Needs vs. Wants

45-minute agenda

1. 0–5 min

   Warm-up

   Post: “Is a phone a need or a want? Pick a side and give one reason.”

2. 5–12 min

   Direct instruction

   Present the lesson slides. Make sure students leave with these points:

   • Needs: housing, basic food, utilities, transportation, basic clothing, healthcare, minimum debt payments.
   • Most purchases have a need part and a want part.
   • Wants are fine when they're chosen on purpose and budgeted.
   • Urgency and "small payment" framing are designed to rush you. Slow down.

   Use the “See it” slide (The need part vs. the want part) to make the idea visual.

3. 12–17 min

   Worked example

   Walk through “Marcus and the new phone” on the slides. Pause before the result and ask students to predict it.

4. 17–22 min

   Live demo

   Project need or want? from the slides. Change one input at a time and have students call out what they think will happen.

5. 22–32 min

   Four Corners: Need, Want, Both, Depends

   Format: whole class · 10 minutes

   1. Label the corners of the room Need, Want, Both, and Depends.
   2. Read items one at a time: bus pass, $1,200 phone, groceries, name-brand sneakers, home internet, streaming subscription, a car for a job with no bus access, concert tickets.
   3. Students walk to a corner; call on one student per corner to defend their choice.
   4. In pairs, students take three “Both” items and split each into a need part and a want part with dollar estimates.

   What to look for: Most items land in Both or Depends — that's the point. Example split: a basic $250 phone covers the need; the other $950 of a $1,200 phone is the want part.

6. 32–37 min

   Check for understanding

   Use the question slides — or run them as a Four Corners game. Answers:

   1. Which option keeps the want part smallest while still meeting the need? — B. A reliable used car, a bus pass, or a bike — whatever's practical
   2. Spending money on wants means you're bad with money. — False
   3. What's the best first question to ask yourself? — C. Would I buy these at full price, and do they fit my budget?
7. 37–42 min

   Discussion

   • Is a smartphone a need or a want for a high school student today? Where's the line?
   • What marketing tactics have you noticed that try to make wants feel like needs?
8. 42–45 min

   Exit ticket

   Prompt: Give an example of a purchase that has both a need part and a want part.

   Answer: Groceries (basics are needs, snacks and brands are wants), or a car (reliable transportation is a need, upgrades are wants).