Session 2: Practice Activities
Time to Practice!
Here are 6 activities to reinforce what you learned. Try them all!
Difficulty levels: Easy Medium Challenge
1 Needs/Wants Card Sort Easy Group Activity
Write 20 items on cards (examples: water, WiFi, designer shoes, vegetables, smartphone, winter coat, video games, medicine, birthday cake, school supplies). Sort them into three piles: Always a Need, Always a Want, and Depends on Context. Compare your piles with a partner and discuss disagreements.
2 Ad Detective Easy Research
Find 3 advertisements (online, in a magazine, or on TV). For each ad, answer: (1) What product is being sold? (2) What trick is being used? (3) Does the ad make a want seem like a need? (4) Would you buy this product? Why or why not?
3 Opportunity Cost Scenarios Medium Discussion
For each scenario, identify the opportunity cost: (1) You have $20 — you buy a book instead of saving it. (2) You spend Saturday playing video games instead of earning $15 helping a neighbor. (3) You buy name-brand shoes for $80 instead of similar ones for $30.
4 Spending Diary Design Medium Creative
Design a one-week spending diary. Create columns for: Date, Item, Amount, Need or Want, and Reflection. Use it for one week to track every purchase or money decision you make.
5 Moderation Challenge Medium Writing
Write about a time you (or someone you know) was wasteful with something — money, food, time, or resources. What happened? What would Qasad (moderation) have looked like in that situation? What would you do differently?
6 Family Budget Discussion Challenge Critical Thinking
Interview a family member about one difficult spending decision they made recently. Ask: What were the options? What did they choose? What was the opportunity cost? Would they make the same choice again? Write a short summary of what you learned.