You will learn
- Say what a want is.
- Tell wants from needs.
- Give examples.
- Think about choosing.
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
- Wants are things we would like.
- We can live without wants.
- Needs come before wants.
- We cannot have everything.
Words to know
something we would like but can live without
something to play with
to pick
as much as needed
1. Discover: The shop window
Kofi looks at a shiny toy car in a shop window. He wants it very much. His mother says, “Today we must buy rice, which we need. We may be able to buy the toy later.” Kofi thinks. “We need the rice first,” he says. His mother smiles.
Think: What is Kofi’s want? What is his need?
2. Understand: Wants
Idea 1: What is a want?
A want is something we would like but can live without. A toy, a game, a sweet or a new bicycle is usually a want. Wants are not bad. They make life fun.
Idea 2: Needs first
When money, time or things are limited, we think about needs first. We buy food before toys. We pay for school before treats. This is making wise choices.
Idea 3: Can’t have everything
We cannot have everything we want. We may need to wait, save or choose one thing instead of another. Having enough is also a good feeling.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Need or want
Decide.
- Read.
- Can we live without it?
- Decide.
Answer: A toy: want.
Example 2 (We do it together): Choose
Rice or toy first?
- Think.
- Rice is a need.
- Choose.
Answer: Rice first.
Example 3 (You try): Wait
What can you do?
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Wait or save.
- Say.
Answer: I can wait.
Did you know?
Wants change as we grow: a child may want a toy, but an adult may want a good job.
Why this matters
Knowing the difference helps us make wise choices.
4. Explore: Wants and needs sort
Use picture cards. Sort into need and want. Then choose one want and say what you would do to get it, such as saving or waiting.
- Sort.
- Choose a want.
- Plan.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Needs came first.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A want is ___.
- A need is ___.
- I can wait for ___.
- Enough means ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a want?
Something we would like.
Question 2. Name a want.
Toy.
Question 3. Can we live without wants?
Yes.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a want?
- Name a want.
- Can we live without wants?
- Do needs or wants come first?
- What can we do to get a want?
Level 2: Grow
- Why needs first?
- Why wait?
- Why enough?
Level 3: Stretch
- Sort cards.
- Choose one want.
- Say a plan.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name a want and a need.
Show a sample answer
Answers vary.
Another one. Talk about a want with a family member.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Wants are fine.
Fix: We choose.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what a want is.
- I can tell wants from needs.
- I can give examples.
- I can think about choosing.
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
- Wants are things we would like.
- We can live without wants.
- Needs come before wants.
- We cannot have everything.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Food, water, and shelter. 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 want? [2 marks]
- Name two wants and one need. [3 marks]
- Say why needs come first. [3 marks]
- Say one way to get a want. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Meaning [1]; example [1]
- Wants [2]; need [1]
- Live [1]; example [1]; clear [1]
- Way [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 want?
- Name a want.
- Can we live without wants?
- Do needs or wants come first?
- What can we do to get a want?
- Why needs first?
- Why wait?
- Why enough?
- Sort cards.
- Choose one want.
Homework
Draw one want and one need and tell the difference.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a want? | Something we would like. | 1 |
| 2. Name a want. | Toy. | 1 |
| 3. Can we live without wants? | Yes. | 1 |
| 4. Do needs or wants come first? | Needs. | 1 |
| 5. What can we do to get a want? | Wait or save. | 1 |
| 6. Why needs first? | To live. | 1 |
| 7. Why wait? | We cannot have all. | 1 |
| 8. Why enough? | Feeling content. | 1 |
| 9. Sort cards. | Sorted. | 1 |
| 10. Choose one want. | Choice. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Something we would like.; 2 Toy.; 3 Yes.; 4 Needs.; 5 Wait or save.. Level 2: 1 To live.; 2 We cannot have all.; 3 Feeling content.. Level 3: 1 Sorted.; 2 Choice.; 3 Plan..
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 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 |
| O2 Tell wants from 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 Give examples | 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 Think about choosing | 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.” Wants are fine.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Play a needs and wants card game.
- 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 the difference between needs and wants. Please talk about family choices in a calm way. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about choosing.
- Praise patience.
- Avoid shame.
- 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 want is; tell wants from needs; give examples; think about choosing.
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 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 toy car story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach wants.
Guided activity (10 min). 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 is a want? How is it different from a need?
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.” Wants are fine.
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. Play a needs and wants card game. 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 2; NCSS C3 Framework, economic decision making; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people and society; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.