You will learn
- Say what a need is.
- Name basic needs.
- Sort needs.
- Say everyone has needs.
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.
- Food, water and shelter are needs.
- Care and safety are needs.
- Everyone has the same basic needs.
Words to know
something you must have to live
what we eat
what we drink
a safe place to live
1. Discover: The empty bowl
Ms Smith shows an empty bowl, an empty cup and a tiny hut picture. “What do we need?” she asks. “Food,” says Abu. “Water,” says Esi. “A home,” says Carlos. “Love,” says Aminata. “Yes,” says Ms Smith. “These are needs. Everyone has them.”
Think: What do you need every day?
2. Understand: Needs
Idea 1: What is a need?
A need is something we must have to live and be healthy. We need food, clean water, air, shelter, clothing, rest and care.
Idea 2: Care and safety
We also need love, care, safety and learning. Children need adults who care for them, and they need to feel safe.
Idea 3: Everyone
Every person in the world has the same basic needs, whether rich or poor, in a city or a village. When needs are not met, people can become ill or unhappy. Communities try to help meet needs.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Is it a need
Decide.
- Read.
- Can we live without it?
- Decide.
Answer: Water: need.
Example 2 (We do it together): Name needs
Name three.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Food, water, shelter.
Example 3 (You try): Everyone
Who has needs?
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Explain.
Answer: Everyone.
Did you know?
A person can live for weeks without food, but only a few days without water, which is why clean water is so important.
Why this matters
Knowing our needs helps us understand what is most important and how to help others.
4. Explore: Needs sort
Sort picture cards (food, water, house, bed, toy, sweet, shoes, doctor) into need and not a need. Talk about why.
- Look at cards.
- Sort.
- Explain.
- Check.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? A few things are needs; many are extras.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A need is ___.
- We need food and ___.
- A home gives ___.
- Everyone has ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a need?
Must have.
Question 2. Name a need.
Water.
Question 3. What is shelter?
A home.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a need?
- Name a need.
- What is shelter?
- Do all people have needs?
- Is a toy a need?
Level 2: Grow
- Why need water?
- Why need care?
- Why help others?
Level 3: Stretch
- Sort cards.
- Draw three needs.
- Say why one is a need.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name three needs for a baby.
Show a sample answer
Food, water, care.
Another one. List needs in your home with a family member.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: A toy is a want.
Fix: Everyone has.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what a need is.
- I can name basic needs.
- I can sort needs.
- I can say everyone has needs.
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.
- Food, water and shelter are needs.
- Care and safety are needs.
- Everyone has the same basic needs.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: What are wants?. 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.
- What is a need? [2 marks]
- Name three needs. [3 marks]
- Say why water is a need. [2 marks]
- Say who has needs. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Meaning [1]; example [1]
- Three [3]
- Need [1]; reason [1]
- Everyone [1]; same [1]; clear [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?
- Name a need.
- What is shelter?
- Do all people have needs?
- Is a toy a need?
- Why need water?
- Why need care?
- Why help others?
- Sort cards.
- Draw three needs.
Homework
Draw three needs and tell someone why we need them.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a need? | Must have. | 1 |
| 2. Name a need. | Water. | 1 |
| 3. What is shelter? | A home. | 1 |
| 4. Do all people have needs? | Yes. | 1 |
| 5. Is a toy a need? | No. | 1 |
| 6. Why need water? | To live. | 1 |
| 7. Why need care? | To be safe. | 1 |
| 8. Why help others? | Meet needs. | 1 |
| 9. Sort cards. | Sorted. | 1 |
| 10. Draw three needs. | Drawing. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Must have.; 2 Water.; 3 A home.; 4 Yes.; 5 No.. Level 2: 1 To live.; 2 To be safe.; 3 Meet needs.. Level 3: 1 Sorted.; 2 Drawing.; 3 Sentence..
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 Name basic needs | 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 | 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 Say everyone has needs | 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: “A toy is a need.” A toy is a want.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Draw a picture of needs.
- 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 about needs. Please talk about the needs your family meets together. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about needs.
- Be thankful.
- Share kindly.
- 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; name basic needs; sort needs; say everyone has needs.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: family, community and community helpers.
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. Make 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). Show an empty bowl.
Explanation (10 min). Teach needs.
Guided activity (10 min). Sort cards.
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 do we need to live? Does everyone have needs?
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. “A toy is a need.” A toy is a want.
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 a picture of needs. 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 1 Unit 8, topic 1; NCSS C3 Framework, economic decision making; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people and society; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.