An exceptional way to help your students follow a story is to have them track the important details. This helps students develop a greater understanding of how the events fit together to provide the overall structure of the story. A beginning, middle, end plot summary is perfect for students to practice identifying the elements of a story.
While this activity provides an example for a BME summary of The Little Prince, the activity can be further customized if you want students to use a different plot structure. Check out our resources on plot diagrams and narrative structure templates for additional information!
The aviator lands in the Sahara desert and meets the little prince.
Readers learn of the little prince's background and his travels from his planet to earth.
Readers realize how the two main characters have changed through their experiences.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Make a storyboard summary of The Little Prince.
Encouraging students to retell the story helps them internalize plot structure and develop comprehension skills. Letting students use their own words also boosts confidence and ownership of learning.
Dividing the book into short, distinct segments makes it easier for students to process and remember details. Use chapter breaks or main events as natural stopping points for discussion.
Demonstrate how to summarize a story by thinking out loud as you retell a section. Point out how you pick key events and leave out less important details. This sets clear expectations for students.
Provide students with simple organizers like story maps or sequence charts. Visual aids help students structure their retellings logically and keep track of essential elements.
Allow students to retell the story through drawing, acting, or digital tools. Creative approaches engage different learning styles and make the activity more memorable and fun.
The Little Prince tells the story of an aviator who crashes in the Sahara desert and meets a mysterious boy from another planet. Through their conversations, readers learn about the prince's adventures and the lessons they both discover about friendship, love, and growing up.
To teach The Little Prince with a BME summary, have students identify key events from the start (the aviator meets the prince), the middle (the prince's background and journey), and the end (how both characters change). Encourage students to illustrate each part and write a sentence explaining it.
Use a storyboard or plot diagram where students can draw scenes and write brief descriptions for the beginning, middle, and end. This visual approach helps students better understand the story's structure and key details.
Yes, there are plot diagram templates and narrative structure worksheets available online. These resources guide students in organizing their thoughts and summarizing stories like The Little Prince effectively.
This summary activity is best suited for 4th and 5th grade students. It's designed to help them understand story structure and practice summarizing with moderate difficulty.