Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince has long been a staple of French classrooms. This touching fable appeals to both children and adults as it addresses the importance of friendship, truth, and the beauty that lies beneath the surface. As a text for beginning French students, it provides rich opportunities for acquiring useful vocabulary and reinforcing rules of verb conjugation and tense. The following activities will engage students in both vocabulary practice and literary analysis activities.
Adapt each of the storyboard lessons as necessary based on the level of your students. Each of the activities included in this lesson plan can be made simpler by reducing the number of cells required or allowing students to write solely in the present tense. Alternately, the complexity of the lessons can be increased with the use of the passé simple or an increased focus on literary analysis. Be sure to take advantage of the slide show function to allow students to practice oral language as they present their work to their classmates.
For additional activity ideas, check out our English activities for The Little Prince.
Organize students into small groups of 3–5, assigning each group a discussion topic from The Little Prince. Encourage everyone to share ideas and listen actively. This fosters deeper analysis and builds confidence in speaking French.
Write open-ended questions that relate to the book’s themes, vocabulary, or characters. Choose questions that spark curiosity and debate. Well-crafted questions lead to richer, student-centered conversations.
Share the purpose of the activity—such as practicing past tense verbs or exploring friendship in the story. Remind students to use specific vocabulary and expressions from The Little Prince. This helps keep discussions focused and productive.
Assign roles like facilitator, note-taker, or summarizer. Rotate roles each time so everyone gets experience. Clear roles ensure all students contribute and feel included.
Ask groups to share one insight or question with the class. Celebrate thoughtful exchanges and language use. This reinforces learning and gives you feedback for future lessons.
Engaging lesson ideas include vocabulary practice, exploring themes like friendship and truth, analyzing verb tenses, adapting storyboard activities for different skill levels, and using slide shows for oral presentations.
Adapt lessons by simplifying activities (fewer cells, present tense only) for beginners or increasing complexity (using passé simple, deeper literary analysis) for advanced students. Adjust based on student needs.
Focus on friendship, truth, seeing beauty beneath the surface, and personal growth—the central themes that resonate with students and encourage meaningful discussion.
The Little Prince offers accessible vocabulary, reinforces verb conjugation and tense rules, and presents relatable themes, making it ideal for beginners in French language classes.
Teachers can use storyboard activities to promote vocabulary practice, literary analysis, and oral presentations, helping students visually and creatively engage with the story.