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Grade 3 · Social Studies · Economics

3rd Grade Scarcity and Choice worksheets

6 printable versionsBuilding ConfidenceAbout 9 minutes eachFree · no account

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Scarcity and Choice

Grade 3 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the answer.

  1. There are 2 art kits and 18 students. What is the problem?

    • Every student already has a kit.
    • There are not enough kits for everyone.
    • There are too many kits.
  2. Ana has $5. She can buy a kite or a book. She buys the kite. What does she give up?

    • the book
    • a trip to the store
    • the kite
  3. Which of these shows scarcity?

    • enough chairs for the whole class
    • 1 soccer field for 4 teams at once
    • a pencil for every student
  4. There are 3 computers and 15 students. Which choice is fair?

    • let the same 3 students use them daily
    • let the fastest runners use them
    • take turns with a timer
  5. What does scarcity mean?

    • not enough of something for everyone
    • something that costs nothing
    • more than enough for everyone
  6. Max has time for soccer or swimming on Saturday. He picks soccer. What does he give up?

    • swimming on Saturday
    • soccer on Saturday
    • his Saturday lunch
  7. There are 12 bus seats and 20 riders. Which choice is fair?

    • run a second bus trip
    • let 12 riders sit and the rest walk
    • let only the oldest riders ride
  8. Why do people have to make choices?

    • Everything in stores is free.
    • They cannot have everything they want.
    • Stores sell only one thing.
  9. A class has 1 garden hose for 8 garden beds. What will happen?

    • Some beds must wait for water.
    • Every bed gets water at once.
    • The beds will not need water.
  10. Jo has $4. A ball costs $4 and a puzzle costs $4. Why must she choose?

    • Both toys are free.
    • She has money for only one.
    • The puzzle costs more than $4.
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3rd Grade Scarcity and Choice worksheet 1 – printable PDF
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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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