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3rd grade · Social Studies · Unit 5 of 7

Arizona at Work

The Five Cs, jobs, water and trade with Mexico

What your child practices

Arizona's economy: the Five Cs (copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate), farming, tourism, goods and services, earning and saving, scarce water, and how Arizona trades with Mexico and other states.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 3.E1.1; 3.E1.2; 3.E1.3; 3.E2.2 · industries and jobs that have shaped Arizona, earning income, incentives to save and spend, and how Arizona is connected to Mexico and other places by trade

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Arizona’s Five Cs: copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate.
  2. Water is scarce, so people make careful choices about using it.
  3. Arizona trades most with Mexico. Tourists come to see the Grand Canyon.

Example: Which is not one of Arizona’s Five Cs: copper, corn or cattle? The Five Cs are copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate. Corn is not on the list. Answer: corn

Arizona at Work in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 5 of 7 in 3rd grade Social Studies, after Governing Arizona and before Needs Around the World.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Copper is useful because it…

    • melts in the sun
    • is very soft like cotton
    • carries electricity well

  2. Question 2

    Scarce means…

    • there is not enough for everyone's wants
    • there is too much
    • it is free

  3. Question 3

    Oranges, lemons and grapefruit are…

    • nuts
    • vegetables
    • citrus fruits

  4. Question 4

    A park ranger at the Grand Canyon earns money by providing a…

    • loan
    • service
    • good

  5. Question 5

    Yuma is famous for growing lots of…

    • pineapples
    • bananas
    • lettuce and winter vegetables

  6. Question 6

    Why did many people move to Arizona after 1950?

    • free houses for everyone
    • jobs, warm weather and air conditioning
    • the state had no laws

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