As students work to decipher the French text of Le Petit Prince, they may benefit from summarization practice. In this activity, students will summarize the story, or a section of the story using a traditional storyboard. Pick a particular chapter, planet adventure, or character interaction to have students summarize using visual storyboards. They may do so in comic form (writing exclusively in text bubbles) or through narrative text below their scenes.
The sample storyboard summarizes the interactions between the narrator and the little prince throughout the story. This could alternately be worked into a plot diagram if you plan to teach narrative structure along with this text. Make the assignment more advanced by requiring students to use the passé simple in their summary text.
L’avion du narrateur s’est écrasé dans le désert du Sahara.
Le narrateur s'est aperçu d’un petit garçon qui lui a demandé de dessiner un mouton.
Le garçon a expliqué qu’il était le seul habitant d’une petite planète, sur laquelle il n’avait qu’une amie: une rose vaniteuse. Ensuite le petit prince a raconté l’histoire de ses voyages après avoir quitté sa planète jusqu'à son arrivée sur la Terre. Son récit a pris plusieurs jours, pendant lesquels le narrateur essayait de réparer son avion.
Le huitième jour, le narrateur est alle avec le petit prince chercher de l’eau. Ils ont trouvé un puit merveilleux.
Cependant, Le petit prince avait la nostalgie de sa propre planète. Il voulait y retourner. Alors, il a permis à un serpent de le mordre pour envoyer son esprit chez lui. Son corps est parti avec son esprit et le narrateur est convaincu que le prince s’est installé à nouveau sur sa petite planète.
Finalement, le narrateur a réussi à réparer son avion. Maintenant, chaque fois que la narrateur regarde les étoiles, il imagine qu’il puisse entendre le rire du petit prince. C’est pour lui comme des millions de grelots.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a visual summary of Le Petit Prince. Use the passé composé and the imparfait to recount the events.
Enhancing story summaries with targeted vocabulary practice helps students remember key terms and better understand the text, making their summaries richer and more accurate.
Choosing important vocabulary ensures students focus on the most relevant terms, deepening their comprehension and improving overall retention.
Using visuals and student-friendly definitions makes new words more accessible and supports all learners, especially those new to French.
This active application of vocabulary in context encourages students to internalize new language and connect it with the plot.
Celebrating strong word choices builds confidence and motivates students to keep expanding their language skills.
Encourage students to break down Le Petit Prince into key scenes or character interactions. Use visual storyboards or plot diagrams to organize events, and have students write brief summaries in French using the passé composé and imparfait tenses.
A storyboard activity involves students creating illustrated panels that represent major events or dialogues from Le Petit Prince. Each panel should include a visual and a short summary or dialogue, helping students visualize and retell the story.
Try activities like summarizing a chapter with a storyboard, acting out scenes, creating character profiles, or having students write diary entries from the perspective of the Little Prince using target tenses.
Use passé composé for completed actions (e.g., "Le narrateur a vu le petit prince") and imparfait for ongoing states or repeated actions (e.g., "Le narrateur essayait de réparer son avion"). Mixing both helps students accurately recount the story's events.
Storyboards and comic strips help students organize thoughts, visualize sequences, and reinforce comprehension. They also make complex texts like Le Petit Prince more accessible and engaging for learners at different levels.