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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 5 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.Gasoline becomes scarce after a pipeline breaks. What might drivers do?
  • A.Drive less and share rides
  • B.Drive more than before
  • C.Fill up two cars each
2.Why do people sometimes stand in long lines when something is scarce?
  • A.There is too much of it
  • B.There is not enough for everyone, so they hurry to get some
  • C.Lines make things cheaper
3.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
4.Lots of pumpkins grow this year. What probably happens to pumpkin prices?
  • A.They go up
  • B.They go down
  • C.Pumpkins disappear
5.A shortage of computer chips slows car factories. What happens?
  • A.More cars are made than ever
  • B.Fewer new cars are made, and their prices go up
  • C.Cars become free
6.A bakery has only enough flour for 20 loaves. What must the baker decide?
  • A.Which loaves to make and who can buy them
  • B.How to close for a year
  • C.How to make flour from water
7.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
8.A frost ruins half the orange crop. What happens to the price of oranges?
  • A.It stays the same
  • B.It goes up
  • C.It goes down

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

Answer key — When Things Are Scarce

Set 5. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Drive less and share rides
  2. 2.There is not enough for everyone, so they hurry to get some
  3. 3.Diamonds are scarce, while tap water is plentiful
  4. 4.They go down
  5. 5.Fewer new cars are made, and their prices go up
  6. 6.Which loaves to make and who can buy them
  7. 7.It makes fewer goods
  8. 8.It goes up

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