Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons By: Ezamina Alibasic

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons By: Ezamina Alibasic

Story by Eric Litwin

Art by James Dean ( creator of Pete the Cat)

Recommended Grade Level: Pre K-2

CCSSM Content Standards: 
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.A.1 Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.1

CCSSM Standard for Mathematical Practice: 
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4  Model with mathematics.

Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace. In early grades, this might be as simple as writing an addition equation to describe a situation.

Summary: Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons is about a cat who lost his buttons each day. Pete the Cat doesn’t let it phase him, as each time he loses a button he states that he still has another button and remains positive throughout the story. Finally, Pete the Cat loses his last button but still looks at the bright side and exclaims that he still has his belly button.

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons incorporates mathematics, sequencing of events, repetition and could be made a sing-a-long.

Rating (1-5 Stars) 5 I highly recommend this book as it is fun to read and easy to memorize. There are several site words that would be helpful for the student to utilize in more than one subject. It is also very clear on how a subtraction problem is set up which will familiarize the younger kids with what that will look like for them when they begin to work with subtraction.

Classroom Ideas/Lesson Ideas:
~Subtraction Stories. After reading Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, have the students tell their own subtraction stories. Younger students can use manipulatives, such as teddy bear counters, to tell a story (e.g., “4 bears were playing. 1 went home. 3 were still playing”). Older students can illustrate their stories, adding words and/or a number sentence to match. Then pair students to share their subtraction stories. Each student should try to solve his/her partner’s subtraction problem.

~Button Counting, Graphing, and Sorting activity.

• color hues – the buttons varying only in color can be sorted and classified by color.
• sizing – the buttons varying only in size can be sorted and classified from smallest to largest or vice versa.
• different/same – the buttons varying in size & color can be sorted and classified by their sameness & differences.
• counting – by added a number card, they are learning the visual recognition of the number in words (the number card) & then counting it out in a tangible object (the buttons), therefore assimilating the two together (great for all your visual learners!)
• symmetry – by lining up the buttons on the dots they are creating symmetry – symmetry in color, size, or shape. 

~ Creating a Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons story retelling cards. These cards are a great way to practice retelling familiar stories and place events in order. They can be used in large group or small group and there are extra word cards to encourage children to draw a picture of their favorite part and label it. The retelling cards helps with sequencing.