Whole Earth Curriculum WEC
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Lesson 03 — Fair or Unfair?

Learners tell whether simple situations are fair or unfair and say why, using sharing and turn-taking examples.

D09 P4: Contextual & Ecological Awareness D09.S2 45 minutes Draft
Objectives

Objectives

  • D09.S2.K.01 Tell when something is fair or unfair in a simple situation like sharing or taking turns.

Essential question

When is something fair, and when is it unfair?

Key vocabulary
fairunfairshareturn
Materials

Standard materials

  • Fair-or-unfair picture cards · 1 set Simple scenes (one child with all the crayons, children taking turns on a swing, one child getting every turn)
  • Two sorting trays or hoops · 2 Labeled "fair" and "unfair"
  • Crayons and paper · per learner

Low-tech / no-cost

  • Voice and body Act out each scene and let learners show "thumbs up" (fair) or "thumbs down" (unfair) instead of sorting cards
  • Found objects A few stones or sticks to act out sharing evenly or grabbing them all

Enriched / lab & device

  • Laminated fair-or-unfair cards · 1 set per pair Durable cards for repeated sorting games and discussion
  • Camera or tablet · 1 per group A photo app to capture learners acting out a fair and an unfair scene for the class "fairness wall"
Works in different contexts
  • large-group Hold up each scene and have the whole group show thumbs up or thumbs down, then name why
  • self-directed The learner sorts each card into "fair" or "unfair" and says one reason for each
  • outdoor-only Use a real shared object — one swing, one ball, a few stones — and act out a fair way and an unfair way to share it
Two panels. The left panel, "fair," shows two children sharing six crayons so each gets three, marked with a thumbs up. The right panel, "unfair," shows one child holding all six crayons while the other stands with empty open hands, marked with a thumbs down. The children have different skin tones. Labels, the number of crayons each child holds, and the thumbs carry the meaning, so it prints in grayscale and shows that fair means everyone gets a share while unfair leaves someone out.
Two panels. The left panel, "fair," shows two children sharing six crayons so each gets three, marked with a thumbs up. The right panel, "unfair," shows one child holding all six crayons while the other stands with empty open hands, marked with a thumbs down. The children have different skin tones. Labels, the number of crayons each child holds, and the thumbs carry the meaning, so it prints in grayscale and shows that fair means everyone gets a share while unfair leaves someone out.

Lesson 3 — Fair or Unfair?

Summary

Learners meet the words fair and unfair and practice telling which is which in simple, familiar situations — sharing, taking turns, being left out. They sort scenes and give a reason for each.

Objectives

  • Tell when something is fair or unfair in a simple situation like sharing or taking turns. (D09.S2.K.01)

Connection

Have you ever felt “that’s not fair!” — maybe someone grabbed all the crayons or took every turn? Everyone, in every part of the world, knows that feeling. Fairness is a question we all ask: did everyone get a turn? Did anyone get left out? Learning to see fair and unfair is the first step to making things fairer.

Materials

  • Fair-or-unfair picture cards
  • Two sorting trays or hoops labeled “fair” and “unfair”
  • Crayons and paper

Preparation

  • Prepare or draw fair-or-unfair picture cards showing simple scenes.
  • Label two sorting spots “fair” and “unfair.”

Facilitator note

Written to the learner (“you”). Fairness here is not a rule to obey but a question to explore together — hold each scene open (“what do you think? why?”) rather than declaring a single right answer. Some scenes are genuinely tricky, and that is good: invite learners to notice when they are unsure. Fairness is universal, but how people share differs across cultures — affirm different ways of being fair. Avoid shaming; name the act (“that leaves someone out”), never the child.

Procedure

  1. Gather (5 min). Think of a time you felt something was fair or unfair. What happened?
  2. Meet the words (10 min). Learn the words fair and unfair. Fair means everyone gets a turn or a share and no one is left out. Unfair means someone gets left out or gets everything.
  3. Sort the scenes (15 min). Look at each card. Is it fair or unfair? Put it in the right tray or hoop, and say why. For example: “Everyone gets a turn — that is fair” or “One child keeps the swing the whole time — that is unfair.”
  4. Draw one of each (10 min). Draw one fair scene and one unfair scene. Tell a partner which is which and why.
  5. Close (5 min). Remember: fair means everyone is included; unfair means someone is left out. You can notice both.

Differentiation

  • Support: Use just two very clear scenes; model “fair/unfair” with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down gesture.
  • Extension: Invite learners to think of a scene that is tricky — fair to one person but not to another — and talk it through with a partner.

Assessment

  • Formative (observation): Can the learner sort a simple scene as fair or unfair and give a reason?
  • Artifact (portfolio): The “fair and unfair” drawing pair, kept in the learner’s portfolio.

Home connection

At home, notice one fair moment and one unfair moment (like sharing a snack or a toy). Tell a grown-up which was which and why.