Create your own “If” poem Mrs. CB September 2-September 6

Audience Future freshmen coming to John Champe from Mercer Middle School Ages 13-14 Male and female English proficient Future English honors students

Task Write 3 stanzas, each with 8 lines Create your own “If” poem instructing students how they should prepare mentally and physically for freshmen year of high school Set stipulations for success (If you do ______, with specification, using primarily conjunctions) Organize your thoughts appropriately Have an encouraging ending

Model 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 End: Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Include Illustration on the Back Draw a picture of the desired result on the back (e.g. what a happy/successful student at John Champe looks like)