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When Things Are Scarce is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on how scarcity affects production and price, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Eco.3.3-5. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 14 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

When Things Are Scarce

D2.Eco.3.3-5

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.When water is scarce in summer, what might a city ask people to do?
  • A.Water their lawns less often
  • B.Fill extra swimming pools
  • C.Leave the hoses running
2.Why are diamonds expensive while tap water is cheap in most places?
  • A.Water is harder to find than diamonds
  • B.Diamonds are easy to dig up
  • C.Diamonds are scarce, while tap water is plentiful
3.Lots of pumpkins grow this year. What probably happens to pumpkin prices?
  • A.They go up
  • B.Pumpkins disappear
  • C.They go down
4.Why do people sometimes stand in long lines when something is scarce?
  • A.There is not enough for everyone, so they hurry to get some
  • B.There is too much of it
  • C.Lines make things cheaper
5.What is scarcity?
  • A.A kind of tax
  • B.Having more than anyone needs
  • C.Not having enough of something for everyone who wants it
6.A storm closes the roads into a town for a week. What becomes scarce in its stores?
  • A.The town's name
  • B.Fresh food brought in by truck
  • C.Sunshine
7.A drought means farmers grow less wheat. What happens to bread prices?
  • A.They fall
  • B.They rise
  • C.Bread becomes free
8.A factory runs short of workers. What happens to how much it can make?
  • A.It makes more goods
  • B.It makes exactly the same
  • C.It makes fewer goods

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.3.3-5 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — When Things Are Scarce

Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Water their lawns less often
  2. 2.Diamonds are scarce, while tap water is plentiful
  3. 3.They go down
  4. 4.There is not enough for everyone, so they hurry to get some
  5. 5.Not having enough of something for everyone who wants it
  6. 6.Fresh food brought in by truck
  7. 7.They rise
  8. 8.It makes fewer goods

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Eco.3.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.