This lesson teaches students about sharing resources, inequality, and community in a fun and tasty way.
First, students will see how a resource can be "shared" in an unequal fashion, then students will generate strategies for how to share a finite resource with equity.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This lesson is very engaging and will have students talking about the big ideas presented long after class ends.
The PDF includes step-by-step instructions for conducting the activity, many discussion questions, and a way to measure student learning after the conclusion of the lesson.
The video walks teachers through the procedures for the lesson.
Additional Prerequisites
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For the activity, teachers will need 20 Goldfish crackers per student, napkins, snack baggies, and a serving bowl.
Differentiation
Science classes could use this lesson while discussing Earth's finite resources and how to equitably allocate what is left.
Because this lesson will be a touchstone of importance throughout the year, consider writing some of the answers to the discussion questions on a chart to display.
Goldfish crackers are one option for this activity, but it can be done with any large quantity of small items, like marbles, small candies, pencils, or acorns.
The lesson plan includes ideas for incorporating math concepts into the activity.
Other related resources include these games that teach students about the environment, this math activity that deals with greenhouse gas, and this digital picture book about kids changing the world.
Scientist Notes
This resource shows a practical illustration for students to learn the basic concepts of resource distribution and allocation. This is ideal for the classroom.
Standards
Mathematics
Quantitative Reasoning: Counting and Cardinality (K)
K.CC.A.2 Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).
K.CC.C.6 Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group (e.g., by using matching and counting strategies). Include groups with up to ten objects.
Social Studies
Civics & Government
Civics & Government 1: Students understand key ideas and processes that characterize democratic government in the community and the United States by describing and providing examples of democratic ideals.
Personal Finance & Economics
Economics: Students understand the nature of economics as well as key foundational ideas by explaining how people make choices about how to use scarce resources and make individual and collaborative plans to meet their own needs and wants.
