Langston+Hughes

=Focus questions:= During what time period did Langston Hughes write? Who influenced Langston Hughes? What image does a crystal stair provide to the reader as a metaphor for life?

=Bridging:= What struggles have your parents faced in their lifetime? In what ways do they hope your life is different that theirs?

=Schema Building for reading "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes:= Who is speaking in the poem? What is the speaker saying to her son? What images does the speaker use to tell her son about her life, and the life she hopes for him?

=Playing with Metaphor and Imagery:=
 * Contrast the images of crystal stairs to the ones described in the poem in order to help answer: "What image does a crystal stair provide to the reader as a metaphor for life?"

=Translations of Identity and Voice:= Use the [|Mother to Son.docx] graphic organizer to "translate" the lines of the poem.