Social and Religious Studies

Key unit competence: develop culture of making priorities and savings.

                                                   Learning objectives

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

•  Define needs and wants.
• Identify needs and wants in society. 
•  Identify different activities that generate income.
•  Give examples of circumstances that affect people spending.

Skills

• Explain how the environment helps to meet human needs.
• Prioritise between needs and wants.
• Make a list of things that people spend money on.
• Explain importance of saving.

Attitudes and values

• Use environment properly to meet his /her needs. 
•  Be devoted to work (hard working).
•  Use available resources properly. 
•  Develop a culture of saving.

Introductory activity

Look at the picture and answer the questions below:

     1. What are the people in the picture doing?

    2. Why is catching fish important?

    3. What do people do with fish?

    4. Can people get money from selling fish? Explain.

      People wait for a new fish catch on the Lake Kivu shore in Rubavu.

4.1 Needs and wants

A need is something you have to have. You need it to:

• live
•  be safe
• grow
• learn
•  be healthy
•  be clean

For example, you need soap to wash your hands so you can be clean. 

You need books so you can learn. You need food so you can eat. 

You need a parent or guardian to care for you and keep you safe. 

A want is something you wish you had. You may want something because:

•  your friend has it
• you think it will make you happy
• it may make your life easier
• it looks nice
• it will be fun to own.

     Wants and needs in society are the things that people try to get.

You have to decide what is most important. Is it a need or a want? Think if you can live without a need. 

Then think if you can live without a want.

Activity

    1. Make a list of your needs.

   2. Make a list of your wants.

   3. Make a list of the wants and needs of the people in your community.

   4. Present your lists to the class.

   5. Discuss what you notice about most needs and wants. Are they the same? Are they different?

4.2 The environment helps people with their needs

Remember that the environment is everything around us. The environment helps us to meet our needs and wants. 

The environment gives us food. It gives us:

• soil that we can use to plant seeds, so that we have food to eat
•  water – we cannot live without water
•  fruit and nuts – we eat these to stay healthy
• some animals that we can eat• fish that we can eat
•  bees that give us honey.

Our environment also helps us. It gives us:

• shade and protection from the sun
•  materials to build houses
• dead branches to make fires to cook food
•  wood to use to make carvings to sell to tourists
•  grass to make baskets and mats.

We must always use the environment properly.

This means we:

• must not chop down trees without a good reason
•  must plant another tree for every tree we chop down
•  save and do not waste water
• protect and do not kill our wild animals.

Our environment gives

us shade from trees. We

have paths to walk on.

Activity

1. Role play how the environment helps us to meet needs and wants. For example:

•  Show how you use a tree to make a table.
•  Show how you collect wood to make a fire.
•  Add other ideas to your role play.

2. Present your role play to the class.

4.3 Money

 Money is what we use to buy things. For example, when we are sick, we use money to buy medicines. 

They help us to get better. We use money to pay for our transport when we need to go to a different place. 

Some people have to pay for water.

To sell is to give something in exchange for money. People also spend money on:

To earn an income means to get money. We can get money if we work hard. 

These are things people do to make money. They:

We make things for tourists and other countries to buy.

4.4 What affects how we spend money?

Everybody does not spend money in the same way. How you spend money depends on:

•  what your needs and wants are
• what your family’s needs and wants are
• where you live• how large your family is
• if your parents or guardians have an income
•  how much things cost.

Activity

     1. Think of your needs and wants.

    2. Make a shopping list.

    3. Find out how much the things on your list will cost.

   4. Share your shopping list with the class.

   5. Decide if there is anything on your shopping list that you do not need.

Activity

     1. What do people spend money on?

    2. What affects how people spend money?

   3. Roleplay how to buy and sell. Make the classroom into a shop. Decide

          what you will buy and what you will sell.

4.5 It is important to save money

Everybody has to save money. Then you can buy the things you need. Youmay also need things in an emergency. 

This is when something bad happens.

Your grandmother may get ill and you will need money to take her to the hospital.

Or your house might burn down and you will need money to build another.

Money should be valued. It is not good to waste it. So plan before you spend money. 

Always ask if you really need to spend it. Find out if there is something that costs less money.

4.5.1 How to save money

You can put money into a bank. A bank is a place where you keep money in a safe way. 

You get interest on the money you keep there. This means you get more money.

You can also put your money in a money box. Make a rule that you will not open your money box. 

Keep your money box in a safe place. You can also give your money to trusted elders to keep safe for you.

Activity

Discuss the following.

    1. What does it mean to save money?

    2. Why is it important to save?

    3. Where can you save money?

    4. Discuss the different ways of saving.

    5. Decide which are the best ways to save.

    6. Present your ideas to the class.

Homework

Make a money box. Decorate your money box with words and pictures that say why it is important to save money.

Self-assessment

How well can you do all the things in the checklist of learning?

End unit assessment

1. What is a need?

2. What is a want?

3. List two needs in society.

4. Explain how the environment helps to meet our needs.

Give two examples.

5. List two activities that can make money.

6. List two things most people spend money on.

7. Read the case study before you answer the questions.

a) What should the family do?

b) How can Mukesha earn money?

c) How can Mukesha save money?

d) Why is it important to save money?

e) Why is money useful?