Search
Learning the difference between “I want…” and “I need…” helps young consumers learn to weigh the importance and value of their choices—whether physical, material or emotional. This Kid Scoop issue looks at wants and needs through the lens of a rascally raccoon as a way for young readers to relate more concretely to an abstract concept. Like humans, raccoons have definite “needs” to survive—especially food and a place for safe shelter. But unwanted “wants” are things that wander into their environments with consequences. For example, while the raccoon needs food, this fellow does not need junk food left behind by humans! Locating shelter might find this furry fellow choosing an unconventional place to reside that could have harmful results. Discover the similarities and differences between your wants and needs as you compare yourself to this clever forest survivor—and learn what you can do to keep his area safe!
In this issue students will:
- Read expository text about wants and needs of animals
- Compare wants and needs to students’ own lives
- Understand healthy and unhealthy, safe and unsafe choices for needs
- Understand that things in the natural world are connected
- Use a code to uncover raccoon facts
- Use the newspaper to locate examples of human wants and needs
- Rewrite a newspaper ad creatively to h help a raccoon find a residence
- Write from your point of view about the difference between wants and needs
- Choose context clues for a “close” reading activity about raccoon vs. human thumbs! Thumbs up!
6 page PDF
