Activity 1: (15 minutes) WANTS VS. NEEDS

Ask students what they need to have in life to survive. Listen for things like water, food, sleep, and air to breathe. Prompt students if needed. When an idea is suggested that is a want instead of a need, discuss the difference between a want and a need.

A need is something we have to have to survive.
A want is something we like but doesn’t hurt us when we don’t have it.

Display the Want vs. Needs T-chart. Hang the T-chart for students to see. Show students the Basic Needs picture cards and ask if it’s a want or a need. Tape the picture cards onto the displayed T-chart to refer to.

Activity 2: (15 minutes) MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OR PYRAMID OF HAPPINESS

Show students Maslow’s Hierarchy or the Pyramid of Happiness anchor chart. Explain how each step is like a level of happiness and the higher up we go, the happier we can be.

Display the slideshow and move through each level of the Pyramid of Happiness. Stop at each level and teach students an action that matches the level indicators.

• Basic Needs: Rub tummy and pretend to drink (food and water)
• Safety: Put arms up above head with fingers touching to make a roof shape (shelter)
• Love: Wrap arms around oneself in a hug (connection)
• Esteem: Strike a superhero pose (believing in one’s self)
• Self-Actualization: Star jump with arms and legs spread out (being one’s best, superstar self)

Practice matching the movement to each level by calling out the names of the levels and allowing students to make the movement.

Activity 3: BASIC NEEDS SCRAMBLE

We all have basic needs—things that keep us alive, things that make us happy and healthy. These things like food, water, shelter, and love are things that we need every day. Have a discussion.

• How do you feel when you are hungry?
• How do you feel after eating a healthy meal?
• Why do we need shelter?
• Have you ever worried about where you were going to stay when you leave school?
• Have you ever seen a plant that hasn’t been watered? What happened to it?
• How do you feel when you drink water?
• How do you know that you are loved?

Make 2 copies of the Basic Needs Template for each child. On one copy, separate the illustrations along the solid lines so that there is a set of the 4 basic needs cards for each child. Place the pictures randomly around the classroom. Give each child a Basic Needs Template and have them place it at their seat at the table.

Play a favorite song and have the children gather 1 picture for each basic need (food, water, shelter, love) and place it in the matching square on their template before the music stops. Have the children check their own template for accuracy and encourage them to see how their paper is different or similar to their neighbor. Have the children glue the pictures in place on the template.

Activity 4: (20 minutes) FEELING LOVED AND CONNECTED

Read the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes or watch the read-aloud video. Have a class discussion.

• What parts of the story showed Chrysanthemum having her needs met? (basic- sleeping, dinner to eat, exercise at recess; safety- safe home and classroom, teacher who protected her; love- parents who loved her, teacher who connected with her; esteem- when Chrysanthemum loved her name and felt proud)
• What happened when Chrysanthemum didn’t feel like she belonged with her friends?

Allow students to brainstorm and share what they could have done to help her feel like she belonged in her class. Have a discussion.

• What makes you feel loved and happy?
• What are you good at?
• What would you do if you were feeling unloved, or like you don’t belong at school?

Activity 5: (15 minutes) ASKING FOR WHAT YOU NEED

Read The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt or watch the read-aloud video by Books Alive!. Talk about how each crayon was able to ask for what they needed. If they hadn’t asked, their person would not have known how to help the crayons with what they wanted and needed.
Sometimes we need help to get what we want or need. It can be hard to ask. Have a discussion.

• When you need something, who are your trusted adults who can help?
• Do you ever get nervous to ask for help?
• Have you ever felt really sad, but you weren’t sure what you needed?
• Tell me about a time when you asked for help and got what you needed?
• When has someone asked you for help?

Roleplay different scenarios demonstrating how to get help with a need, or how to help someone else get what they need. Ask the children to identify the need and potential solutions:

• Child needs a drink of water, but can’t reach the faucet or drinking fountain.
• Child is hungry.
• Child is feeling lonely at school.
• It is raining and there is a thunderstorm outside.
• Child is missing their adult at school.
• You notice that a friend has been running and playing on the playground and they are sweaty and red in the face.