Lesson 11 — Activity 1: Wants and Needs
Completion requirements
Lesson 11 — Activity 1: Wants and Needs
Warm Up
In Themes 1 and 2, you looked at some of the cultural groups that exist in our society (family groups, peer or friend groups, community groups, language groups, etc.). No matter how different these groups may be, there are certain things that are the same for people everywhere. These can be called needs.
In this activity, you will learn about the needs that all people have and think about how people from various cultures fulfill their own needs.
What is the difference between a want and a need?
Needs can be defined as goods or services that are required. Wants are goods or services that are not necessary but are things we would like to have or wish for.
Let's look more closely at people's needs.
Below you can see some of the needs that people everywhere share.
We all need food, shelter, and clothing.
We all need love, acceptance, and companionship.
All groups need law and order, protection, and leadership.
Self-check!
Try This!
Decide if the following would be classified as a want or a need.
1. medical care
2. cell phones
3. transportation
4. jewellery
5. education
1. need
2. want
3. need
4. want
5. need
Different cultures have different means of meeting basic needs.
For example, in other parts of the world, there are very different foods that may seem strange to us. In many countries, people do not have the number of choices we do in Canada. This means they cannot choose from as many types of food as we can.
Think about this: guinea pigs are eaten in Peru. Rice and fish are very common food ingredients in China and Japan. In India, many people do not eat meat or poultry.
Pixabay
In a country such as Canada, people need clothing to survive the
weather; for people who live in hot climates, clothing may not be as important a need.
Different climates can also mean needing different kinds of shelter. Canadians may consider the basement a normal part of any house. Some may use a basement just for storage, but others may use a basement for working or sleeping in. But in hotter climates, insects and reptiles prefer cool places during the day and some of them are poisonous. So, a basement in a hot climate is not such a good idea!
You will further consider how different cultures meet their needs in upcoming activities.
Different cultures have different means of meeting basic needs.
For example, in other parts of the world, there are very different foods that may seem strange to us. In many countries, people do not have the number of choices we do in Canada. This means they cannot choose from as many types of food as we can.
Think about this: guinea pigs are eaten in Peru. Rice and fish are very common food ingredients in China and Japan. In India, many people do not eat meat or poultry.
Pixabay
For example, in other parts of the world, there are very different foods that may seem strange to us. In many countries, people do not have the number of choices we do in Canada. This means they cannot choose from as many types of food as we can.
Think about this: guinea pigs are eaten in Peru. Rice and fish are very common food ingredients in China and Japan. In India, many people do not eat meat or poultry.
Pixabay
In a country such as Canada, people need clothing to survive the
weather; for people who live in hot climates, clothing may not be as important a need.
Different climates can also mean needing different kinds of shelter. Canadians may consider the basement a normal part of any house. Some may use a basement just for storage, but others may use a basement for working or sleeping in. But in hotter climates, insects and reptiles prefer cool places during the day and some of them are poisonous. So, a basement in a hot climate is not such a good idea!
You will further consider how different cultures meet their needs in upcoming activities.