Needs and Wants

Lesson Overview

Curriculum Links

Subject: Social Studies
Year Group: Year 3
Unit: Indigenous and Settler Lives (Lesson 1 of 6)
UK National Curriculum Area: History – Developing an awareness of the past, understanding how people’s needs were met in different communities

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand the difference between needs and wants
• Identify how both Indigenous peoples and settlers met their needs for food, shelter, and clothing
• Compare how different communities used resources based on their environment

Success Criteria

Students will demonstrate success by:

• Correctly sorting items into "needs" and "wants" categories
• Discussing how Indigenous and settler communities met their needs
• Explaining why certain resources were more important for survival

---

Lesson Structure (60 minutes)

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes) – The Mystery Bag

• Resources needed: A bag containing various items (e.g., food, toy, blanket, mobile phone, wooden spoon, water bottle)
• Teacher removes one item at a time and asks:
  • "Do we need this to survive?"
  • "Is this something that makes life easier or more enjoyable?"
• Students sort items into two groups: Needs (essential for survival) and Wants (nice to have)
• Discuss choices as a class – challenge misconceptions carefully

2. Direct Instruction (15 minutes) – Life in Indigenous and Settler Communities

• Teacher-led discussion with visual aids showing daily life
• Explain that all humans have the same basic needs: food, shelter, clothing
• Compare how Indigenous peoples and settlers met these needs:
  • Food: Indigenous people hunted, fished, and gathered; settlers farmed and traded
  • Shelter: Indigenous homes used natural materials (e.g., wattle-and-daub, longhouses); settlers built wooden cottages
  • Clothing: Indigenous peoples used animal hides and woven fabrics; settlers relied on wool and linen
• Emphasise resourcefulness – each group depended on the local environment

3. Group Activity (20 minutes) – Survival Match-Up

• Resources needed: Picture cards showing various survival tools, clothing, and food sources
• Small groups match survival items to the correct community (Indigenous or settler)
• Each group presents one matched item, explaining why it was essential
• Encourage students to think: “How did geography affect what people needed?”

4. Reflection and Discussion (10 minutes) – Would You Survive?

• Whole class discussion:
  • “If you lived in an Indigenous or settler community, what would you find hardest?”
  • “Would you rather grow your own food or trade for it?”
  • “How do we meet our needs today compared to the past?”
• Use a thumbs up/thumbs down vote to check understanding (e.g., “Is a new pair of shoes a need or a want?”)

---

Assessment and Differentiation

Assessment Opportunities

✔ Formative assessment through whole-class discussion
✔ Observation of group sorting activity
✔ Exit question: “Tell me one thing you need to survive and how a community in the past provided it.”

Differentiation Strategies

• Support: Provide visual aids, sentence stems for verbal responses, and a needs/wants word bank
• Challenge: Ask higher-ability students to predict how needs and wants will change in the future
• Active learners: Hands-on sorting and movement-based activities instead of written work

---

Resources Required

• "Mystery bag" with everyday items
• Picture cards of Indigenous and settler survival tools
• Visual aids (maps, images of homes, food sources, and clothing)

---

Teacher Reflection

• What engagement strategies worked best?
• Did students grasp the needs vs. wants concept clearly?
• Were any misconceptions observed that should be addressed in the next lesson?
• What changes would improve the lesson next time?

---

Next Steps

Lesson 2 Preview: "Resources and Trade in Indigenous and Settler Communities" – We will explore how different communities shared and traded resources to meet their needs.