{"id":2928,"date":"2010-09-27T00:01:38","date_gmt":"2010-09-27T05:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/archives\/2928"},"modified":"2010-09-27T00:01:38","modified_gmt":"2010-09-27T05:01:38","slug":"economics-needs-and-wants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/2010\/09\/27\/economics-needs-and-wants\/","title":{"rendered":"Economics: Needs and Wants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone has wants.\u00a0 However, students need to realize that people can not have everything they want.\u00a0\u00a0 Choices have to be made.\u00a0 Some choices are made based on our basic needs, which include food, clothing, and shelter.\u00a0 The following books are intended to be used in a kindergarten or first grade classroom. (SOL K.7a, 1.8)<\/p>\n

Text annotation:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Bag I’m Taking to Grandma’s<\/a> written by <\/a>Shirley Neitzel<\/a> and illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker is one of the best books I read that illustrates the difference between needs and wants.\u00a0 In this story a young boy is packing his bag to spend the night with his grandmother.\u00a0 He packs so many of his favorite toys that the bag breaks when his mother picks it up.\u00a0 While trying to sort through all the items the boy has packed the mother asks “Is this flashlight something you really need?”\u00a0 She also tells him that he needs to “choose one car. You can’t take them all.”\u00a0 Students should easily relate to this story as most have probably had to pack a bag for a vacation or sleepover.\u00a0 The story is written and illustrated so that while reading the text a picture is inserted to represent the word, allowing non readers to follow along and participate.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

The book A Chair for My Mother<\/a> written by Vera B. Williams<\/a> is full of economic lessons.\u00a0 The story is told by a young girl that lives with her mother and grandmother.\u00a0 After a fire destroyed everything they had, neighbors donated many items to help refurbish their new apartment.\u00a0 Even after the generosity of the neighbors, the family still lacked a comfortable chair to sit in and the money to buy one.\u00a0 The family works together to collect and save their change in a jar until it is full enough to go buy a new chair.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

How Much is that Doggie in the Window?,<\/a> based on the words and music of Bob Merrill, is a story retold and illustrated by Iza Trapani<\/a>.\u00a0 The story starts with a young boy who hopes to buy a dog.\u00a0 Unfortunately, he does not have enough money.\u00a0 He decides to sell lemonade to earn enough money for the dog.\u00a0 However, it rains and he does not sell any.\u00a0 Then his younger sister gets hurt and to help her feel better he buys her a frozen yogurt.\u00a0 He then proceeds to buy something for his mother and father that he thinks they need.\u00a0 That is why a week later he has even less money than he started with.\u00a0 He is saddened when he goes to the pet shop to visit the dog only to find that it has been sold.\u00a0 When he gets home there is a surprise waiting for him.<\/p>\n

\"if<\/a><\/p>\n

The story If You Give a Pig A Pancake<\/a> by Laura Numeroff<\/a> and illustrated by Felicia Bond is more about wants then needs.\u00a0 In this cleverly written story “If you give a pig a pancake, she’ll want some syrup to go with it,” is just the start of many things the pig will want. This story circles around from the beginning of wanting syrup, a bath with bubbles, and many other things to building a tree house and finally wanting pancakes with syrup at the end. The pictures are colorful and depict the chaos that follows the pig and all her wants.<\/p>\n

\"jam<\/a><\/p>\n

Jam & Jelly by Holly & Nellie<\/a> is a heartwarming story written by Gloria Whelan<\/a> and illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen.\u00a0 Holly and her family live in northern Michigan “where the winter wind lays hold of you and the snow falls until everything is like a sheet of white paper.”\u00a0 Holly’s mother, Nellie, realizes that Holly will need a new winter coat.\u00a0 If Holly does not get a coat, then she will have to stay inside all winter and miss school.\u00a0 Holly and her mother work hard all summer picking wild strawberries, Juneberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries to make jams and jellies to sell on the side of the road.\u00a0 Winter comes and Holly gets a coat, but what keeps her the warmest is all the pleasant memories from the summer.\u00a0 The illustrations are wonderfully done with vibrant colors and realistic people and countryside scenes.<\/p>\n

Web sites:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Council for Economic Education<\/a> has a few lessons and interactive tools for k-3.\u00a0 At the bottom of the lesson titled “Toys for Me: A Lesson in Choice, in the Resources section, is an interactive game called Health Wants vs. Fun Wants<\/a>.\u00a0 The student will determine if items such as water, a bike, medicine, a kite, a house, and a doll are health wants or fun wants by clicking and dragging the items to the appropriate box. (SOL K.7a)<\/p>\n

Most schools have a subscription to Kidspiration<\/a>, if not then there is a 30 day free trial period.\u00a0 Within the Social Studies section, there is a graphic organizer where students can click and drag different pictures to put in the “needs” and “wants” boxes. (SOL K.7a)\"Kidspiration.<\/p>\n

Students that have a\u00a0 Webkinz<\/a> account may not realize it but they are making decisions based on needs and wants when they play.\u00a0 Once you adopt your pet, you are given a room (shelter) for them.\u00a0 You are then responsible for earning KinzCash to buy items for your pet.\u00a0 If you do not feed it and take it to the vet occasionally, then it gets very sick.\u00a0 With your KinzCash you may purchase clothes, toys and items for the house. (SOL K.7)<\/p>\n

Suffolk Teaching Activities & Resources (STAR) website has two interactive games for students.\u00a0 The first one is the “Wants and Needs Sort<\/a>,” a game created in Excel.\u00a0 The second game is “Wants and Needs,<\/a>” an interactive Power Point activity.\u00a0 This second game may be best done as a class. <\/a><\/p>\n

Teacher resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n