Whole Group Lesson

More and Fewer Buttons

Name:
Date:
Age and Grade Level: Pre-Kindergarten

Objectives:
The children will have the opportunity to
1. Explore the vocabulary more, fewer, same.
2. Investigate what happens when a quantity is added or subtracted from a set.
3. Experiment adding and subtracting buttons from a shirt.
4. Discover how different sets of numbers look.

OAS objectives:
English Language Arts
Standard 1: Speaking and Listening-
o PK.1.R.1 Students will actively listen and speak using agreed-upon rules
with guidance and support.
o PK.1.R.4 Students will follow simple oral directions.
Numbers and Operations
o PK.N.3 Compare sets using number.
 PK.N.3.1 Compare two sets of 1-5 objects using comparative
language such as same, more, or fewer.
o PK.N.2 Count to tell the number of objects.
 PK.N.2.3 Understand the last numeral spoken, when counting
aloud, tells how many total objects are in a set.
Social Studies
o PK.3 The student will understand that history relates to events and
people of other times and places.
 PK.3.3 Use words and phrases, such as before and after, as they
relate to chronology and time in order to explain how things
change.

Whole Group Procedures:

1. Walk the students in from recess, instruct them to put their coats up (if applicable)
and meet me on the carpet.
2. Once all students are on the carpet get their attention by doing a rhythmic pattern
with hands, say, “Have a seat, keep the beat” after the children mimic the pattern,
say “Keep the beat, in your seat with your hands nice and neat.” End the pattern with
hands in lap.
3. Introduce the book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. Talk about the title of
the book placing emphasis on the letter “P” and “C” sounds for “Pete” and “Cat”
pointing to the words as I speak the title.
 4. Begin reading the book aloud to the children.
5. When the first button pops off, say “How many buttons did Pete have on his shirt
before this one popped off?” and read the last sentence on the page.
6. Turn the page and reveal the answer. Explain what the equation means. “Pete started
with four buttons, one popped off, and now there are three.”
7. When the second button pops off say, “Oh no, another one fell off his shirt, and now
there are how many buttons? (point to the buttons left on the shirt). Ask, “So how
many buttons fell off of his shirt?” and “How many are left?”
8. Turn the page to reveal the answer. Explain the equation. Then ask again, “How many
buttons did Pete start with?” and “How many buttons are left?” and “That means
Pete lost how many buttons?”
9. Before reading the next page ask the children to predict what will happen next.
10. Turn the page, and ask, “What happened?” and have the children read with me
“Pop” “Now how many buttons are on Pete’s shirt?” and “Is it more or fewer than
before?” and “Tell me how you know?”
11. Turn the page and reveal the answer. Then explain the equation again as done
before.
12. When the last button pops off ask, “How many buttons are there now?” and “What
do you think Pete will do now?”
13. Finish reading the story.
14. Use the puppet to conclude asking, “What happened each time a button fell off
Pete’s shirt?” One was taken away (pop the button off of the puppet’s shirt). “Did
the number of buttons get more or fewer when the buttons popped off?” When
something is being taken away (like Pete’s button popping off) there is fewer. “But
what if Pete sowed the button back on his shirt, did the number of buttons become
more or fewer than before?”
15. Explain the teacher center, “If you are with Mrs. Hardenburgh during centers we are
going to continue to explore more and fewer with buttons.”
16. To dismiss the students to centers. I will call children by their math center groups.
Ex: “Jonny, Hunter, and Paisley stand up hop two times, and go to _________
center.”
Teacher Center Procedures:
1. Students will have been directed to their group math centers.
2. Inform the children that we are going to play a game.
3. In the teacher center give each child a shirt made out of felt.
4. Have a bowl of buttons in the middle of the table.
5. Instruct the children to roll a die and out the number of buttons on the shirt that is
represented on the die.
6. Once every child has rolled and placed the buttons on the shirt, ask them questions
and take notes of verbal and nonverbal responses via checklist and anecdotal notes.
o Questions:
 Who has more buttons on their shirt? and “How do you know?”
 Who has a fewer number of buttons on their shirt? and “How do
you know?”
  How many more buttons do you need to make ______?
 How many buttons do you need to take away to make ______?

Provision(s) for ESOL student(s):

 Use gestures to point to pictures during the read aloud and allow students to use
their fingers to display the number.
Materials Needed:
 Book: Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
 Felt Shirts
 Pete the Cat puppet
 Play game die
 Bowl for buttons
 Anecdotal Note List and Checklist:.
I. Identifies if number of buttons is more.
II. Identifies if number of buttons is less.
III. Identifies buttons need to be added for more.
IV. Identifies buttons need to be subtracted to make fewer.

Assessment Plan: I will make notes of the conversations and interactions of the students with
the questions that are proposed during the read aloud and record students who have spoken with
a checklist as soon as the whole group is completed. At the teacher center use a checklist to mark
if children could identity if a quantity of buttons was more or less. Record the children’s
responses to questions of how many more or less needed to make a specific number of buttons
on a shirt.

AFTER THE LESSON

Documentation of Assessment:

Whole Group:

Center:

Brief Analysis of Assessment Documentation:

Reflection:

1. Overall, how did the lesson go?

2. How did you incorporate the Speak and Translate App?
3. What parts of the lesson were successful and why do you think they were successful?
How would you change/modify the lesson if you were to do it again? Why would you make
those changes/modifications?
4. What teaching behaviors would you change/modify if you were to do it again? Why would
you make those changes/modifications?
5. What was the impact of your teaching on student learning for NES?
6. What was the impact of your teaching on student learning for DLLs?
7. How did your group of children (NES & DLL) respond to the use of Speak & Translate?