Bea and Mr. Jones  by Amy Schwartz
Bradbury Press
32 pages
ISBN 0-02-781430-0

Summary: Bea is very tired of kindergarten, and her father is very tired of his job in advertising. Bea trades jobs with her dad and the results are productive.

Concept: Trade-Offs

Definition: When making a choice, trade-offs means getting a little less of one thing in order to get a little more of another.

Comprehension Questions:

Identify the trade-offs made by Bea and Mr. Jones. (Bea chooses working at the advertising office instead of going to kindergarten. Mr. Jones chooses going to kindergarten instead of working at his office).

Evaluate Bea's trade-off. Compare the cost and benefits of each "job."
(Kindergarten consists of beanbag games, clothespin games, etc. These things are boring to Bea. Her dad's job involves catching the 7:45 train, working hard at his desk, and laughing at the boss's jokes. The benefits are the opportunities to be creative, promotions, business lunches, etc. Therefore, the advertising job is the best choice for Bea.)

Evaluate Mr. Jones' trade-off. Compare the cost and benefits of each "job."
(reverse answer above)

Other Concepts: Opportunity Cost

(From KidsEcon Posters©: www.kidseconposters.com)