Why people specialize and trade, and how coins replaced barter
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
What does the salt maker want, by Bo's first chain?
- Grain
- A basket
- Salt
- A coil of rope
What does the basket maker want, by Esme's first chain?
Use the picture in question 1.
- A rope
- Baskets
- Salt
- Grain
Why does no swap happen between the salt maker and the basket maker, by Jun's chain?
Use the picture in question 1.
- Salt and baskets weigh the same
- The basket maker has no baskets
- The salt maker has no salt
- Each side must want what the other has
Cause and effect chain "Goods that spoil (an example)": [1] a farmer's fresh fruit spoils if it waits; [2] the farmer cannot keep the fruit for a trade months away; [3] future swaps are hard to plan; [4] people want something that keeps its value and that others accept. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Example, made up for practice: fresh fruit stands for any good that spoils. Cause and effect chain "Goods that spoil (an example)": [1] a farmer's fresh fruit spoils if it waits; [2] the farmer cannot keep the fruit for a trade months away; [3] future swaps are hard to plan; [4] people want something that keeps its value and that others accept. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Example, made up for practice: fresh fruit stands for any good that spoils. Goods that spoil (an example) [1] a farmer's fresh fruit spoils if it waits [2] the farmer cannot keep the fruit for a trade months away [3] future swaps are hard to plan [4] people want something that keeps its value and that others accept Example, made up for practice: fresh fruit stands for any good that spoils. What happens to fresh fruit that waits, by Kira's second chain?
- It spoils
- It grows more valuable
- It turns into gold
- It becomes a basket
Why are swaps months away hard to plan, Luz asks?
Use the picture in question 4.
- Potters refuse to swap
- The farmer cannot keep fruit for later
- No one wants fruit in any season
- Fruit grows more valuable as it waits
A bowl maker wants a coat, but the coat maker wants a rug. Which box of Noah's first chain does this match?
Cause and effect chain "A swap that fails (an example)": [1] a salt maker has extra salt and wants a basket; [2] the basket maker has baskets but wants a rope, not salt; [3] no swap happens, because each side must want what the other has; [4] the salt maker must first find a rope maker who wants salt, then trade the rope for the basket. Arrows: 1 → 3, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Example, made up for practice: the salt maker, basket maker and rope maker are imaginary. Cause and effect chain "A swap that fails (an example)": [1] a salt maker has extra salt and wants a basket; [2] the basket maker has baskets but wants a rope, not salt; [3] no swap happens, because each side must want what the other has; [4] the salt maker must first find a rope maker who wants salt, then trade the rope for the basket. Arrows: 1 → 3, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Example, made up for practice: the salt maker, basket maker and rope maker are imaginary. A swap that fails (an example) [1] a salt maker has extra salt and wants a basket [2] the basket maker has baskets but wants a rope, not salt [3] no swap happens, because each side must want what the other has [4] the salt maker must first find a rope maker who wants salt, then trade the rope for the basket Example, made up for practice: the salt maker, basket maker and rope maker are imaginary. - No swap happens, because each side must want what the other has
- A salt maker has extra salt and wants a basket
- The salt maker must first find a rope maker who wants salt
- The basket maker has baskets but wants a rope, not salt
A baker's fresh loaves go stale before the next trading day. Which box of Pia's second chain does this match?
Cause and effect chain "Goods that spoil (an example)": [1] a farmer's fresh fruit spoils if it waits; [2] the farmer cannot keep the fruit for a trade months away; [3] future swaps are hard to plan; [4] people want something that keeps its value and that others accept. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Example, made up for practice: fresh fruit stands for any good that spoils. Cause and effect chain "Goods that spoil (an example)": [1] a farmer's fresh fruit spoils if it waits; [2] the farmer cannot keep the fruit for a trade months away; [3] future swaps are hard to plan; [4] people want something that keeps its value and that others accept. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Example, made up for practice: fresh fruit stands for any good that spoils. Goods that spoil (an example) [1] a farmer's fresh fruit spoils if it waits [2] the farmer cannot keep the fruit for a trade months away [3] future swaps are hard to plan [4] people want something that keeps its value and that others accept Example, made up for practice: fresh fruit stands for any good that spoils. - Future swaps are hard to plan
- A farmer's fresh fruit spoils if it waits
- The farmer cannot keep the fruit for a trade months away
- People want something that keeps its value and that others accept
A tailor spends the whole week looking for someone to swap with and sews nothing. Which box of Ren's third chain does this match?
Cause and effect chain "Time lost to swapping": [1] finding the right person to swap with takes a long time; [2] workers spend that time bartering instead of making goods; [3] less is made, and the economy grows slowly; [4] money, which sellers accept for any good, solves these problems. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Cause and effect chain "Time lost to swapping": [1] finding the right person to swap with takes a long time; [2] workers spend that time bartering instead of making goods; [3] less is made, and the economy grows slowly; [4] money, which sellers accept for any good, solves these problems. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Time lost to swapping [1] finding the right person to swap with takes a long time [2] workers spend that time bartering instead of making goods [3] less is made, and the economy grows slowly [4] money, which sellers accept for any good, solves these problems - Finding the right person to swap with takes a long time
- Money, which sellers accept for any good, solves these problems
- Workers spend that time bartering instead of making goods
- Less is made, and the economy grows slowly
Tala's note says, "The basket maker wants salt." Which fix is right?
Cause and effect chain "A swap that fails (an example)": [1] a salt maker has extra salt and wants a basket; [2] the basket maker has baskets but wants a rope, not salt; [3] no swap happens, because each side must want what the other has; [4] the salt maker must first find a rope maker who wants salt, then trade the rope for the basket. Arrows: 1 → 3, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Example, made up for practice: the salt maker, basket maker and rope maker are imaginary. Cause and effect chain "A swap that fails (an example)": [1] a salt maker has extra salt and wants a basket; [2] the basket maker has baskets but wants a rope, not salt; [3] no swap happens, because each side must want what the other has; [4] the salt maker must first find a rope maker who wants salt, then trade the rope for the basket. Arrows: 1 → 3, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Example, made up for practice: the salt maker, basket maker and rope maker are imaginary. A swap that fails (an example) [1] a salt maker has extra salt and wants a basket [2] the basket maker has baskets but wants a rope, not salt [3] no swap happens, because each side must want what the other has [4] the salt maker must first find a rope maker who wants salt, then trade the rope for the basket Example, made up for practice: the salt maker, basket maker and rope maker are imaginary. - Change "salt" to "a rope"
- Change "wants" to "sells"
- Change "basket maker" to "salt maker"
- Leave it: the basket maker wants what the salt maker has
Ari's note says, "Bartering makes an economy grow faster." Which fix is right?
Cause and effect chain "Time lost to swapping": [1] finding the right person to swap with takes a long time; [2] workers spend that time bartering instead of making goods; [3] less is made, and the economy grows slowly; [4] money, which sellers accept for any good, solves these problems. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Cause and effect chain "Time lost to swapping": [1] finding the right person to swap with takes a long time; [2] workers spend that time bartering instead of making goods; [3] less is made, and the economy grows slowly; [4] money, which sellers accept for any good, solves these problems. Arrows: 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4. Time lost to swapping [1] finding the right person to swap with takes a long time [2] workers spend that time bartering instead of making goods [3] less is made, and the economy grows slowly [4] money, which sellers accept for any good, solves these problems - Change "economy" to "fruit"
- Change "grow" to "spoil"
- Change "faster" to "slowly"
- Leave it: more swaps make more goods