Activity Overview
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.
Le Petit Prince Summary
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.
Template and Class Instructions
(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.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- In the description boxes, write a summary of the story or selections from the story.
- Create an illustration for each using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Add textables for dialogue if desired.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Excellent 5 Points | Satisfaisant 3 Points | Insuffisant 1 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson | The comic strip teaches a clear life lesson, either through explicit dialogue or implicit satire. The lesson is serious and in keeping with the tone and message of Le Petit Prince. | The comic strip teaches a basic life lesson, though it may be slightly unclear at times. The lesson is serious but may be somewhat inconsistent with the tone and message of Le Petit Prince. | The comic fails to convey a life lesson or teaches a lesson utterly inconsistent with the book's tone and message. |
| Narrative Text | The student clearly narrates all scenes in the past tense, using the passé composé and the imparfait correctly. | The student narrates most scenes in the past tense, making only a few mistaking using the passé composé and the imparfait. | Several of the squares are missing narration. Student does not attempt to write in the past tense or makes many errors in tense and conjugation. |
| Images | All storyboard images show effort, appropriately depicting the characters and building the story's arc and lesson. | Most of the storyboard images show effort, appropriately depicting the characters and building the story's arc and lesson. | The storyboard depictions show a lack of effort and fail to tell a clear story. |
| Overall Grammar and Spelling | All sentences and/or dialogue contain correct grammar and spelling (including accent marks) as appropriate for the class level. | Most sentences and/or dialogue contain correct grammar and spelling (including accent marks) as appropriate for the class level. | The sentences and/or dialogue contain many grammatical or spelling errors (including accent marks). |
Activity Overview
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.
Le Petit Prince Summary
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.
Template and Class Instructions
(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.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- In the description boxes, write a summary of the story or selections from the story.
- Create an illustration for each using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Add textables for dialogue if desired.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Excellent 5 Points | Satisfaisant 3 Points | Insuffisant 1 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson | The comic strip teaches a clear life lesson, either through explicit dialogue or implicit satire. The lesson is serious and in keeping with the tone and message of Le Petit Prince. | The comic strip teaches a basic life lesson, though it may be slightly unclear at times. The lesson is serious but may be somewhat inconsistent with the tone and message of Le Petit Prince. | The comic fails to convey a life lesson or teaches a lesson utterly inconsistent with the book's tone and message. |
| Narrative Text | The student clearly narrates all scenes in the past tense, using the passé composé and the imparfait correctly. | The student narrates most scenes in the past tense, making only a few mistaking using the passé composé and the imparfait. | Several of the squares are missing narration. Student does not attempt to write in the past tense or makes many errors in tense and conjugation. |
| Images | All storyboard images show effort, appropriately depicting the characters and building the story's arc and lesson. | Most of the storyboard images show effort, appropriately depicting the characters and building the story's arc and lesson. | The storyboard depictions show a lack of effort and fail to tell a clear story. |
| Overall Grammar and Spelling | All sentences and/or dialogue contain correct grammar and spelling (including accent marks) as appropriate for the class level. | Most sentences and/or dialogue contain correct grammar and spelling (including accent marks) as appropriate for the class level. | The sentences and/or dialogue contain many grammatical or spelling errors (including accent marks). |
How Tos about Summarizing Le Petit Prince
Incorporate vocabulary practice into your Le Petit Prince summary activity
Enhancing story summaries with targeted vocabulary practice helps students remember key terms and better understand the text, making their summaries richer and more accurate.
Select 8–10 essential words or phrases from the current chapter
Choosing important vocabulary ensures students focus on the most relevant terms, deepening their comprehension and improving overall retention.
Introduce the vocabulary with visuals and simple definitions
Using visuals and student-friendly definitions makes new words more accessible and supports all learners, especially those new to French.
Challenge students to use at least half of the new words in their storyboard summaries
This active application of vocabulary in context encourages students to internalize new language and connect it with the plot.
Review storyboards together, highlighting creative or effective vocabulary use
Celebrating strong word choices builds confidence and motivates students to keep expanding their language skills.
Frequently Asked Questions about Summarizing Le Petit Prince
How can I help my students summarize Le Petit Prince effectively?
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.
What is a storyboard activity for Le Petit Prince?
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.
What are some quick lesson ideas for teaching Le Petit Prince in French class?
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.
How do you use the passé composé and imparfait when summarizing Le Petit Prince?
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.
What are the benefits of using comic strips or storyboards to summarize literature?
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.
More Storyboard That Activities
Le Petit Prince
Testimonials
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher
© 2025 - Clever Prototypes, LLC - All rights reserved.
StoryboardThat is a trademark of Clever Prototypes, LLC, and Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
