Economics:
Productive Resources and Specialization
Name:
Date:
Directions: For each question, study the information on the right then answer the question on the left. There
may be more than one correct answer for questions that show multiple possible answers.
Question #1
Which of the possible answer(s)
is/are the most accurate
economic outcome of the
information in the passage?
Copper is a metal found in nature. Copper is long lasting but it is soft
and easy to form into new shapes. Prehistoric Hopewell artists flattened
copper with stone hammers and cut it into detailed shapes with flint
knives. The Hopewells made beautiful jewelry or ornaments. However,
the Hopewells could not find the copper they needed near by. The best
copper deposits were many days of travel away from where the Ohio
Hopewells lived.
Possible answers:
There was specialization and trade in copper because people wanted
to have it but it was not found everywhere.
Hopewell artists made copper jewelry and ornaments as a voluntary
service to promote the common good.
Hopewell copper jewelry and ornaments were sold in foreign markets
in countries such as Great Britain and France.
Hopewell entrepreneurs built factories to make and sell thousands of
copies of the most popular pieces of jewelry.
Answer #1
Question #2
Clay
Sand and Gravel
Based on the availability of clay
and sand/gravel in Ohio, which
resource probably brings more
goods and services to the
citizens of our state?
Answer #2
History from the Ohio Hills
79
Resources & Specialization
Construction Sand & Gravel Production • 2006
Question #3
A. What was Ohio’s rank (1st,
2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th) in the value of
sand and gravel in 2006?
B. Write the value in words.
Top 5 States
Metric Tons
Used or Sold
Value
Arizona
83,700,000
$550,000,000
California
160,000,000
$1,530,000,000
Michigan
64,600,000
$262,000,000
Nevada
47,700,000
$227,000,000
Answer #3A:
Ohio
48,000,000
$289,000,000
Answer #3B:
Source: USGS Iron Ore Statistics and Information – 2006 Yearbook
Question #4
Part of a Newspaper Article from 1892
Read the quotations taken from
the 1892 newspaper article.
Choose the best title for the
story from the list below the
story.
“Thirty or forty years ago Ohio [was] second to Pennsylvania among
the iron ore producing states.”
“In 1870 Ohio fell to third. In 1880 Ohio’s rank was fifth. In 1889 she
was eleventh in rank.”
“Two years ago eleven counties in the State [of Ohio] mined some
[iron] ore. In 1890 there were [only] five [counties] and three of them
[mined ore] in quantities too small to consider.”
“Whatever [has caused] the problem, men who [know all of] the facts
unite in [saying] that the iron mining is becoming a dead industry [very
quickly] in Ohio.”
Answer #4
History from the Ohio Hills
Possible titles:
Ohio Ranks 11th in Iron Mining
A Dying Industry in Ohio
80
Ohio Leads in Iron Mining
Ohio Just Behind Pennsylvania
Resources & Specialization
Question #5
Which of the possible answers
describe what probably
happened in southeastern Ohio
because of the decrease in coal
production?
Between 1960 and 2000 the amount of coal that was mined in
southeastern Ohio decreased because most of it had already been mined.
The coal that was left was hard to reach.
Possible answers:
Trade and the production of goods using coal increased.
Trade increased but the production of goods using coal decreased.
Trade and the production of goods using coal decreased.
Answer #5:
Question #6
Which of the possible answers
explain why Native Americans
specialized in the trade of the
productive resource – Flint
Ridge Flint?
Answer #6
History from the Ohio Hills
Trade and the production of goods using coal stayed the same.
Flint Ridge is about eight miles long. It is located in Licking and
Muskingum counties. Flint Ridge flint has bright colors that most flint
does not have - red, pink, yellow, blue, and green. Both prehistoric and
historic American Indians mined flint at Flint Ridge. They traded the
flint for goods from as far away as the Rocky Mountains (obsidian) and
the Atlantic Ocean (sea shells). Today, Flint Ridge flint is polished to
make jewelry. It is Ohio's gemstone.
Possible answers:
Flint is a common kind of stone that can be found in many areas of
the United States.
Many different kinds of flint are made into cutting tools and weapons.
The flint was found only in a small area.
The flint had colors that most flint does not.
81
Resources & Specialization
Econom ics:
Product ive Resourc es and Spec ializat ion Answ er Key
1. Which of the possible answers is/are the most accurate economic outcome of the information in the
passage?
Copper is a metal found in nature. Copper is long lasting but it is soft and easy to form into new shapes.
Prehistoric Hopewell artists flattened copper with stone hammers, cut it into detailed shapes with flint
knives. The Hopewells made beautiful jewelry or ornaments. However, the Hopewells could not find the
copper they needed near by. The best copper deposits were many days of travel away from where the
Ohio Hopewells lived.
There was specialization and trade in copper because people wanted to have it but it was not found
everywhere.
2. Based on the availability of clay and sand/gravel in Ohio, which resource probably brings more good and
services to the citizens of our state?
The sand and gravel production map shows many more locations where sand and gravel are
produced than the clay production map. It is likely that sand and gravel production brings more
goods and services to the citizens of our state.
3. A. What was Ohio’s rank (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th) in the value of sand and gravel used or sold in 2006?
B. Write the value in words.
A. 3rd. The value of Ohio’s 2006 sand and gravel production ranked #3rd of the top 5 states.
B. $289,000,000 in words is two hundred eighty-nine million dollars.
4. Read the quotations taken from the 1892 newspaper article. Choose the best title for the story from the list
below the story.
A Dying Industry in Ohio. The title of the original article is “A Dead Industry in Ohio.” Download a
PDF file of the entire article from the New York Times Archives:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A03E5D91631E033A25751C2A9649C94639ED7CF
5. Which of the possible answers describe what probably happened in southeastern Ohio because of the
decrease in coal production? Between 1960 and 2000 the amount of coal that was mined in southeastern
Ohio decreased because most of it had already been mined. The coal that was left was hard to reach.
Trade and the production of goods decreased.
6. Which of the possible answers explain why Native Americans specialized in the trade of the productive
resource – Flint Ridge Flint?
Flint Ridge is about eight miles long. It is located in Licking and Muskingum counties. Flint Ridge flint
has bright colors that most flint does not have - red, pink, yellow, blue, and green. Both prehistoric and
historic American Indians mined flint at Flint Ridge. They traded the flint for goods from as far away as
the Rocky Mountains (obsidian) and the Atlantic Ocean (sea shells).
The flint was found only in a small area.
The flint had colors that most flint does not.
History from the Ohio Hills
82
Resources & Specialization