This quick post contains 5 low-prep end-of-year ideas for your students to unleash their creativity… and they all involve books!
1. Book comes to life
Have you seen these covers of famous artworks? Ask your students to do the same with a book!
You can do it two ways:
- Students choose their favorite francophone book
- Students recreate their favorite illustration
- OR Students create their favorite scene
If you choose to use this idea and your students choose one of my books, please post the pictures on the Toward Proficiency FB group.

by Anna Gilcher‘s daughter
2. Smash doodles
A smash doodle is like a scrapbook page with a mix of images and text.
- Students pick their favorite francophone book
- Scott Benedict created this easy-to-use template and rubric

3. Favorite quotes
- Students choose their favorite francophone book
- Students selects their favorite quotes and illustrate them

4. Create a meme
You know your students love memes! (idea credit: Cindee Van Zandt)
- Students choose their favorite francophone book
- Students create a meme about their favorite scene

5. Invite an author!
- Ask your class to vote on which author they would like to bring
- Get in touch with the author. I know several independent authors of Spanish and French language readers who would gladly talk with your class: Adriana Ramirez, A.C. Quintero, Jennifer Deggenhart, Terri Marrama, Teresa Torgoff, etc. I am sure there are more!
- Have your class prepare some questions, in L1, L2 or a mix!
- Debrief the interview together and ask students to prepare a short article about the experience in L1 or L2 and make sure it gets published to give your students an authentic audience: school blog, school newspaper, local newspaper, etc.
