Needs vs Wants

Lesson 27 of 30 – Navigating Economics Together

Class duration: 50 minutes
Class size: 25 students
Year Level: 7
Subject: Business (Economics and Business)
Curriculum: Western Australian Curriculum – Humanities and Social Sciences: Economics and Business (Year 7)

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Clarify and apply the concepts of needs and wants in everyday life contexts.
Conduct a simple survey to gather data on needs and wants preferences within their class community.
Analyse and interpret survey data to reinforce understanding of economic choices.
Reflect on how distinguishing between needs and wants influences economic decision-making.

Western Australian Curriculum Links:

AC9HE7S03: Interpret information and data to identify economic and business issues, trends, and economic cause-and-effect relationships (specifically as it relates to needs and wants)【9:AC9HE7S03.md】.
AC9HE7S05: Create descriptions and explanations, using economic and business knowledge, concepts and terms, referencing information and data from sources【1:AC9HE7S05.md】.

Lesson Outline

Time	Activity	Purpose & Detail
0–5 min	Warm-up: Think-Pair-Share	Ask students, “What are needs and wants?” Have students think individually for 1 minute, then pair up to discuss for 3 minutes, sharing examples of each in their lives. Share key ideas as a whole group. This activates prior knowledge and personal connection.
5–15 min	Mini-lesson: Revisiting Needs vs Wants Concepts	Recap definitions: Needs are essential for survival (food, shelter), wants are desirable but not essential (games, toys). Use culturally relevant Australian examples, including references to local community and First Nations perspectives (acknowledging sustainability and community needs). Record student responses visibly to reinforce concepts.
15–25 min	Survey Design Activity	As a class, collaboratively develop a simple survey with 5–7 questions designed to identify individual needs and wants. Questions could include items like “Which of these do you think is a need?”, or “Rank these items from most needed to most wanted.” Encourage students to use economic terms learned. This creates ownership and practical application.
25–40 min	Conduct Survey & Collect Data	Students individually complete the survey using paper or digital tablets (if available). Then, collate class data on the board or spreadsheet projected for visual analysis. Engage the class in counting and categorising responses into needs or wants.
40–48 min	Data Interpretation & Class Discussion	Guide students to interpret the survey outcomes. Discuss questions such as: “Were there any surprises?”, “How do different perspectives influence what people consider needs versus wants?”, “How could these choices affect economic decisions in families and communities?” This connects data analysis with real-world economic implications.
48–50 min	Reflection and Exit Ticket	Students write a short reflection answering: “Why is it important to understand the difference between needs and wants when making decisions?” Collect these to assess understanding for follow-up lessons.

Resources

Whiteboard or smartboard for displaying concepts and data.
Survey sheets or digital devices (optional).
Pre-prepared list of items for survey questions representing diverse goods and services.
Chart paper or digital spreadsheet for tallying survey results.

Assessment

Formative assessment through observation of class participation in pairs and group discussions.
Collection of exit tickets for individual reflective understanding of needs vs wants.
Informal assessment on survey data interpretation skills during whole class discussion.

Differentiation and Engagement

Provide sentence stems for survey questions and reflections for students needing support (e.g., “A need is...”, “A want is...”).
Visual aids showing Australian and First Nations community examples help engage diverse learners and make learning relevant.
Use digital tools if available for students who prefer tech-based interaction.

Cross-curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities

Sustainability: Highlighting how First Nations communities consider needs of the community sustainably when defining wants and needs.
Critical and Creative Thinking: Designing and analysing surveys encourages inquiry and data literacy.
Personal and Social Capability: Collaboration in pairs and class discussions fosters communication and perspective-taking.

This highly interactive, culturally aware, and data-driven lesson will deepen students’ understanding of economic fundamentals aligned with the Western Australian Curriculum for Year 7 Economics and Business. It revisits foundational concepts by embedding them in practical research and analysis, preparing students for more complex decision-making in later lessons.

If you need, I can also provide a printable student survey template and sample questions to use in this lesson.

Teaching Instructions