FAQs et CONSEILS aux PROFS
(Dernière mise à jour: le 19 janvier 2004)
I am in my very first year of teaching as a high school French teacher of levels 1, 3, and 4 (many of the students in the latter will be taking AP French next year). Classes meet every day for 42 short minutes. I've been at a loss as to what level of literature my level 4's could handle. We have read several Petit Nicolas stories, Fables de la Fontaine, excerpts from plays, etc., but now I want to do something more substantial, so I've chosen Le Petit Prince. I just discovered your site and was wondering if you could give me some ideas as to how to teach/study this book at the high school level.
For reading assignments I provide a list of vocabulary words (with definitions usually in French), as well as questions concerning each assigned reading. Sometimes they are graded for their oral responses; they are also given quizzes (on vocab and content).(Sometimes I get the students themselves to look up unfamiliar words, but this usually results in only half of them doing so, which hinders discussion of the assigned reading.)
The essence of this course is to expose them to a variety of literature, and to ready them for AP, which is rather rigorous. They have yet to learn several Tenses, le conditionnel, plus-que-parfait, etc., so a day or two is devoted each week to grammar. Given the time restrictions AND their occasional total lack of interest, I need to vary the course quite a bit.
I don't want to take up anymore of
your time, but if you could give me some Ideas as to how to go about studying
the book without taking too much time, and not going too much in depth
I would appreciate it. Should I assign chapters to groups of students
for them to present and discuss? Should I assign 3-4 chapters at a time?
Have them all do a culminating project? (Any ideas?) How should I test
them? And one other thing: could you explain how students do the Dictée
à trous?
RÉPONSE:
Subject: Re: pourriez-vous me donner des conseils, s.v.p.
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 15:51:15 -0500
From: "Janice B. Paulsen" <jpaulsen@richmond.edu>
Organization: University of Richmond
To: Mary Taucher <mary@tco.com>
References: 1
My Web site, Activités, Fiches et Ressources pour accompagner la lecture du Petit Prince, is the fruit of my 30 years of experience teaching it to high school level 3 (in the 70's in Grandview, Missouri) and then to level 4 (in the 80's and 90's ---through the 93-94 academic year at Midlothian High School in the Midlothian, VA). I then taught it as the "reading supplement" during the second half of the Intensive French 121 course at the University of Richmond in 1995.
The basic approach is indicated on my Petit Prince Web site, yet in the earlier years we used the "Compagnon du Petit Prince - Cahier d'exercices sur le texte de Saint-Exupéry" by Jane C. Davies - Paperback (October 1975, Hbj College & School Div; ISBN: 0155504487). In case you might like a copy for your lesson planning, I found it for: $26.50 at Amazon.com.
I also recommend your trying to purchase a copy of the Gérard Philippe cassette tape recording of Le Petit Prince, if possible. Perhaps your librarian can help you locate it. I do note that some PP Web sites have included recorded extracts from this tape.
At the high school level, I devoted a minimum of 8 weeks to Le Petit Prince. I felt it was my responsibility to help the students learn how to read this their first whole work of French literature. The activities on the Web site for chapter 1 are designed to help them read at the three levels, etc.
Once the students and I had completed the study of at least the first 7 chapters (preferably the first 9), the students submitted 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices of chapters (with very short chapters being grouped as one choice ---such as Le Vaniteux and Le Buveur). They did not pick their own partners, but I then put them in groups of 2 or 3 to present a "lecture dialoguée et commentée" of their chapter to the class according to the indications on the Web site. If 3 people were in the group one would be the PP, one the personnage/ animal/ etc. he met on his voyage, and one would be the narrateur. Students received a calendar showing the dates for each chapter as well as the dates of the unit tests, etc. We devoted a day per chapter, except for key chapters, such as chapter 21 and some of the later longer chapters.
At the university level, the students needed less initial help from me and we could move more quickly but I pretty much used the same comprehension techniques and test procedures.
Don't hesitate to get back to me with further questions. Also, don't be afraid to "get your own feet wet"; we all had to learn by trial and error in the beginning, but as I look back, I find I sometimes had some genuinely unique inspirations ---and you will too :-)!
As for the "dictées à trous" I either gave the dictées myself or had the students take the dictées from the recording which I paused, the second and third time. (After training with the dictées, students could self-administer the dictées from the recording. They also used the recording to prepare their ""lecture dialoguée et commentée".)
Testing procedure ideas can be taken from the Épreuves, links to which are found under the Activités rubric. It is important to note that every time I gave a unit test, students knew that for the detailed reading comprehension portion they would be given the printed "extrait" of the chosen chapter. Then I could actually test their reading comprehension rather than their memorization ability.
Have you visited my LIENS vers d'autres pages de Saint-Exupéry et du Petit Prince? You may find additional ideas there.
Bon courage!
SUITE:
Subject: Re: pourriez-vous me donner des conseils, s.v.p.
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 22:50:14 -0500
From: Mary Taucher <mary@tco.com>
To: "Janice B. Paulsen" <jpaulsen@richmond.edu>
References: 1 , 2
Merci de ton aide. Tu m'inspires vraiment. (If you only knew how much!)
At 47, with a whole new life ahead of me, as a single mother trying
to make something out of my life, your kind of support is priceless.)
...
RÉPONSE:
Subject: Re: pourriez-vous me donner des conseils, s.v.p.
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 09:27:53 -0500
From: "Janice B. Paulsen" <jpaulsen@richmond.edu>
Organization: University of Richmond
To: Mary Taucher <mary@tco.com>
References: 1, 2 , 3
I can already tell from your initial instructional plan for Le Petit Prince (which pretty much mirrors mine, the first year I taught it in the 1960s!), that your intuitions are excellent.
The "teaching to read at 3 levels", FICHE # 1 : CONSEILS pour LIRE un CHAPITRE du PETIT PRINCE, came later with the "democratization" of language instruction (no longer just for the "linguistically gifted elite") when FL professionals began to realize the importance of teaching specific reading skills. Since the deeper message of Le Petit Prince is more on the abstract/ spiritual level "Les yeux sont aveugles. Il faut chercher avec le coeur.", "apprivoiser= créer des liens", etc., and high school students are naturally hungering for this "fond", once they learn to look for the concrete symbol that evokes the deeper "abstract" level meaning, they're "home".
With the first few chapters I regularly handed out little slips of paper on which each student was to write a title (taken directly from the chapter) which evokes the "fond". I would then read and list the responses (usually in 2-3 columns) helping the students to see that with all their suggestions put together they were actually on the right track, following their own perceptions. You need to give them confidence in their own abilities. Le Petit Prince is perfect for this since St-Ex seeks their confidence directly in the very first chapter. The chapter titles I've given on the Web site indicate the results.
Incidentally, I didn't begin to teach until 10 years after I graduated from college ---after my four children were born and in school. I have always felt privileged to have been able to enter this profession. Your experiences prior to teaching and with your family will prove invaluable!
Keep me posted and thanks for your kind words.
DEMANDE DE CONSEILS # 2 : "Please give me some advice on how to BEGIN our study of Le Petit Prince."
Subject: Re: pourriez-vous me donner des conseils, s.v.p.
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 13:48:11 -0500
From: Mary Taucher <mary@tco.com>
To: "Janice B. Paulsen" <jpaulsen@richmond.edu>
References: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4
C'est moi encore. If you have a moment, please give me some advice on how to BEGIN our study of Le Petit Prince. I have some biographical info, the workbook, to be used mainly for vocab study, and of course your fiches indispensables. I'm just stuck on how to proceed; introduction, go over ch 1 vocab, read in class, or have them read at home, answer questions, then read aloud in class?
Sorry to bother you again, but this is the very first time I've taught
lit, except for extraits, and I don't want to bore the kids. Once things
get rolling (after we've covered the first 7 chapters, as you recommended)
I will assign them chapters to work on.
RÉPONSE:
Subject: Re: pourriez-vous me donner des conseils, s.v.p.
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 20:29:12 -0400
From: "Janice B. Paulsen" <jpaulsen@richmond.edu>
Organization: University of Richmond
To: Mary Taucher <mary@tco.com>
Note that I developed, changed, embellished these plans over the years and, as you know, have put the essence of this work on the web. Each time I teach/ taught the PP, I incorporated the best of what I had learned through the years. I find as I look at my high school plans now that I would probably be making a lot more changes ---so don't be surprised if you feel you wish to improvise on my suggestions.
As indicated earlier, at the high school level IV our Petit Prince unit was the last 8 weeks (or thereabouts) of the first semester, and was always the first whole literary work presented to the students. The goal was to make this a very positive experience for the students by helping them develop the skills to "lire, comprendre, raconter, analyser, expliquer et apprécier* une oeuvre intégrale de la littérature française".
Based on notes from my M.A.French Literature studies (in in the
early 1970's0 I developed a Fiche
pour savoir comprendre et expliquer une oeuvre littéraire
which begin as follows:
"La littérature est une prise de conscience. Toute prise de conscience est une prise de position qui nous mène à modérer notre point de vue sur la vie et à la comprendre mieux.As you will note from the French Bac preparation links in the "Ressources méthodologiques", one of the current requirements is that students be capable of presenting "le commentaire d'un texte littéraire". From these "Ressources méthodologiques", I've created a Fiche pour savoir faire le commentaire d'un texte littéraire based on "l'observation du texte et son interpretation".
La littérature nous aide à faire face à la vie."Chaque oeuvre a sa propre explication.
Conseil: Pour trouver la thèse de votre explication, posez-vous cette question:
LE PETIT PRINCE est-il une prise de conscience et une prise de position sur la vie [et sur la condition humaine] qui nous mène à modérer [où à renforcer] notre point de vue sur la vie et à la comprendre mieux? (Expliquez par moyen des exemples de l'oeuvre et en donnant des exemples de situations analogues de votre propre existence.)
The Fiches pour accompagner la lecture du Petit Prince, offer guidelines for you and your students in developing the skills needed to "lire, comprendre, raconter, analyser, expliquer et apprécier* " Le Petit Prince, as well as how to do a "lecture dialoguée et commentée".
I always devoted at least the first 4 - 6 days (and sometimes more) to introducing this "first whole work of French literature" unit and to teaching students how to approach this study by means of the "Conseils pour LIRE un CHAPITRE du PETIT PRINCE" in connection with their experience of the first chapter. I usually continued this process through chapter 9, at which time I would then turn over the responsibility for presentation of subsequent chapters to the students (with my continuing guidance and help, of course). I suggest you keep this Fiche #1 in mind as the model approach you wish your students to use.
Here are notes I had made for the first four days devoted to the introduction plus chapter I. Again, pick and choose ---using what appeals to you as you wish.
I usually distribute the books and cassettes the day before the "1er jour (below) and assign students to read the first two chapters (with no prior explanation) as their assignment. The version we used had a French-English dictionary in the back. Students would usually come into class the next day with big question marks on their faces.
My goal the next few days in class was to show them how they could really tackle with self-confidence this first literary work. The teacher's goal is always to teach students HOW to do what they didn't think they could possibly do on their own.
1er jour - Introduction et explication du BUT de cette étude: Savoir lire, expliquer et apprécier une oeuvre intégrale de la littérature française (à continuer le lendemain!) + La Prélecture et La Première Lecture. (Note: It may take two days to complete these introductory activities).
For information about "les corrigés" for the unit tests feel free to contact me (jpaulsen@richmond.edu)
Bon courage! I know you'll do well!
SUITE :
Subject: Re: pourriez-vous me donner des conseils, s.v.p.
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 17:36:49 -0500
From: Mary Taucher <mary@tco.com>
To: "Janice B. Paulsen" <jpaulsen@richmond.edu>
References: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6
Merci! Grazie! ¡Gracias!
I'm in heaven! I poured over your notes the minute I received them, and started Le Petit Prince with a bang! The kids are already into it, which surprises me, because now that we're nearing the end of school, they have been tending to get quite lazy.Though I won't be able to delve into the story as profoundly as you, for want of time and having to deal with more grammar (finishing up with the tenses to prepare them for AP next year), I believe they (and I) will get a lot out of the lessons. They really took to the idea of creating the titles of each chapter; it gives them an impetus to read more attentively. And learning the French synonym for the new vocabulary makes them realize how much they already know.
One more question: as the students do their group project, are all
students expected to continue reading the story? Do the students in effect
teach the chapter to the others? That's what I'm assuming. thank you
Yes, the students do, in effect, teach the chapters to each other ---but not until you've helped them develop the necessary reading skills and presentation techniques. Also, when you plan to begin the presentations it is important that the students be given a copy of the presentation schedule. Explain to your students that the group presentation must be presented on the allotted day, with you (the professor) or a classmate filling in if necessary. (That NEVER happened in all my years of experience, perhaps because of this requirement.) This means, however, that all group members are responsible for the whole chapter and the whole presentation, though there may be a division of "labor" for the preparation and the presentation. In like manner, all students in the class are responsible for the preparation and comprehension of each chapter, though they are being aided in this study by their classmates as well as their prof. Presenting students usually set up a conference with me during a Study, a lunch hour or after school to check out their plans with me ahead of time.
During the first 7-9 chapters (sometimes, depending on the size of the class and intervening activities I didn't have the students begin to present until we got to chapter 10) my students were required as the final assignment for each chapter to write up a brief Commentaire du chapitre" (une sorte de Résumé/ Explication du chapitre qui indique la compréhension aux trois niveaux de lecture, qui porte à la réflexion aux idées au fond dans la pensée de l'auteur et qui indique l'intérêt personnel que l'on y découvre).
[The goal is that the student be able to communicate briefly what happened on the concrete level, then discuss the deeper meaning implied on the abstract level by the symbolism in the chapter, and finally indicate reflection upon the relevance of what the author has in mind (perhaps by giving an analogy recounting a similar incident personal life experience).]
My M.A French Lit professor had indicated that what makes great literature
is that "la forme = le fond".
Ultimately, it is to be hoped that upon reaching the end of the book the
thought of Le Petit Prince (St-Ex' literary creation living
in the reader's mind) will evoke "le fond" (le message de St-Ex au lecteur),
so that every time the reader thinks of Le Petit Prince the full
message will come to mind simultaneously.
If you have the time to develop this technique, for the first chapter the students would write their Commentaire au brouillon"* (rough draft form), then peer correct in class with the possibility of asking (in French) for your help when necessary, etc. You could then have them write up the polished version that night or have them write the final draft for a graded written procedure in class the next day. .
The "Questions pour guider la compréhension du 1er chapitre" would be a good starting point for indicating the elements to be included in the chapter Commentaire. Answering these questions would help them indicate their comments as to what happened in the chapter "au sens concret", would help them recognize their intuitive perception of the implied deeper "life value" meaning "au sens abstrait" (acquired by "reading between the lines of the chapter", based on the symbolism usually indicated by repetition), and then would help stimulate their reflection on the pertinence/ relevance of the message (fond) of the chapter for them personally by showing how the deeper ideas in the chapter affect them/ relate to them in their personal life experience.
You can get an idea of the progression by checking out the tests I've put on the web. The larger unit tests contain elements of the chapter questions and/or quizzes.
By the time they reach the end of the 9th chapter the students know in advance that they will have to write the story of Le Petit Prince as if it were a fairy tale (see l'Epreuve - chapitres I-IX).
When the presentations begin with chapter 10, the students are handed in advance the "Epreuve - chapitres X-XV as a "take-home test". They are to take notes in class each day during the presentations of their classmates (who also have this take-home test as a guide to help them in preparing their own presentations ---as well as access to you outside of class for whatever help they may feel they need). The "take-home tests" are due in class the day following the presentation of chapter XV and the students know they will have to write their Commentaire in class at that time.
I hope this helps. And special thanks to you! Your questions are most helpful in getting me to clarify what I've set out to do with this Petit Prince Web site. You deserve much credit for what is really turning out to be a collaborative effort :-) !
Your suggestion to have students do the brouillon in class is excellent. I had considered doing that because they've done it before after studying an excerpt, fable, etc at a much less profound level. We did the vocab, vocab exercises, questions de compréhension, and discussed the symbolism last week. Tomorrow we will analyse les sequences, and for homework they will do the analyse stylistique (répétitions). Three-fourths of the students, I think, are actually getting something out of this. Can't wait to see their reaction tomorrow to all the analysis questions.
My greatest concern now is that I may be shooting for too much (i.e., studying it so in depth) and I'm really worried that I won't have time to finish (school ends 23 juin, but the last quarter ends 14 juin, with finals the following week, and they need time to review). I am considering making the project count as 50% of their final exam grade,the other half of which will be taken during finals week and will deal mostly with grammar. I am hoping that they will get the hang of the etapes, and be prepared every day.
Well, gotta go. I just finished typing up next two days' worksheets--took
me hours--and as we all know, demain, c'est lundi. :) merci encore
(wish me LOTS of luck)
Here's wishing you luck but most of all continuing "Bon courage!" As for your concern about the time constraints, when in that predicament, I'd settle for having the last presentation be that of chapter 21, followed by appropriate discussion, testing (if time), etc. then rapidly taking them through the rest of the book myself. However, when you prepare the written exam place emphasis on material studied/ covered well in class (again, pick and choose). If you have the recording you might devote one day to having students listen and read along, going through the entire story again and taking notes as part of their review preparation for the exam. If there is more time they can work in groups of two or three to do a "lecture dialoguée" of the entire book as a review/ exam prep activity.
I think your plan to have the presentation project count as 50% of their exam grade is an excellent idea, for this project is the culmination of their fourth year of high school French and their major preparation for their AP French 5. We will hope that this experience will give them the confidence and motivation they will need to tackle the required literary works in French next year.
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