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ERIC Number: EJ773753
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 6
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0037-7996
EISSN: N/A
Making the Economic Concept of Scarcity Oh-so-Sweet: An Activity for the K-12 Classroom
Marks, Melanie; Davis, Cheryl
Social Studies, v97 n6 p239-244 Nov-Dec 2006
The authors outline an innovative activity that helps teachers make the abstract concepts of scarcity and allocation concrete in the K-12 classroom. Students evaluate the scarcity of chocolate and often determine, incorrectly, that the candy is not scarce because there is enough for each student to have one piece. After students reveal their preferences for the candy, they compare the total number of candies desired with the number of candies available. Because it is almost always the case that preferences cannot be met, students can easily see that candy is scarce. As with any scare resource, an allocation method is required. Students explore different alternatives for allocating the scarce good among competing consumers. The authors share results from three implementations of this activity. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Heldref Publications. 1319 Eighteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036-1802. Tel: 800-365-9753; Tel: 202-296-6267; Fax: 202-293-6130; e-mail: subscribe@heldref.org; Web site: http://www.heldref.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A