Author - Tami Hawkes
Category - Lesson Plans, Social Studies, Economics
Lesson Plan Duration - 30 minute(s)
Grade Level - K-2

Lesson Plan Description

The student will learn what a need versus a want is. The activity requires old magazines you can cut from.

Primary Learning Objective(s):

  • The student will a) identify the difference between basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter), and wants(things people would like to have);
  • The student will recognize that people save money for the future to purchase goods and services.

Additional Learning Objective(s):

  • Turn taking
  • Following directions
  • working with others

Procedures/Activities:

  1. Cut out pictures of items that people need and some of things people want. The glue the needs on one half and the wants on the other, but do not label them.
  2. Ask the students if they can figure out what should be written above each column. Give clues as necessary such as if it is a house is that something we all need, etc. Then label the chart.
  3. Talk with the students about the differences between needing something and wanting it.
  4. You may want to have the students practice by looking through a magazine and finding 1 picture of something they want and one of something they need. Then have them glue it on the chart paper.
  5. This next activity can be done for homework or classwork. Instruct the students to fold their piece of construction paper in half (either way) and write at the top of one half NEEDS and WANTS on the other. Then have the find and glue pictures from magazines on the appropriate sides.

Materials/Equipment:

  • magazines
  • glue sticks
  • scissors
  • contruction paper
  • large chart paper

Assessment Guidelines:

 

Observation and assessment of the chart each student makes with wants and needs.