Activity #1
Click here to read "The Perfect Pet", a story about a young girl that goes to a pet store with her father to pick out a pet.  Before reading, predict on your "Perfect Pet Assignment Sheet" what type of pet you think the little girl with choose.


Activity #2
With a partner, discuss what you need to do to keep your pet healthy and happy.  Record your answer on your "Perfect Pet Assignment Sheet". 

Activity #3
If you have a pet, you have to care for it. Pets depend on their owners to provide the goods and services that keep them healthy and happy. These things are called economic wants and needs.  Click here to see all of the economic wants and needs of pet owners.  When you are finished record the needs and wants that you read about on your "Perfect Pet Activity Sheet".

Did you see any of the needs that you recorded in Activity #2?

Activity #4
Few pet owners have enough money to buy everything they want for their pets. This is called a scarcity problem. Scarcity is when you don't have enough of something that you need, like money.  Scarcity forces people to make choices.  Click on the following activity to see how you must make choices because of scarcity.  A New Fish

Were you able to buy everything that you wanted for your new fish?  The stuff that you could not buy because you didn't have enough money is called your Opportunity Cost, or the thing that you had to give up.  BE SURE YOU MEET YOUR PET'S NEEDS FIRST, then record your Opportunity Cost on your "Perfect Pet Activity Sheet".

 

Activity #5
Use the following links and your "Perfect Pet Activity Sheet" to complete activity #5. 

PetSmart Pet Center,
Petco,
Pet Supplies Plus

 

Other Online Economic Activities to try
 when you are finished!!

Moneyville

Lemonade Stand

Economic Games

Economics Fun and Games

Ms. Kelso's Economics Website

 

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