Idaho Social Studies 6-9.WH.3.4

Social StudiesGrades 6–9Economics

The Standard

Analyze the impact of economic growth on society.

Idaho Content Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain how producing more goods and services can change jobs, prices, and daily life. They use evidence to show who benefits and who bears costs.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can explain how increased cloth production might create jobs and lower clothing prices. They can also explain how factory pollution affects people who use the river.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think growth means everyone earns more. They may assume new jobs have good pay and safe conditions. Some confuse growth with a larger population rather than more goods and services being produced.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: A town's textile output doubles. Mill jobs rise from 200 to 600, but pollution closes a fishery. Name one benefit, one cost, and who experiences each.

Lesson moves

Give pairs job, wage, and pollution cards for a growing mill town; have them sort benefits and costs by workers, owners, and neighbors.
Ask: A factory doubles its output and cuts cloth prices, but dumps dye into a river. Who gains, who loses, and why?
Have teams match factory growth cards to outcome cards, then explain why more cloth made might lead to cheaper cloth.
Show a photo of a new grocery store and ask students to predict effects on local jobs, shoppers, and nearby shops.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6-9.WH.3.4, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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