ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBono’s Thinking Hats
 ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBono’s Thinking Hats

Rebecca Fooden
Economics
2nd Grade
Economics
 ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBono’s Thinking Hats
Goals:
By the end of this lesson, students will know the
difference between a producer and a consumer. They will
also be able to categorize items between wants and needs.

Objectives:
Content/Knowledge:
1.  Students will be able to identify the difference between
a producer and consumer.
2.  Students will be able to decide whether an item is a
want or a need.
Process/Skills:
Identify process or skills-related objectives.

Values/Dispositions:
Receiving, Organization, Characterization
 ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBono’s Thinking Hats
Rationale:
It is important for students to understand Economics at a
very early age. They need to understand the difference
between wants and needs and the financial decisions they
will ultimately need to make later on in life.
Standards:
State – Illinois Common Core or Learning Standards
SS.EC.1.2. Demonstrate how our choices can affect
ourselves and others in positive and negative ways.
SS.EC.FL.4.2. Explain that money can be saved or spent on
goods and services.
National – NCSS Themes
Culture, Production, Distribution, Consumption, Society,
Time, Change
Objective
 Objective
• Students will be discussing the different “hats” they wear (ex: student,
friend, son/daughter, brother/sister, etc.)
• They will be discussing the difference between producers and
consumers and when they wear the certain hats.
• Identify the difference between a producer and consumer to the students.
• Consumer: People who use goods and services.
• Producer: People who makes goods and provide services.

• Materials
• Worksheet to outline consumers/producers
Intuitive
 Intuitive
• Individually students will be filling out a worksheet with a
bunch of different items.
• The items will include food, cookies, water, clothes, pool
float, etc.
• The students will be asked to identify if these items are a
want or a need.

• Materials
• Worksheet
• Writing utensil
Positive/Strengths
 Positive/Strengths
• Students will be working individually and writing a
short essay on something they really want.
• They will be explaining why they want this thing and
how they are going to save up for it. (ex: doing chores
around the house)

• Materials
• Paper/Pencils
Negatives/Weaknesses
 Negatives/Weaknesses
• The class will be reading the book If You Give a Mouse a
Cookie.
• After the book has been read the class will have a
discussion about how if you keep giving, people/others will
keep taking.
• The students will be discussing if the mouse only wanted
goods or if the mouse wanted services as well.
• They will be making a chart to organize their thoughts.

• Materials
• Paper
• Markers/Colored Pencils
Creative
 Creative
• As a class we will be discussing the different currency
around the world.
• We will first discuss what currency is and how it is used.
• After that, the students will be learning that not the same
currency is used everywhere.
• We will discuss the major currencies used across the world.
• U.S. Dollar
• Yen
• Euro
• Materials
• Pictures of different currencies
Thinking About Thinking
 Thinking About Thinking

• Students will be learning about the banking system in the

United States.
• We will be discussing how the money isn’t necessarily in the
bank and that there is something called a loan that the bank
gives out.
• Loan means borrowing
 ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBono’s Thinking Hats
Visual  Learning,  Assessment,  and  Online  Resources:  
Visual  Learning:  Pictures  included  in  slides.    
Assessment:  
Students  will  be  assessed  by  being  given  a  certain  amount  of  
money  and  having  to  spend  it  all  on  various  items  within  their  
own  classroom  store.  To  show  their  understanding  of  content,  
they  will  need  to  first  purchase  the  essen<al  items  for  survival  
and  then  move  onto  things  they  want.    
Online  Resources:  
h:ps://www.pinterest.com/rebeccafooden/economics/