Anything in the news that involves choices - what you buy, what you eat, even going to the movies - is about making choices. Economics is really about people making choices - not merely about making money. The definition of economics is the "science of choice." Most importantly, I want my students to know that when you make a choice, you give up something else. For example, when you purchase something, you have to give up money or another product or activity because of your choice.
I like USA TODAY's features on lifestyles and food in the LIFE section, and the entire SPORTS section because they highlight stories involving choices that children are interested in. The stories on food involve making several choices to determine how much it costs to create a meal. The lifestyle material is effective because we can talk about, for example, which movies they like. We read the reviews and compare them to other opinions, or write our own reviews. We also discuss why kids and adults like different movies.
