The Story of Linus the Minus

Linus the Minus is a character who’s notorious for taking things away. As Linus moves through the story, he interacts with various friends, each time leaving them with less than they had before. This story introduced the concept of subtraction and also left room for an important discussion on friendships and behavior.

Social-Emotional Connection

The students quickly noticed Linus’s habit of taking things away. This led to a discussion about what makes a good friend. We talked about sharing, kindness, and the importance of giving rather than taking.

Journal Reflections

Students were encouraged to express their thoughts in a journal entry. Using the sentence stem, “I would not be friends with Linus because_____”, students wrote their ideas, spelling out words phonetically. This reinforced their understanding of subtraction and allowed them to practice their writing skills.

Linus the Minus was the perfect book to combine the concept of subtraction along with valuable lessons about friendship and the impact of our actions on others.