Looking Closer at the Fundamental Needs Card Sets

I have a lot to share about the new Fundamental Needs of People Card Sets, but it seemed like too much to put in the description of the item.

So, I thought I’d blog about it!

Here are some possible questions:

1. Who are these cards intended for?

These cards are intended for a child who has worked with both the Fundamental Needs of People Chart (including an introductory lesson, objects, and possibly reading a story like Robinson Crusoe).

As well, it’s important that they work with the Fundamental Needs of People Nomenclature Cards, since those give a definition for each of the 13 needs of people.

Since those lessons are usually given starting in first grade, and the child needs time to work with those materials and master them, I recommend these new card sets for 2nd grade on up. The reading level is age 8-11.

2. Why can’t I buy just one set individually?

I thought of listing them individually, but that would be a lot of extra work for me (13 items instead of just one!) And, any child who has worked on the Fundamental Needs Chart needs to learn about all the needs – not just one or two.

Also, to your benefit, if I listed them separately they would have been $4.99 each for a total of $64.87. So doing it this way means savings for all of you.

3. What exactly is included in this set?

This set is really 13 individual sets of cards. There is one set for each of the fundamental needs of people: religion, culture, social acceptance, legal system, health, money, tools, transportation, clothing, food, defense, shelter, and communication.

Each of the 13 sets has 12 pictures, labels, control cards, and definitions. It’s actually 91 printed pages all together!

4. Can you list the terms for each set?

Sure, here they are:

• Clothing: wedding gown and tuxedo, kimono, firefighter equipment, sweater, sari, cheongsam, jeans and t-shirt, lederhosen, kilt, space suit, sports uniform, scrubs
• Communication: signs, talking, mail, cell phone, body language, writing, praying, Braille, email, sign language, meeting, fine arts
• Culture: holidays, language, manners, monuments, learning, agriculture, fine arts, diversity, art gallery, books, museums, customs
• Defense: fortress, walls, castle, safe, military, self-defense, fences, boulders, lock, weapons, security camera, police officer
• Food: shish kebab, casserole, soup, dessert, pasta, salad, vegetables, dim sum, bread, burger, sandwich, fruit
• Health: exercise, strength training, nutrition, hospital, aromatherapy, supplements, hydration, yoga, sports, check-up, doctors and nurses, play
• Legal System: laws, law library, capitol building, law enforcement, courthouse, incarceration, marriage, village council, judge, legislature, courtroom, legal document
• Money: coins, paper money, piggy bank, allowance, charity, credit cards, bank, checks, shells, bartering, trading, ancient coins
• Religion: holy book, meals, idol, ceremonies, prayer, meditation, rosary, temple, rituals, mosque, cross, church
• Shelter: house, igloo, cave, cottage, hut, yurt, farmhouse, camper, log cabin, teepee (tipi), apartment, condominium
• Social Acceptance: handshake, mother, team, friends, study group, community, celebrations, family, role models, marriage, father, grandparents
• Tools: art tools, gardening tools, farming tools, simple machines, woodworking tools, cutting tools, utensils, writing tools, construction tools, fire, drawing tools, medical tools
• Transportation: car, horseback riding, double-decker bus, train, boat, bicycle, horse and carriage, recreational vehicles, walking, hot air balloons, airplane, motorcycles

5. How did you choose the terms?

There are dozens of potential terms for each category, but we had to narrow it to 12 each. We tried to make them cover as much ground as possible. As we always do, we made every effort to include as many countries and cultures as possible, and the definitions are written in a way that does not favor any specific country or culture.

6. Is there some overlap?

A few of the terms are included in more than one set. We felt that was necessary, because some are very important to more than one human need.

When we did include a term twice, we made sure that the pictures and definitions in each set were very different, so that the result is complementary information rather than repetition.

7. What if the child wants to know more?

We tried to make every word count when writing the definitions, but at a few sentences per term, there’s certainly lots more to learn. If a child shows interest in one of the types of needs, be sure to encourage them to do some additional research. These cards should be a springboard.

Hope this helps you understand the Fundamental Needs of People Card Sets!

Posted by Lori Bourne on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
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