Common Core:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and
texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.3
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or
clarify something that is not understood.
ISBE Social Science Standards 18.C.1 Describe how individuals interacted within groups to
make choices regarding food, clothing and shelter.
Objectives:
-Students will be able to identify the difference between needs and wants
Adaptations and Accommodations:
-Definitions will be written up on the board to help ELL and all students remember them
-The rules and goals will be put on the board to help remind all students of their task
-Support questions will be also be provided to help guide struggling students as more and more
cards are being eliminated.
Resources:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTVHMDCmskE
Materials Needed:
-Needs and Wants cards
-We have needs song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTVHMDCmskE
Requisite Skills:
None
Academic Language:
-Needs: something you cant live without
-Wants: something you can live without
Anticipatory Set:
1. Teacher will lead the class in creating class definition of needs and wants.
*Today we are going to be talking about wants and needs. But what is the difference
between the to?
-Anticipated Responses:
Want is something that you dont really need but you want and need is
something really important.
*Very good. If you were very hungry and I help up a sandwich and your favorite movie.
Which one would you need?
-Anticipated Responses:
The sandwich
*Very good! The sandwich is something you need because it would help you no longer
be hungry. Could you survive without every eating food? What about your favorite movie?
-Anticipated Responses:
no; yes
*Good. S0 would you say that a need is something that you couldnt live without?
Something important that your body needs?
-Anticipated Responses:
yes
*So what would we say a want is?
-Anticipated Responses:
Something we dont need to live but that we really like.
2. Teacher will read students the letter from the Commander.
Sequence of Events:
1. Students will be broken up into groups and have to choose the 15 items they would take with
them on the spaceship. Teacher will hang up the sign reminding students how to have a
discussion. (students are familiar with the expectations that go along with discussions) As
students are finishing up, the teacher will announce that the Commanders scientists realized they
have even less room than they thought. The astronauts can only take 7 items with them.
*Boys and girls. I just got another message from the Commander! His scientists just
realized they have even less room than they thought they would. They are saying that the
spaceship can only carry 10 items now! You all now have to look at the 15 items you already
chose and get them down to 10. Remember, the astronauts only want to bring the things they
need with them into space.
2. Students will continue working. Teacher will then receive another email from the
Commander.
*oh no! Something up on the space station broke and the astronauts have to bring up
the materials to fix it. This means that theres even less room for the items we are deciding on.
You can now only choose 5 items. Look at the 7 you have already picked as decide which ones
are really needs and which ones are wants. Remember, the Commander wants you to make sure
you can explain why they should take it with them!
3. After each group gets down to four, they will all be put on the board. (doubles will not be put
up) As a class the students must decide on the top 3-4 things they would take with them. Teacher
will remind students of the rules of discussions and let them decide what are needs.
*Who can give me a reason as to why they choose these things?
-Anticipated Response
You need healthy food to live
You need a house live in so you are warm
We need air to breathe
We need water to drink
After they have done so, teacher will play the We All have Needs song for the students.
* This song talks about our most important needs. What are they?
-Anticipated Responses:
Air
water
shelter
healthy food
*The song mentions a shelter. What is shelter?
-Anticipated Responses:
A place you can live
*Great! And now that you have seen the song, are our items up here all needs?
IF YES
*Great job! These are all needs! These items are very important in
keeping the astronauts alive and healthy.
IF NOW
*HmmmIs there something we should take off or add so that they are all needs? Ask
yourself, would you be able to live without this?
4. Teacher will email the list to the space station and receive a congratulatory email back.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed along the way as they eliminate cards to get down to basic needs. This
will be done through informal assessments and the reasonings they provide for why they
eliminated/kept specific cards.
Conclusion:
*Awesome job helping the space station today! Before we go out for recess, who remembers the
difference between needs and wants?
-Anticipated Responses:
Needs are things that you need to live
Wants are things you would like to have but can live without
*Very good! And what are our 4 needs to live?
-Anticipated Responses:
air
food
water
Shelter
