).
Different amount of
HOTS and LOTS
questions, different
grading, no extended
HOTS question in 3points, no bridging in
3-points.
I feel that there is a
huge gap between
the level of 3 and 4
points. I would expect
an intermediate level
because it would be
hard to move
students from 3 to 4
points bagrut.
Minimum writing in 3points, very
scaffolded.
There was no
mentioning of the
amount of teaching
hours to dedicate for
each piece in 3 and 4
points classes.