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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 2 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.A storm closes the roads into a town for a week. What becomes scarce in its stores?
  • A.Fresh food brought in by truck
  • B.The town's name
  • C.Sunshine
2.A drought means farmers grow less wheat. What happens to bread prices?
  • A.Bread becomes free
  • B.They rise
  • C.They fall
3.A bakery has only enough flour for 20 loaves. What must the baker decide?
  • A.How to close for a year
  • B.Which loaves to make and who can buy them
  • C.How to make flour from water
4.Why are diamonds expensive while tap water is cheap in most places?
  • A.Diamonds are scarce, while tap water is plentiful
  • B.Water is harder to find than diamonds
  • C.Diamonds are easy to dig up
5.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
6.Lots of pumpkins grow this year. What probably happens to pumpkin prices?
  • A.They go down
  • B.They go up
  • C.Pumpkins disappear
7.What is scarcity?
  • A.Having more than anyone needs
  • B.A kind of tax
  • C.Not having enough of something for everyone who wants it
8.A shortage of computer chips slows car factories. What happens?
  • A.Cars become free
  • B.Fewer new cars are made, and their prices go up
  • C.More cars are made than ever

LessonPrint · D2.Eco.3.3-5 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — When Things Are Scarce

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Fresh food brought in by truck
  2. 2.They rise
  3. 3.Which loaves to make and who can buy them
  4. 4.Diamonds are scarce, while tap water is plentiful
  5. 5.It makes fewer goods
  6. 6.They go down
  7. 7.Not having enough of something for everyone who wants it
  8. 8.Fewer new cars are made, and their prices go up

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