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Media: Text, Literary Tradebook
Summary: In this story, the main character is infatuated with a pair of shoes. His grown up is unable to afford the shoes as they are too expensive. Throughout the story, the main character has to learn a lesson to come to the realization that the shoes weren't a need but simply a want and sometimes we have to make tough choices between wants and needs.
Theme Connection: The theme of this story is determining the difference between wants and needs and committing acts of kindness to help those in need. The theme of the unit I created is exactly that. Students will see an example of a kid who has to come to the realization that he only wants 'those shoes' he doesn't need them.
Instructional Uses: Reading this story as an Interactive Read Aloud will allow my students to think more deeply about the theme of the unit: the difference between wants and needs. Students can also use the text to make text to self connections in order to be able to think about a time they really wanted something but had to make a tough decision between a need and a want.

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A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams

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A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams

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Media: Text, Literary Tradebook
Summary: This book follows the story of a little girl whose family had recently suffered total loss from a house fire. The community pitches in to provide them with many things that they need such as food, clothing, and some furniture necessities but they did not have a sofa to relax in after a long, hard days work. They save coins in a large jar in the hopes to be able to afford one someday. Finally, after a lot of hard work and saving, the day comes.
Theme Connection: This book highlights the difference between wants and needs as the community pitches in to provide them with the things they need after the fire but a sofa is not one. They must save their money to get the one thing they really want.
Instructional Uses: This book can be used as an Interactive Read Aloud to support students understanding of the kinds of things families might need (clothing, food, essential furniture, etc) and reasons why a family may have a specific insecurity (house fire, single income homes, wage disparities, etc).

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Media: Video, YouTube
Summary: This BrainPOP Jr. video teaches the difference between wants and needs and discusses how people are able to get their wants and needs through services provided in the community. It also highlights how communities help those in need within their communities such as homeless shelters and food drives.
Theme Connection: This video is an instructional video that explicitly teaches kids the difference between wants and needs and other key vocabulary terms they will need to understand throughout the thematic unit such as goods, services, work, producers, consumers, etc.
Instructional Uses: This video can be used to open the unit as it explains the differences between wants and needs as well as community connection to providing resources for those insecure members of the community in times of need. It also discusses the idea of work and how people get the things they want and need. A quiz can be taken at the end to collect data on student understanding of the thematic concept to determine how to move forward in the lesson, providing more detailed background information as necessary.

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She Changes Lives with Underpants by Jessica Blatt

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She Changes Lives with Underpants by Jessica Blatt

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Media: Text, Magazine Article
Summary: This magazine article tells the story of Koree, a woman who founded a volunteer based organization called Underwearness after she was unexpectedly informed of a common insecurity  among those in the impoverished community. Her organization raises money and holds giving drives where they have garnered more than 90,000 pairs of underwear for more than 15,000 kids in need internationally (as of January 2015).
Theme Connection: The authentic writing task of this unit asks students to brain storm a material or service they can provide the insecure members of their community. This article offers an example of a real world person who has made a difference in their community by providing a service or material to those in need.
Instructional Uses: Students will use this real life example of an underwear drive to brainstorm an idea for their service project. This article will prove that anyone can help in their community and will inspire students to think outside the box when determining a material or service to be offered.

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Council for Economic Education | https://archive.econedlink.org/interactives/html/517/em517_story.html
Media: Text, Poem
Summary: This is a poem written from the perspective of a child that details the dilemma of choice as it pertains to scarcity of resources at home. The poem follows a young girl who asks for two toys for her birthday. However, her mother, who is intent on teaching her a lesson, demands her to choose only one toy. The young girl has a very difficult time choosing and thus throws a tantrum. With a little help from a magical clock and tree, the girl learns that things alone do not bring you ultimate happiness.
Theme Connection: This poem shows the struggle many people, especially kids, have making choices between the things they need and the things they want. The young girl thinks she needs two toys, but her mother is wise enough to know she must only choose one as toys are not free and she cannot have all of the things she wants.
Instructional Uses: This poem can be used as a shared reading experience to discuss the choices we all have to make between things we want and the things we need. To make an even clearer connection for students (after reading the poem) the teacher can give the students a choice between two snacks--one that is healthy and good for the body, one that is not. This will highlight the dilemma many face in making choices.

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Media: Text, Website
Summary: The organization Kids That Do Good was started by two Latino twin brothers from New Jersey. Their goal is to connect other kids with ways to give back in their own communities or even nationally. They find charities, organizations, events or opportunities that welcome kids of all ages. This website can be used as a search engine for the type of organization or event you are looking to support.
Theme Connection: This resource highlights the scarcity and insecurities that currently exist within the communities and the ways that those in privilege can give support.
Instructional Uses: This resource can be used for identifying local organizations to volunteer with or get inspired by during the process of the authentic writing task.

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http://firstgenamerican.com/2010/12/14/is-uncle-sam-the-new-bank-of-mom-and-dad/
Media: Visual, Photograph
Summary: This photograph shows children in a soup line during the Great Depression of the 1920's, America. According to the source, it was common for children to wait in line for soup for their families after school.
Theme Connection: This photo connects to the theme by showing the needs of families in American and depicts the scarcity that has existed for all kinds of families throughout history for reasons beyond their control (such as a stock market crash and joblessness).
Instructional Uses: This photo will provide a visual to the necessary background information to understand that throughout our history, there have been and will always be people in need of basic needs such as soup for dinner. This resource can create a shock value for students and allow them to understand how families become insecure with food. They can make a connection across all scarcities such as clothing insecurities, shelter, etc.

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Needs & Wants Game | Marbles Kids Museum

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Needs & Wants Game | Marbles Kids Museum

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Media: Video, YouTube
Summary: In this video the host discusses the differences between needs and wants. She then grabs several common items kids would have in their homes so that they can easily relate. She sorts the items with the listeners based on the two categories of need or want.
Theme Connection: This source teaches the difference between needs and wants in a kid friendly and engaging way. It provides real world examples that the students will be able to relate and make personal connections to.
Instructional Uses: This video can be used at the beginning of the unit to teach students the difference between needs and wants. They can practice with items at home or in the classroom independently to gain this necessary understanding for the thematic unit.

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Sampling of Multipurpose Brochures | Google Image Search

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Sampling of Multipurpose Brochures | Google Image Search

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Media: Visual, Google Sheet with various images of sample brochures
Summary: This source provides images and physical samples of several different types of brochures (restaurant menus, summer camp informational sheets, community service projects, etc.).
Theme Connection: The authentic writing task of this themed unit asks students to create a brochure to instruct community members of privilege on how to help those in need by highlighting some provided service or material drive.
Instructional Uses: This source will support students ability to recognize the importance and purpose of using brochures for the authentic writing task. They can use these resources as models when making their own brochure.

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Media: Audio, Music with Lyrics
Summary: This song by Raffi, a beloved children's music artist, discusses all the things we really need in order to survive and thrive--love, rain, sun, and food.
Theme Connection: This song connects to the theme by discussing the only things we really need in life including food and love. Even though these are things we need, doesn't mean everyone in our community has the same access to these resources. They may need to make choices between food and shelter, for example.
Instructional Uses: This song can be used as a multimedia source to highlight what our true needs are as human beings. A connection can be made between the theme of this source and the texts used to determine wants and needs such as the Needs and Wants Game, or Needs and Wants by Gillia M. Olson.

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Top 5 Kids who got FAMOUS for KINDNESS! | JrMojo

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Top 5 Kids who got FAMOUS for KINDNESS! | JrMojo

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Media: Video, YouTube
Summary: This video highlights the stories of 5 kids, as young as 5, who saw a need in their community and did incredible things to help out and show kindness to people in need.
Theme Connection: This video shows kids who saw a need in their community for specific things and did something about it! Which is exactly what this thematic unit asks the students to do.
Instructional Uses: This video can be used to inspire students as they are preparing for their authentic writing task. It will help them in brainstorming their own idea for providing a service or material item to people in need in their community. They will also be reminded how widespread the social issue of scarcity is. Kids all across the nation are involved in helping and showing kindness to folks with insecurities in communities everywhere.

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How to Change the World by Kid President with SoulPancake

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How to Change the World by Kid President with SoulPancake

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Media: Audio, Recorded Speech
Summary: This recorded speech with Kid President discusses the ways in which kids, just like Kid President, can make a difference in their own communities. He lists all of the reasons someone might think they can't make a difference and inspires kids of all ages by giving them every confidence in the ability to do good with any small act of kindness.
Theme Connection: This resource connects to the theme by addressing the issue of community service and encouraging people (kids) to help in any way that they can such as giving socks to the homeless in Socktober.
Instructional Uses: This video can be used to inspire the students to want to make a difference in their community. Kid President is a kid very near their age and has done so many good things to create positive change and help people around the world. The students will be able to connect with Kid President, as a peer, and realize what they are capable of doing to spread kindness and provide services that help marginalized members of their community.

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How To Change The World (a work in progress) | Kid President

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Media: Audio, Music with Lyrics
Summary: This song discusses the difference between wants and needs and the importance of budgeting and thinking things through before you purchase something.
Theme Connection: This song teaches the difference between wants and needs in a kid friendly and highly engaging manner.
Instructional Use: This song can be used as a multimedia source to reinforce the idea of wants and needs and the difference between them. Due to the theory of multiple intelligences it is important to provide instruction using multiple sources of media such as music. It will be important for the instructor to make a clear distinction between families who have the privilege to save and budget, and those who do not.

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"I Want, I Need" (Lyric Video) - The Disclosures - [Financial Education for Kids]

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The Kids Guide to Service Projects by Barbara A. Lewis

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The Kids Guide to Service Projects by Barbara A. Lewis

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Media: Text, Informational Tradebook
Summary: This book offers over 500 ideas for kids to get involved in helping people in their community who are in need of some service or material.
Theme Connection: This book provides several examples of the insecurities that exist in communities and offers ways for kids to help out in their own ways. It highlights the issue of people having to make choices between their wants and needs which can leave them with insecurities for other needs and wants in their lives.
Instructional Uses: This book can be read as part of the morning message each day to provide background knowledge on types of service projects throughout the themed unit. When the students begin to work on their authentic writing task, they will have a plethora of ideas they can pull from their schema based on these readings and connections made to real life experiences as well as other texts read.

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Media: Text, Literary Tradebook
Summary: This story follows two best friends who play at the park everyday together. One day, Sofia notices something odd about Maddi's fridge--it's nearly empty! Sofia begs Maddi to keep it a secret and Maddi has to make a really tough decision. Should she betray her friend knowing it might ultimately help her in the end? In the end, Maddi is able to help her friend and gain Sofia's trust back too. This book discusses a big issue (food scarcity) is such a delicate and kid friendly way.
Theme Connection: This book  demonstrates one type of scarcity or insecurity families in our own communities can have. It shows a family who has to make choices between wants and needs as they only have essentials, milk (for the baby) and bread in their fridge.
Instructional Uses: This text can be used as an Interactive Read Aloud to discuss the theme. Students can make text to text connections between this book, A Chair for my Mother, and Those Shoes. Students can use the characters in this book to make connections to real life people (including their own families) who need to make difficult decisions between wants and needs often at the cost of things they might consider a need (a favorite treat/snack) but is truly a want.

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Media: Visual, Photograph
Summary: The two photos here are stock photos pulled from Google images. However, placed together in a juxtaposition they provide a powerful statement with a provided narrative as as scenario by the instructor. Narrative scenario: The children in the photo Saniyah and Mehkai are really excited because they are the phone with their mom who has just informed them that she and their dad have decided to take the kids to Disney World! The kids are so excited as they've always wanted to go! The family has been saving for a long time to be able to make this happen. At the same time, as Saniyah and Mehkai's dad is on his way home from work, their car breaks down on the side of the road. He lifts the hood and realizes this isn't going to be a simple inexpensive fix. Their plans may need to change as they can only afford the trip to Disney, or fixing the car, not both.
Theme Connection: This photo connects to the unit theme by providing a real world example of choosing between wants and needs.
Instructional Use: This photo can be used to talk about real life examples of choosing between wants and needs and support the idea that this choice happens to all kinds of families (financial insecurities can happen to anyone).

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Media: Text, Information Tradebook
Summary: This book explains the difference between needs and wants in a kid friendly, easy to understand way. It has many pictures throughout and easy to read text for beginning readers.
Theme Connection: This book explains the difference between needs, the things we need to survive, and wants, things we don't need to survive but would like to have.
Instructional Use: This book can be used in a small reading group to ensure students understand the difference between the things we need to survive and the things we want. Students can add it to their independent reading buckets as well to further their understanding.

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Media: Text, Informational Tradebook
Summary: This book discusses the differences between needs and wants, identifying the things we need and the things we want by highlighting the stories of kids. It ends by asking the reader to determine what they need and want.
Theme Connection: This book identifies several things kids may want but need. It asks the reader to think about what they want and need.
Instructional Uses: This book can be used after the introduction of wants and needs when students have a pretty good understanding of the vocabulary in guided reading groups. Students can use this book to discuss their own wants and needs and be able to use that information in order to make text to self connections with the other resources provided in the thematic unit.