Subtraction Cat

#subtraction #math #teaching
I use this with my K and 1 classes to help introduce the concept of subtraction. Don't subtract your friends!!!

Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!
Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!

There once was a cat, who liked to subtract,
who liked making things go away...
One day she spied mice and she treated them nice,
And asked 3 of them to stay put and play…
They played in the park and out on the beach,
They played as the day turned to night,
But when the mice were distracted,
Fat cat then subtracted,
3 minus 1 was all right…

Three minus one is equal to 2

Now, let’s everyone sing!
Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!
Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!

Just 2 mice remained,
To play cat and mouse games,
And they had so much cat and mouse fun,
They went off to the zoo, and to the children’s museum,
They ate ice cream in the hot sun
But the thing that occurred,
Well subtraction’s the word,
Cause the number of mice was then one,
Just one mouse remained,
To play cat and mouse games,
Subtraction still seemed really fun…

Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!
Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!

The cat and the 3rd mouse,
Well, they painted the house,
They baked cakes and some other sweet snacks,
They swam in the creek,
And they played hide and seek,
They set up toy railroad tracks!
But at the end of the day,
Well, what could we all say?
The cat leapt right into math action…
What had cat done?
Because now there were none,
Zero’d been made by subtraction..
1-1 = 0 there were no mice left…

Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!
Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!

The cat woke up real early
And she got up so surly,
She didn’t like feeling alone,
She wished she had friends,
Yes, 8, 9, or 10,
To enjoy playing games in her home..
She wished and she wished,
And what happened was this,
She heard mouse steps, fall on the floor,
She jumped up for joy, and let a meow,
as she ran to a tiny brown door…
The door opened real wide,
And from somewhere inside,
Out marched the 3 little mice,
The cat was so pleased,
She brought all of them cheese,
She hugged all 3 mice at least twice!
And they ate for a while,
As they laughed and they smiled,
Cat would never eat any sweet mouse,
She’d brought them all home,
So she wouldn’t feel all alone,
Great company in the cat’s house…
And the moral that’s here,
Is one that’s really quite clear,
Let’s say it before this song ends…
It’s that you ‘d probably be clever,
To never, ever, not ever,
Subtract your closest 3 friends!

Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!
Subtraction Cat,
What’s up with that?
Don’t eat the mice,
Or you might get fat!