Is That Fair?
A 40-minute Kindergarten lesson on fairness and equality as things a group needs to work.
Is That Fair? is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.Civ.8.K-2 — describe fairness, equality and respect for rules as things a group needs. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten to Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.Civ.8.K-2
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · Civics
D2.Civ.8.K-2
Describe democratic principles such as equality, fairness, and respect for legitimate authority and rules.
Objective
Students will be able to judge whether a situation is fair and say what would make it fair.
Students are successful when they can
- Judges fair or not fair.
- Says who is treated differently.
- Says what would make it fair.
What you need
- Situation cards
- A bag of counters for the sharing demonstration
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — share these out
5 min- Share twelve counters between four children, giving one child six.
- Wait. Somebody will object. Ask them to say why.
Teach — who is treated differently?
13 min- Name the test: is somebody treated differently, and is there a good reason?
- Redo the counters evenly. Ask if that is fair now.
- Then a harder one: one child cannot reach the top shelf, so somebody gets it for them.
- Ask whether that is unfair. It is different treatment with a good reason.
- Say the two-part rule: different treatment needs a reason, or it is not fair.
“Somebody is being treated differently. Is there a good reason for it?”
Guided practice — judge six
12 min- Pairs judge six situations fair or not fair.
- For the unfair ones they say what would fix it.
- One of the six is different treatment with a good reason.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the fair-or-not-fair page.
- Read each one aloud.
Close
2 min- Give one situation. Take the judgement and the fix.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Says fair always means exactly the same.
Why: Equal shares is the first and strongest model of fairness.
Fix: The top-shelf example. Different treatment with a good reason is still fair, and this is where that starts.
Calls anything they dislike unfair.
Why: Unfair is the strongest word available for a complaint.
Fix: Ask who is treated differently. If nobody is, it is disappointing rather than unfair.
Judges without saying what would fix it.
Why: The judgement feels like the answer.
Fix: Always ask for the fix. Naming the remedy is what turns a complaint into a proposal.
If they are not there yet
- Three situations rather than six.
- Give the judgement and collect the fix.
If they finish early
- Find a situation the class genuinely disagrees about.
- Say when treating people differently is right.
- Write a fair rule for the reading corner.
Exit ticket
The tallest child always goes first. Fair or not? What would fix it?
What to look for: Not fair, plus a fix such as taking turns. A judgement with no fix is half the task.
Printable practice for D2.Civ.8.K-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Fair or Not Fair?Sort each one into fair or not fair.
Questions about Is That Fair?
How long does the Is That Fair? lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Is That Fair? teach?
D2.Civ.8.K-2 — D2.Civ.8.K-2, Civics for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Describe democratic principles such as equality, fairness, and respect for legitimate authority and rules.” In plain terms, describe fairness, equality and respect for rules as things a group needs.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Situation cards, a bag of counters for the sharing demonstration and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: says fair always means exactly the same; calls anything they dislike unfair and judges without saying what would fix it. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “The tallest child always goes first. Fair or not? What would fix it?.” Not fair, plus a fix such as taking turns. A judgement with no fix is half the task. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Is That Fair??
Yes — 1 printable D2.Civ.8.K-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Is That Fair? free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.Civ.8.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.