Distinguishing between Needs and Wants
2nd Grade Social Studies Unit
by Sandy Kim
Essential Questions
Class Question:
- How are wants and needs different?
Unit Question:
- What does it mean to want something and need something?
People may go through discomfort or hard times if a need is not being met that is needed to ensure survival.
When wanting or needing something, choices need to be made on how to attain resources and to decide what resources to use because the wants or needs may exceed the resources currently available.
Sub-Unit Questions:
- How can your basic needs be met?
- Why do people need to make choices about their needs and wants?
People may have wants that often exceed the limited resources available to them.
Therefore, people may have to make choices about what wants or needs to meet based off of the resources available to them.
- How can you help someone who may not have a need met?
If people have an excess amount of resources, these can be given to someone that needs that resource.
People can also help by showing kindness, having empathy (not sympathy), and providing real friendship and care to others.
Teacher Notes:
- Lesson 5 includes going on a field trip. Please make all proper preparations ahead of time.
- "It is important to be sensitive to the possibility that someone in your class may have some personal experience with homelessness, hunger and poverty" (McIntosh, http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit446/lesson1.html).
- Sensitivity should be given to any possible differences in the emphasis of the importance of material goods based on culture, countries, families, or religion.
Created on December 16, 2011