Personal Skills Questionnaire (Elementary)

(for a printable PDF version of this form, click here)

Name:_______________________________  Date:________________________________

School:______________________________  Grade:____________  Age:______________

How well could you explain these ideas to someone who is not in your class?

Not at all A Little bit Some of it Most of it All of it
1 I can improve my life by learning more things. 0 1 2 3 4
2 Businesses have to make choices because they don’t have everything they need. 0 1 2 3 4
3 Specialization increases what I can make and what I can buy. 0 1 2 3 4
4 It makes sense to study for another hour if I gain more than I give up. 0 1 2 3 4
5 When I specialize in doing one thing well, I can trade with others for the things they do well. 0 1 2 3 4
6 Buyers and sellers have most of the power in a market economy. 0 1 2 3 4
7 The price of an item is not the same thing as the cost. 0 1 2 3 4
8 It is important to think about results when making a choice. 0 1 2 3 4
9 I may make a different choice than my friend because I have a different goal. 0 1 2 3 4
10 The cost of an item is not the same as the price. 0 1 2 3 4
11 Thinking about the good and bad things that will happen will help me make the best choice. 0 1 2 3 4
12 Businesses make choices about how much to produce based on how many people are buying their goods. 0 1 2 3 4
13 There is a difference between what I need and what I want. 0 1 2 3 4
14 Understanding the past helps me make good choices. 0 1 2 3 4
15 The results of a choice can happen quickly. 0 1 2 3 4
16 Thinking about my bad choices helps me make good choices in the future. 0 1 2 3 4
17 The price of an item can be compared to how much time I need to spend earning enough money to pay for it. 0 1 2 3 4
18 The economic system I live in affects my choices but does not totally control them. 0 1 2 3 4
19 When I make a choice the result can be good or bad. 0 1 2 3 4
20 What is good for me and what is good for the country are defined in a similar way. 0 1 2 3 4
21 The opportunity cost is what I must give up in order to get something else. 0 1 2 3 4

How well could you explain these ideas to someone who is not in your class?

Not at all A Little bit Some of it Most of it All of it
22 There are costs for me to paint my room even if all the materials are free. 0 1 2 3 4
23 We can change people’s actions with rewards and punishments. 0 1 2 3 4
24 Every choice has a result. 0 1 2 3 4
25 The price of one item can be compared to the price of another item that I might want, helping me make a decision. 0 1 2 3 4
26 Thinking about my good choices helps me make good choices in the future. 0 1 2 3 4
27 I will make a better choice if I can think of the results of my choice. 0 1 2 3 4
28 When we trade, we have more choices. 0 1 2 3 4
29 I am always a buyer and a seller no matter where I live. 0 1 2 3 4
30 To change people’s actions, start with rewarding the things we like. 0 1 2 3 4
31 A choice I make may have a short term cost but will help me for a long time. 0 1 2 3 4
32 People don’t always make choices about things based on how much they cost. 0 1 2 3 4
33 I may make a different choice than my friend because I have different beliefs. 0 1 2 3 4
34 Results from a choice can be surprising. 0 1 2 3 4
35 The best choices occur when thinking about the future. 0 1 2 3 4
36 Rewards and punishments affect the choices we make. 0 1 2 3 4
37 When we are honest, trading works better. 0 1 2 3 4
38 There are costs that I can see and touch in addition to costs I cannot see and touch. 0 1 2 3 4
39 When I am good at something, I can do a better job in less time. 0 1 2 3 4
40 The type of economy I live in affects the choices I make. 0 1 2 3 4
41 When we trade with others we get to know them better and it helps us be friends. 0 1 2 3 4
42 It is important to consider the additional cost or benefit of doing one more thing. 0 1 2 3 4
43 Leaders make choices in a command economy. 0 1 2 3 4

How well could you explain these ideas to someone who is not in your class?

Not at all A Little bit Some of it Most of it All of it
44 It is not helpful to think a lot about past decisions. 0 1 2 3 4
45 The term “marginal” refers to and describes the additional cost or benefit of a given behavior. 0 1 2 3 4
46 It is important for the economy to grow and stay healthy. 0 1 2 3 4
47 There are goods and services always moving between people and governments. 0 1 2 3 4
48 Every choice has only two final options. 0 1 2 3 4
49 When I do not make a choice for myself the result can be good or bad. 0 1 2 3 4
50 Some examples of cost include, time, labor, and safety. 0 1 2 3 4
51 When we specialize in one thing, we have to trade to get the other things we want. 0 1 2 3 4
52 I make choices because I want more things than I really need. 0 1 2 3 4
53 People in a traditional economy make choices based on what has been done in the past. 0 1 2 3 4
54 When consequences are given for things we don’t like, those things tend to not happen as often. 0 1 2 3 4
55 Money is a reward but not the only one. 0 1 2 3 4
56 It is important that laws be enforced to keep the economy strong. 0 1 2 3 4
57 When we reward something it tends to get bigger or happen more often. 0 1 2 3 4
58 The lower the supply of a product or service that people want, the more likely it is that the price will go up. 0 1 2 3 4