Fair Doesn't Always Mean Equal

Personal & Social Development · Empathy & Social Awareness · ages 7-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Treating everyone exactly the same is always the fairest way to treat people.
Circle one: True False
Which word means everyone gets the exact same amount, no matter what they need?
- Equal
- Fair
- Kind
Which is an example of equal treatment that isn't fair?
- Giving every kid a turn to speak in class
- Giving every kid the same size chair, even though some kids are much smaller
- Giving every kid the same homework assignment
There are 12 crayons to share fairly among 3 kids who all want to draw the same amount. How many crayons does each kid get?
Answer: ______________
Three friends want to read the same book, but there's only one copy. What's the fairest plan?
- Give it to whoever grabs it first
- Rip it into three pieces so everyone gets a piece
- Make a schedule so each friend gets a turn
A teacher lets a student who is learning English use a picture dictionary during a test. Other students don't use one. Why is this fair?
- Because that student needs extra help understanding the words right now
- Because the teacher likes that student best
- Because picture dictionaries are more fun
A class is choosing how to split time on two computers among kids with different amounts of work left. What's the best way to be fair?
- Give every kid exactly the same number of minutes
- Give the computers to whoever asks first
- Give more time to kids with more work left
Zoe says, 'Giving my little brother a bigger slice of cake than me is never fair.' What might Zoe be missing?
- Cake should always be cut into equal slices, no matter what
- Fair can mean different amounts based on need
- Zoe is right, this is always unfair

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Fair Doesn't Always Mean Equal W1-mt_mDp-1vlL3R-s1

False · Sometimes people need different things to be treated fairly. Same isn't always fair.
Equal · Equal means everyone gets the same amount. Fair can mean something different: giving each person what they actually need.
Giving every kid the same size chair, even though some kids are much smaller · A tiny kid stuck in a huge chair can't reach the table. Same chair for everyone isn't fair when kids' sizes are different.
4 · 12 shared evenly among 3 kids is 12 ÷ 3 = 4 crayons each. Equal sharing is fair here because all three kids want the same amount.
Make a schedule so each friend gets a turn · A turn schedule lets everyone actually read the whole book. That's fairer than grabbing it first or ruining it.
Because that student needs extra help understanding the words right now · The student needs the dictionary to understand the words. Giving extra support where it's needed is fair, even though it looks unequal.
Give more time to kids with more work left · Kids with more work left need more time. Fair sharing looks at what each kid needs, not just splitting minutes equally.
Fair can mean different amounts based on need · If her brother needs more, a bigger slice can still be fair. Fair depends on need, not just on being equal.