Needs and Wants

Over the last two  weeks, we have been learning about things that we NEED to survive. At first, we thought we needed many things to live. These things included:

• A car
• Bones
• Blood
• A computer
• Food
• A house
• TV
• Clothes
• Brain
• Water
• Milk
• Among other things

Then we watched a video that explained that there are 5 (basic) things that we NEED in order to survive. We need:

1. Air
2. Healthy food
3. Shelter (a place to live)
4. Water
5. Clothes

     

     We had many discussions about other things that students thought we needed. The biggest thing was a car. Many students thought that we NEEDED a car to live. We brainstormed some ways we could get to school if we didn`t have a car. We thought that we could walk, take a bus, take a taxi, ask a friend to drive us, take a plane or train. It was very hard for some of us to imagine our life without a car!

 

We also thought a lot about the things that we want. This book explained that both adults and kids have to make tough decisions sometimes to buy only things that they need. In the book, Dad really wanted to buy root beer, but decided to leave it at the store and get healthy food instead. Sometimes we are lucky and we are able to get the things that we want, but only after all of our needs have been met. We watched this video to help us understand that we shouldn`t ask for so many things that we WANT but don`t need.

We also sorted the following pictures into two categories: Wants and Needs.

Ask your child to tell you the 5 things we NEED to survive and a few things that they want!