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3rd Grade Scarcity and Choice worksheets

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Scarcity and Choice

Grade 3 Social Studies Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the answer.

  1. There are 3 library copies of a new book and 20 readers. Which plan is fair?

    • give the copies to the first 3 readers to keep
    • let the librarian's friends read first
    • let the readers who ask loudest go first
    • make a list and lend each copy for one week
  2. A town has $500. Fixing the playground costs $500. New library books cost $500. It fixes the playground. What does it give up?

    • $500 more next year
    • the playground repair
    • the new library books
    • the library building
  3. One soccer field is shared by 4 teams that take turns. What does each team give up?

    • its team uniforms
    • playing soccer at all
    • playing whenever it wants
    • its coach
  4. Why are 12 bus seats for 20 riders a problem?

    • Twelve riders have no seat.
    • Eight riders have no seat.
    • Eight seats stay empty.
    • Every rider has a seat.
  5. Which is the best example of scarcity?

    • a lake full of water after spring rain
    • a store with shelves full of bread
    • a school with a book for every child
    • a town with little water in a dry summer
  6. Eli has 30 minutes. He can read or play a game, not both. He reads. What does he give up?

    • his homework
    • 30 more minutes
    • playing the game
    • reading the book
  7. There are 2 art kits for 18 students. Which plan shares the kits fairly?

    • the first two students keep them all week
    • students who sit closest get them
    • the teacher keeps the kits on a shelf
    • groups take turns with the kits each day
  8. A bakery has flour for 20 loaves. It gets 30 orders. What must the baker do?

    • bake 30 loaves with the flour
    • choose which 20 orders to fill
    • stop selling bread forever
    • fill every order today
  9. What can a family do when money is scarce?

    • buy needs first and wait on wants
    • stop buying food
    • buy wants first and wait on needs
    • buy everything they see
  10. Two classes want the gym at 10:00. Which choice solves the problem?

    • one class goes at 10:00, one at 11:00
    • the class that asked last gets it
    • both classes go at 10:00
    • neither class makes a plan
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3rd Grade Scarcity and Choice worksheet 1 – printable PDF
Download PDF: 123456

About this worksheet

Scarcity and choice explain why people make decisions when resources, time, money, or space are limited helps third graders connect civic, geographic, historical, economic, and cultural ideas to evidence from everyday communities. Students may identify what people want but miss what they give up because they cannot choose every option at once. This worksheet uses short, concrete situations instead of broad recall questions. Students identify scarce resources, choose reasonable decisions, explain what people give up when they choose, and connect needs and wants to tradeoffs.

Support versions use familiar school and neighborhood examples. Standard and challenge versions add closer distractors and require more careful comparison. Encourage your child to read the situation first, name the social studies idea being tested, and then choose the answer that fits the evidence. If an answer sounds reasonable but does not match the title skill or the details in the prompt, it is a distractor. That habit builds stronger reasoning for maps, timelines, sources, communities, and economic choices.

What your child will learn

  • Identify scarcity
  • Make choices with limited resources
  • Explain what people give up when they choose
  • Compare needs and wants

C3 Framework standard: D2.Eco.1.3-5

Worked example

If a class has 1 garden hose for 8 garden beds, watering the driest beds first means other beds wait.

Common mistake

Thinking scarcity only means having no resources at all.

Helpful hint

Scarcity means there is not enough for every use at the same time.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with scarcity and choice?

Thinking scarcity only means having no resources at all.

How can I help my child with scarcity and choice?

Scarcity means there is not enough for every use at the same time.

Are these 3rd grade social studies worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

Similar: Wants and Needs · Goods and Services

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