Activity 01
Simulation Game: The One Token Store
Set up a simple classroom store with four items: a sticker, a bookmark, five extra minutes of free play, and a special pencil. Each student receives exactly one token and must choose one item, giving up the rest. Debrief as a class: 'How did it feel to give up the other things you wanted?'
Explain why we cannot always have everything we want.
Facilitation TipDuring The One Token Store, circulate to listen for students articulating their choices and what they gave up, such as ‘I chose the sticker and now I can’t have the eraser.’
What to look forPresent students with a scenario: 'There are only 3 crayons left, but 5 friends want to draw. What is the problem?' Ask students to point to the limited resource and explain why a choice must be made.
ApplyAnalyzeEvaluateCreateSocial AwarenessDecision-Making
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Activity 02
Think-Pair-Share: What Would You Choose?
Present a scenario: 'You have enough money to buy a new book or go to the movies, but not both. Which do you choose?' Students share their choice with a partner and give one reason. Partners share back what they heard and whether they made the same choice.
Analyze a situation where a choice must be made due to limited resources.
Facilitation TipFor What Would You Choose, pause pairs after 2 minutes to highlight one student’s reasoning before they share with the whole group.
What to look forGive each student a picture of two items (e.g., a toy car and a book) and a limited amount of play money. Ask them to circle the item they would choose and write one sentence explaining why they made that choice.
UnderstandApplyAnalyzeSelf-AwarenessRelationship Skills
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Activity 03
Inquiry Circle: Dividing Up the Resources
Small groups receive a limited set of supplies (five crayons, three sheets of paper) and a shared task (draw a class mural section). Groups must decide how to distribute materials fairly. Afterward they discuss: 'Was there enough? What choices did you make? What would you do differently next time?'
Predict the outcome of making a good choice versus a poor choice with resources.
Facilitation TipIn Dividing Up the Resources, model fairness by counting aloud and pointing to each student as they receive their share of the limited item.
What to look forPose a question: 'Imagine you have only enough time to play with one toy before clean-up. Which toy do you choose, and what do you give up by not choosing the other toy?' Facilitate a brief class discussion about the trade-offs involved.
AnalyzeEvaluateCreateSelf-ManagementSelf-Awareness
Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teach scarcity by starting with the familiar and moving to the abstract. Use simple language like ‘not enough’ and ‘have to choose’ instead of economic terms. Avoid over-explaining; let students discover the concept through guided play and discussion. Research shows that young children learn best when they experience constraints directly and discuss trade-offs in relatable contexts.
Successful learning looks like students recognizing that scarcity requires choices, explaining what they give up when they choose, and applying this understanding to new classroom situations. Children should connect the concept to their daily experiences and express it in their own words.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During The One Token Store, watch for students who insist on taking multiple items despite only having one token.
Gently redirect by saying, ‘You can only choose one item with your token. Which one do you want most right now?’ Hold up the tokens to reinforce the limit.
During Dividing Up the Resources, watch for students who believe everyone can have as much as they want if they just ask nicely.
Use the limited resource to demonstrate scarcity: ‘There are only 4 scissors, and 20 students want to cut. What can we do?’ Guide them to divide the scissors evenly or take turns.
Methods used in this brief