Oklahoma Social Studies MWH.C.3.3.C

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Content Standards

The Standard

MWH.C.3: Analyze developments in politics, science, and philosophy contributing to human advancement and the rise of modern institutions of self-government.
MWH.C.3.3: Analyze the impact of the Enlightenment on modern government and economic institutions.

Examine the impact of Adam Smith’s theories, as presented in The Wealth of Nations, on modern economic thought and free enterprise.

Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · MWH.C.3.3

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain Smith’s ideas about specialized work, competition, and people pursuing their own interests. They connect those ideas to free enterprise using a present-day business.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given two competing stores, a student can explain why a seller might change prices or products to attract customers. They can explain how splitting work into tasks may raise output and name a problem a market might not fix on its own.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think Smith argued that every selfish choice helps everyone. Some think he wanted no government at all, or that competition always prevents monopolies and poor working conditions.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Two bakeries compete for customers, and each worker has one baking task. Explain one effect of competition, one effect of specialized work, and one problem the market might not fix.

Lesson moves

Have groups make paper chains twice, first with everyone doing every step, then with assigned cutting, folding, and joining jobs; compare totals.
Read a short excerpt from Smith’s pin factory example, then ask: What might workers gain or lose when each person repeats one task?
Give buyers budget cards and sellers cost cards; run three rounds of trading, recording how competing offers affect prices.
Compare two grocery store flyers for the same item, then discuss how each store tries to win customers.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to MWH.C.3.3.C, 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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