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Kindergarten · Social Studies · Unit 3 of 9

Needs & Wants

What do we really need?

What your child practices

Sorting needs (food, water, a home, warm clothes) from wants (toys and treats), and how families meet their needs.

Alaska content standards learning standard: SS.K.1.12.1; SS.K.2.12.1 · the difference between needs and wants, and why people choose between them

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. A need is something we must have to live.
  2. Food, water, a home and sleep are needs.
  3. A want is nice to have, like a toy. We can live without it.

Example: Which one is a need: water or a toy? Can we live without a toy? Yes. Can we live without water? No. Answer: water

Needs & Wants in Alaska

In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 3 of 9 in Kindergarten Social Studies, after Families and before Places Near Me.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which one is a need?

    • 🪀a yo-yo
    • 🍭a lollipop
    • 💧water

  2. Question 2

    Where can families get food?

    • 🛒grocery store
    • 📚library
    • 🚒fire station

  3. Question 3

    Why do we need a home?

    • 🧸to keep toys
    • 📺to watch TV
    • 🏠to be safe and warm

  4. Question 4

    You are thirsty. What do you need?

    • 🧸a teddy bear
    • 💧water
    • ⚽a ball

  5. Question 5

    Need or want? Tap a picture, then its basket.

    Sort into: 🏠 need · 🎁 want

    • 🎈a balloon
    • 🛹a skateboard
    • 🧥a warm coat
    • 🛏️a bed to sleep in
    • 🥕healthy food
    • 🍭candy

  6. Question 6

    Why do we need sleep?

    🛏️
    • 😴to rest our bodies
    • 🌧️to make it rain
    • 🧸to get new toys

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