Kristie Hackett

I. Purpose:

The purpose of this lesson is to help the students get a better understanding of the
things we need such as: water, air, food, clothing, love, and shelter; and the
things we want to have such as: TV, toys, videogames, and candy.
SOL 1.8: The student will explain that people make choices because they cannot
have everything they want.

II. Objectives:
The student will be able to determine what a want or need is.
The student will be able to organize and sort a list of wants and needs.
III. Procedure:
a. Introduction
I will introduce this lesson with the book A Chair for my Mother. I will
conduct a book talk with the whole class on the reading carpet.
I. What does the title of the book make you think the book is about? Can
you get any clues from the illustration on the cover?
II. Stop at the house fire picture and ask the following question: If your
house was on fire and you could only grab one thing what would it be?
III. Stop after reading the page at the bank and ask the following question:
Thumbs up if you ever rolled up coins and taken them to the bank
before.
IV. After reading the story ask the students the following questions to have
a class discussion. What is a want? What is a need? Was the chair they
bought a want or need? What would you want to save your money up
for? What are some other examples of a want? What are some other
examples of a need?
b. Development
For the activity, we are going to make a classroom wants vs. needs chart.
Each group of students will have a stack of magazines and they will be
responsible for cutting out one want and one need and gluing it on the
poster board. For students that are having an easier time with the
understanding and finding of a want or a need they can do more then one.
c. Summary
Then, as a class we will go over the items on the chart. I will ask the
students if they see anything that they think does not belong in the column
that it is in and explain why. I will end the activity portion with having the
students summarize in their own words what a want is and what a need is.
For students who are having a hard time I have an additional worksheet for
them to take home and do.

IV. Materials needed for the lesson

Revised: September 2012

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

A Chair for my Mother

Poster Board
Magazines
Scissors
Glue
Assessment

V. Evaluation Part A:
a. The evaluation for this lesson will be somewhat like a test. I will administer the test
in groups of fours. They will be given a folder that has pictures of wants and needs
and they must determine if the picture depicts a want or need. They will also have to
match the definition for the word wants and needs to the correct word. There will be
10 pictures worth 1 point each for a total of 10 points possible.
VI. Evaluation Part B: (Post-lesson assessment and reflection of the lesson to be completed
after the lesson has been taught)
Did the students meet your objectives?
How do you know?
Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners?
What were the strengths of the lesson?
What were the weaknesses?
How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?

0 2 Points
The student needs to be

3-5 Points

6-8 Points

9 10 Points

The student could use some

one on one time reviewing

The student has a good

understanding of the lesson

The student has a good

grasp on the concept and is

Revised: September 2012

taught a different lesson

plan, possible one on one.

with the teacher. The

student could also benefit
from working with a
classmate that has a clear
understanding of the
subject.

but could use some more

work on the subject.
Possible a worksheet or two
to work on at home.

ready to build on further.

Revised: September 2012