Students will be able to distinguish between the basic needs of prehistoric Indians and modern people. They will be able to compare the needs or prehistoric people to modern people, list some of those needs, and understand why the needs of those two groups are basically the same.

Grade: 4-7
Group Size: 20-25
Duration: 1 hour
Setting: Classroom

All humans need food, water, shelter, clothing and companionship to survive. This activity allows the students to list their own needs and compare them with the needs of prehistoric Indians. In this way, they can see how basic needs of people have not changed significantly throughout the ages, although in our materialistic society our desires and wants increased substantially.

1. Ask students to think of the basic things prehistoric Indians needed to survive. Write these four things-foods, shelter, clothing and companionship-on the board so a list can be compiled beneath each category.

2. Beneath each of these categories, write the three additional components prehistoric Indians needed to acquire for each of the basic needs: tools, raw materials and knowledge. Make these subheadings under each heading.

3. Under those subheadings, have students list items that were needed in order to acquire the basic needs. For instance, animals were needed as raw materials to acquire food, an axe was needed as a tool to build shelter, and knowledge of sewing was needed to create clothing. The companionship category will have fewer items.

4. After all the headings and subheadings have been filled, discuss what each of us today needs to survive. Emphasize basic survival, not simply living comfortably (needs not wants). Write these down on the board in the same way as the prehistoric Indians’ list was done.

5. Compare the list of the prehistoric Indians with those of modern people.

6. Emphasize how dependent we are on other people to provide us with basic needs to survive. Compare this with the prehistoric Indians’ relative independence.