The Little Prince: Text Evidence and Analysis Activity

Q: How can I teach students to use textual evidence with The Little Prince?

To teach students to use textual evidence with The Little Prince , have them respond to prompts by identifying and explaining examples from the text. Use visual activities like storyboards, where students paraphrase or directly quote passages that support their answers and illustrate each example for deeper understanding.

Q: What is a simple lesson plan for practicing textual evidence in upper elementary grades?

A simple lesson plan is to provide a prompt (e.g., “How do characters show perseverance in The Little Prince ?”), let students find at least three supporting examples, and have them create a spider map or storyboard with text evidence and illustrations. This approach reinforces comprehension and writing skills.

Q: How do I help students who struggle with writing paragraphs about literature?

Offer alternatives such as visual storyboards or spider maps, where students use images and brief text evidence instead of full paragraphs. This method supports students who benefit from hands-on or visual learning while still practicing key skills.

Q: What is a spider map and how can I use it for literature lessons?

A spider map is an organizer where students place a central theme or question in the middle and branch out with supporting details or examples. For literature, use it to help students visually organize text evidence around a prompt or theme.

The Little Prince - Text Evidence Spider Map

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Student Rubric

Lesson Plan Overview

In this activity, students will be provided a question or prompt to answer using textual evidence. The prompt here is: “How do characters show perseverance in the text?”

This type of activity is perfect for providing students with an additional option for short answer essays, or a way to prepare for larger writing projects. Students who may benefit from creating visuals can opt for this rather than handwriting a paragraph.

The five examples provided are:

The more questions the narrator asks of the prince, the more he learns about his new friend.
In order to tame the fox, the prince has to keep showing up and keep working hard to gain the fox’s trust.
Without completing his journey, the prince wouldn’t have learned all that he needed to know.
Without wandering far and long in the desert, the prince and the narrator would not have found the well.
Without sticking to his repair job, even when it looked completely hopeless, the narrator wouldn’t have been able to fix his plane.

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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 storyboard that answers the prompt using at least three examples from The Little Prince. Click on "Add / Delete Cells" to change the number of examples.

Type the question into the central black box.
Think about examples from the text that support your answer.
Type text evidence in the description boxes. Paraphrase or quote directly from the text.
Illustrate each example using scenes, characters, items, etc.

Basic Spider Diagram Template with 3 Empty Cells

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 4-5

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual or Group

Type of Activity: Spider Maps

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Student Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Text Evidence

Answer the given question using at least three examples from the text.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Support from Text	Examples chosen fully support the answer to the question.	Some of the examples answer the question correctly, but not all.	Most of the examples do not support the answer to the question.
Quote / Text	Evidence provided from the text is properly quoted or paraphrased.	There are some minor mistakes in the quote / description from text.	Quote or paraphrase is incomplete or confusing.
Illustration of Examples	Ideas are well organized. Images clearly illustrate the examples from the text.	Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the examples from the text.	Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand.

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Lesson Plan Overview

In this activity, students will be provided a question or prompt to answer using textual evidence. The prompt here is: “How do characters show perseverance in the text?”

The five examples provided are:

The more questions the narrator asks of the prince, the more he learns about his new friend.
In order to tame the fox, the prince has to keep showing up and keep working hard to gain the fox’s trust.
Without completing his journey, the prince wouldn’t have learned all that he needed to know.
Without wandering far and long in the desert, the prince and the narrator would not have found the well.
Without sticking to his repair job, even when it looked completely hopeless, the narrator wouldn’t have been able to fix his plane.

Copy Activity

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 storyboard that answers the prompt using at least three examples from The Little Prince. Click on "Add / Delete Cells" to change the number of examples.

Type the question into the central black box.
Think about examples from the text that support your answer.
Type text evidence in the description boxes. Paraphrase or quote directly from the text.
Illustrate each example using scenes, characters, items, etc.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 4-5

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual or Group

Type of Activity: Spider Maps

Copy Activity

Student Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Text Evidence

Answer the given question using at least three examples from the text.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Support from Text	Examples chosen fully support the answer to the question.	Some of the examples answer the question correctly, but not all.	Most of the examples do not support the answer to the question.
Quote / Text	Evidence provided from the text is properly quoted or paraphrased.	There are some minor mistakes in the quote / description from text.	Quote or paraphrase is incomplete or confusing.
Illustration of Examples	Ideas are well organized. Images clearly illustrate the examples from the text.	Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the examples from the text.	Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand.

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How Tos about The Little Prince: Using Textual Evidence

How to Teach Students to Paraphrase Textual Evidence Effectively

Empower students to restate evidence in their own words for clearer understanding and originality.

Model the difference between quoting and paraphrasing.

Show students side-by-side examples of a quote from the text and a paraphrased version to clarify the distinction.

Guide students to identify key ideas before paraphrasing.

Encourage students to underline or highlight the main idea in the evidence before they attempt to rewrite it.

Practice paraphrasing as a class using short sentences.

Start with simple sentences from the text and have the class work together to rewrite them in new words.

Have students paraphrase independently and check with peers.

Assign students to paraphrase a piece of textual evidence on their own, then swap papers to review and offer feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions about The Little Prince: Using Textual Evidence

How can I teach students to use textual evidence with The Little Prince?

To teach students to use textual evidence with The Little Prince, have them respond to prompts by identifying and explaining examples from the text. Use visual activities like storyboards, where students paraphrase or directly quote passages that support their answers and illustrate each example for deeper understanding.

What is a simple lesson plan for practicing textual evidence in upper elementary grades?

A simple lesson plan is to provide a prompt (e.g., “How do characters show perseverance in The Little Prince?”), let students find at least three supporting examples, and have them create a spider map or storyboard with text evidence and illustrations. This approach reinforces comprehension and writing skills.

What are some examples of perseverance in The Little Prince for classroom discussion?

Examples include the narrator fixing his plane despite challenges, the prince earning the fox’s trust through patience, and the prince and narrator searching the desert for a well. Discussing these moments helps students identify perseverance in literature.

How do I help students who struggle with writing paragraphs about literature?

Offer alternatives such as visual storyboards or spider maps, where students use images and brief text evidence instead of full paragraphs. This method supports students who benefit from hands-on or visual learning while still practicing key skills.

What is a spider map and how can I use it for literature lessons?

A spider map is an organizer where students place a central theme or question in the middle and branch out with supporting details or examples. For literature, use it to help students visually organize text evidence around a prompt or theme.