This learning cycle lesson plan uses hands-on experiences to assist fifth or sixth graders in developing the important economic concept of scarcity. This lesson focuses on enabling students to understand that scarcity forces people to make choices about goods and services because they cannot have everything they want.

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Melinda Staubs is a sixth grade social studies teacher at Walter Wellborn Elementary in Anniston, Alabama. She is currently a doctoral student working on her dissertation at the University of Alabama. Her research interests include economics education, pre-service teacher training, thinking dispositions, and middle school learners. Contact information: mstaubs@aol.com.