You will learn
- Say what a need is.
- Say what a want is.
- Sort needs and wants.
- Explain needs first.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Needs are things we must have.
- Wants are things we would like.
- Needs come before wants.
- Resources are scarce, so we choose.
Words to know
something people must have to live well
something people would like but can live without
food, water, shelter and clothing
not enough for everyone to have all they want
1. Discover: The school fee
Fatmata asks her mother for a new toy. Her mother says, “This month we must pay school fees and buy food. We will talk about toys later.” Fatmata understands. “Food and school are needs,” she says. “A toy is a want.” Her mother smiles. “Needs first,” she says. “Then wants when we can.”
Think: Name one need and one want.
2. Understand: Needs and wants
Idea 1: Needs
A need is something people must have to live well. Basic needs are food, clean water, shelter and clothing. Health care, safety and education are also needs.
Idea 2: Wants
A want is something people would like but can live without, such as toys, sweets and games. Wants are not bad, but they come after needs.
Idea 3: Choices
Money and resources are scarce: there is not enough to have everything. So families choose, putting needs first. Families may choose differently, and we should never laugh at someone’s choices or ask about private family money.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Sort
Water or toy?
- Think.
- Sort.
- Say.
Answer: Water is a need; toy is a want.
Example 2 (We do it together): Choose
Shoes or sweets?
- Think.
- Compare.
- Choose.
Answer: Shoes if needed.
Example 3 (You try): Explain
Why needs first?
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- List.
- Say.
Answer: We cannot live well without them.
Did you know?
Many countries have joined the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which says that every child should have food, shelter, health care and education.
Why this matters
Knowing needs and wants helps us make good money choices.
4. Explore: Need or want sort
Sort picture cards into needs and wants. Choose three needs and one want for a pretend budget. Explain.
- Sort.
- Choose.
- Explain.
- Discuss.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Some things are both.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A need is ___.
- A want is ___.
- Basic needs are ___.
- Scarce means ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a need?
Must have.
Question 2. What is a want?
Would like.
Question 3. Name a basic need.
Water.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a need?
- What is a want?
- Name a basic need.
- Name a want.
- What does scarce mean?
Level 2: Grow
- Why needs first?
- Why choose?
- Why respect choices?
Level 3: Stretch
- Sort cards.
- Plan a budget.
- Explain choice.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Give three needs and two wants.
Show a sample answer
Food, water, shelter; toy, game.
Another one. Find a need and a want at home.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They are fine after needs.
Fix: People differ.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what a need is.
- I can say what a want is.
- I can sort needs and wants.
- I can explain needs first.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Needs are things we must have.
- Wants are things we would like.
- Needs come before wants.
- Resources are scarce, so we choose.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Choosing how to use resources. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Say what a need is and give two examples. [3 marks]
- Say what a want is and give two examples. [3 marks]
- Say why needs come first. [2 marks]
- Say why we do not ask about family money. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Meaning [1]; two examples [2]
- Meaning [1]; two examples [2]
- Live well [1]; scarce [1]
- Private [1]; respect [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a need?
- What is a want?
- Name a basic need.
- Name a want.
- What does scarce mean?
- Why needs first?
- Why choose?
- Why respect choices?
- Sort cards.
- Plan a budget.
Homework
Make a needs and wants chart.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a need? | Must have. | 1 |
| 2. What is a want? | Would like. | 1 |
| 3. Name a basic need. | Water. | 1 |
| 4. Name a want. | Toy. | 1 |
| 5. What does scarce mean? | Not enough for all. | 1 |
| 6. Why needs first? | Live well. | 1 |
| 7. Why choose? | Resources are scarce. | 1 |
| 8. Why respect choices? | Families differ. | 1 |
| 9. Sort cards. | Sort. | 1 |
| 10. Plan a budget. | Budget. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Must have.; 2 Would like.; 3 Water.; 4 Toy.; 5 Not enough for all.. Level 2: 1 Live well.; 2 Resources are scarce.; 3 Families differ.. Level 3: 1 Sort.; 2 Budget.; 3 Explain..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what a need is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Say what a want is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Sort needs and wants | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Explain needs first | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Wants are bad.” They are fine after needs.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Draw needs and wants.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns needs and wants. Please talk about general choices without sharing private details. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about needs first.
- Sort items at home.
- Respect choices.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what a need is; say what a want is; sort needs and wants; explain needs first.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 2 ideas: work, occupations, goods and services, producers and consumers.
Materials. Picture cards, paper. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare picture cards.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the school fee story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach needs and wants.
Guided activity (10 min). Need or want sort.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What are needs and wants?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Wants are bad.” They are fine after needs.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Draw needs and wants. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 6, topic 8; NCSS C3 Framework, economic decision making and exchange; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people and work; IB Primary Years Programme, how we organise ourselves. These sources informed the lesson.