Choice (1978, sound)

What happens when you make a choice? Choosing one thing often means giving up something else. Watch for the choices made in this program and watch for what is given up. The Canadian Foundation for Economic Education and the Joint Council on Economic Education present Tradeoffs. [music] [music] [music] Good morning. [music] >> [music] >> Stupid, stupid, stupid car. Hey. >> Uh, why'd you kick your tire like that? >> Because I like kicking my tire, if that's all right with you. >> Uh, can I kick it, too? >> No, I'm the only one that can kick my tire. Look, the car is in park and the brakes on, so get inside and riv it up. Okay. >> Okay. Murf says he's changed his mind and now you guys are going to take me with you to the game on Friday. >> No, he didn't. >> Oh, yes he did. He told me. He said he didn't want to be a crummy brother and not take me to the game. >> Sure. >> Come on, Rick. >> Why can't I go with these guys? I'm not going to do anything. My favorite player is pitching. >> Because I told you. >> Because why? >> Because there's not enough room in the car. The car only sits two people. Now look, when I wave my hand, you rev it up. Okay. >> Okay. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Game set match. Drake blackening on. >> [music] [music] >> Some trophies, darling. They're terrific. Hey kids, come on in. Listen, I want to thank all of you. You did a great job this week. Hot weather and all. You really hustled. Move the tournament along terrifically. I got a big surprise for you. All the people at the club are going to send each and every one of you on a free trip to Kings Dominion Park. How's that? >> How about that? Oh, wow. >> Isn't that great? >> Each one of you is going to receive tickets worth $6 and all you have to do is go home and tell your folks about it and get their permission and then have them call me sometime very soon, okay? The next day or two, no later. And then the trip will be on Friday. Okay? >> So, Kings Dominion it is. And it's just our way of saying thanks for all your help. We really appreciate it. >> Let's go in and get something to eat before the club guy gets here to pick us up. >> We just had three turtles. >> That was over 5 minutes ago. Hi Rick. I thought you were going to the game this afternoon. >> I am little brother and this is your lucky day cuz you can go too. >> I thought you were going with Murf. >> Murf has to work. So you can go along and see your favorite picture after all. >> Hello men. >> Don't you ever stop eating? >> Only when I sleep. >> Let's go, Gordon. >> What am I going to do? >> Here. Have a donut. What's the trouble? >> Well, we're supposed to go to the King's Dominion today. All the kids who worked at the tennis tournament are going. >> That's tough. >> What's tough? >> Remember, I wanted to go to the game today, but Murf and Rick wouldn't take me. Well, now Murf has to work, and Rick says he'll take me. >> But if you go to the game, you're going to have to give up going to the amusement park. >> Maybe I can do both some. >> King's Dominion's a long way from here. You don't have time. >> But if I go to King's Dominion, I'm going to miss the game. Well, what are you going to do? >> Come on, let's go. We've got donuts in here, Harold. >> Here they are. Harold, >> come on, Golden. >> King's Dominion or the ball game? I have to make a choice. Here we go. We're here. >> [music] >> Okay. >> Okay. Let me get you the tickets. >> Wait for me. I've got the tickets. Okay. Everybody gets six bucks worth of tickets. Right. >> You can only spend tickets once you get inside the park. >> For food, too. >> Yes, [music] Harold. For food. Now, listen. If you brought any of your own money that you want, >> Loretta, if you have any of your own money that you want to spend for extra things, you come back out to the main ticket booth and you purchase your tickets. Okay. Okay, they're 20 cents [music] a piece. Got it. >> Listen, I'll meet you back here at 7:00. Then we're going to take our group [music] picture for the club newsletter. All right. >> I think it's a good idea that the people that paid for this trip see what a terrific time you had. Okay. [music] >> Yeah. >> All right. Have a good time. >> Come on. >> Wow. Wow. Hey, wait up a sec. >> Let's get some taffy apples, >> Harold. Oh, >> come on, Harold. We've used up four tickets on popcorn and cotton candy. We just got in here. >> But I'm beginning to feel laded. I need a taffy apple. >> Go ahead, Harold. We'll wait for you. >> No, we won't. You can't eat like a horse and go on all the rides with that. You don't have enough tickets. >> Yeah, that's right. We're not going to wait for you all day long. Eat your dumb candy apple. Come on, Harold. You can make it. >> I want a tappy apple, but they won't wait for me. I'll have to make a choice. [music] [music] Up and over, Skipper. How's that, ladies and gentlemen? Let's give them a big hug. And now Skipper and Dolly want to meet one of you. My assistant will bring someone from the audience. Yes, you. >> Go ahead. >> Go on. Go on. >> Don't be afraid, young lady. Skipper loves to meet people. Skipper's going to come out of the water. >> There he is. Don't be afraid. >> Great shot that. >> You should take her picture. I am. >> How much film you got left? Only one shot. >> Do you have any more film? I used it all and they'll sell my kind here. You take a picture of Julia, you won't have any more film left for the picture of all the kids. A picture of Julie be just as good. >> Wendy said it'd be nice to have a picture of all the kids who went to King's Dominion. >> The act's almost over. >> Tell him to go back. Tell Skipper to go back in the water. >> Oh no. What should I do? I can't get any more films and I only have one shot left. I'll have to make a choice. [music] [music] [music] I still have 15 tickets. I'm going to take this ride again. [music] After this ride, I'll only have 12 tickets left. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Gee, only 10 tickets left. [music] [music] Woo, >> that was a lot of fun. [music] Yeah, I'd like to do that again. Maybe. So, I've only got six tickets left. Me, too. >> Yeah. [music] Wish we could get some more tickets. >> Mhm. It'd be real nice. I shouldn't have gone in to see the fat lady. That was three tickets. >> What's she look like anyway? >> Like she'd been pumped up with an air hose. Got any more money? >> Some. Then go buy some more tickets and we'll meet you at the water sled. But this is my allowance. I was going to use it to go see the movies. >> If you go to the movies, you won't be able to ride on the water sled. >> I could buy one ticket for 20 cents and still have enough money for the movies. >> The water sled costs two tickets. What are you going to do? >> I hate to spend my money, but I did want to ride the water sled. >> Come on, Sammy. We're wasting time. I can't go on the water sled and still have enough for the movies. I'll have to make a choice. [music] >> That wasn't scary at all. >> That's because you had your eyes closed. >> Hey you guys, did you ride through Lion Country yet? It's really neat. >> Yeah, that was really fun. But it's 6:00. You think that we could ride this before Wendy comes back? pick us up. >> Why not? We got enough time. >> Okay, let's go. Come on. >> Let's go. >> Yeah, let's get some hot dogs when we get down. >> Are you still hungry? >> I can't help it if I never get full. >> You don't have enough tickets. >> I have two. >> But the dodging cars cost two. You buy another hot dog, you won't be able to go. >> I could buy two hot dogs. >> Haven't we been through this before? >> Look, if I go in the dodging car without a hot dog, I may starve before I get off. >> I don't care anymore. Buy a million hat dolls. >> Yeah, we'll see. >> Wait, you don't understand. This is a hard decision. >> They're all going on another ride. I'll have to hurry up and make a choice. [music] [music] Gordon had to make a choice. Harold had to make a choice. Loretta had to make a choice. Why did they each have to make a choice? Gordon had to make a choice because he had only so much time. Harold because he had only so many tickets. And Loretta because she had only so much film. If Gordon used his time to go to the ball game, he couldn't use this time for anything else. If Gordon went to the ball game, he had to give up the opportunity to go to the amusement park. If he used his time to go to the amusement park, he had to give up the opportunity to go to the ball game. Gordon chose the amusement park. Missing the ball game was the opportunity cost of going to the amusement park. Harold had to make a choice to use his tickets for food or for rides. He didn't have enough tickets for all of the food and all of the rides he wanted. If he chose food, not taking the rides would have been his opportunity cost. If Harold chose the rides, what would have been his opportunity cost? Loretta had to make a choice to use her last shot to take a picture of Julia with the dolphin or to take a group picture for the tennis club. If she chose a picture of Julia, not having a picture for the tennis club would have been her opportunity cost. If she chose to take a group picture for the tennis club, what would have been her opportunity cost? All choices have an opportunity cost. Remember, Sammy had to decide whether to use her allowance to go to the movies or buy more tickets for the water sled. If she chose the water sled, what would have been her opportunity cost? If she chose to go to the movies, what would have been her opportunity cost? Not all choices involve time, tickets, film, or money. Watch. [music] I'm getting hungry watching you. >> So stop. >> Come on, Harold. It's cheering time. >> What do you guys think they're building on our old ball field? >> Come on, Harold. Don't try to change the subject. Are you going to give us a donut or not? >> They're not donuts. >> What are they? >> They're donut holes. I told you I gave up eating donuts. [music] >> Gordon, catch. >> Joe, look at that. >> Hey, give me those. >> Never. Hey. Hey. Hey, hey, hold it. What's it all about, fellas? >> We're sharing some donuts with our friend Harold. >> Yeah, he's very generous. >> Want some? >> Yeah, why not? M. They look good. Thanks. >> Thanks, Harold. I'll take one, too. >> Here, the rest are yours. >> Show up the build donut factory. >> What are they building in there? >> Take a look and see for yourself. >> Give me a look. Get out of the way. Come on. Let me in. I got to see this. Hey, it's over built yet. Hey, I'm still looking. >> Oh, yeah. You've had a turn. >> Just a lot of steel and cement mixers. I'm working stuff. Sure doesn't look like our ball field anymore. >> What is it? >> Let me look. >> It could be anything. >> Anything? No, not anything. Now, there's just so much land and steel and cement back there. Yeah, but with all the stuff they got, they could bet a lot of different things. >> I can't tell either. >> They haven't done enough to tell. >> I told you, you dummies, you just can't tell. There's just a lot of steel and cement mixers and things like that. H, they're really making progress though. >> Progress? Progress on what? What do you think? >> Well, if I had to make a choice, I'd say it should be >> a new movie theater. Then we could go to the movies more often because it would be so close. We hardly get to go at all now cuz we have to take a 50 cent bus trip across town. But then if it was a movie theater, it couldn't be a doughnut factory like Harold wanted or a gym like I'd like. But that's the way things work. There's not always enough land and materials to build all the things we'd like to see built. You can use it in a lot of ways, but you always end up having to choose which way. It's not easy. >> I don't think it's so hard. We need a new fire station. This neighborhood doesn't even have one. My friend's house burnt halfway down. The firemen had to come from so far away. They didn't get there fast enough. If we had our own fire station, it'd be safer. I'd even give up a new doughnut factory for a new fire station. Fires are too scary. >> Dave, if we had a new fire station, we'd have to be giving up getting a new office building. There aren't many around here now. And if this was going to be one, my mom could move her office. It wouldn't take her as long to get to work. She'd be saving a lot of time and she'd get home earlier, too. >> A fire station's much more important than an office building. Being safe's much more important than saving a little bit of time. >> Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Now, no matter what they build in there, they can't fill the things that we'd all like to see built. As important as they may seem to us, >> if we build an office building, it's just going to cost us a fire station. That's all. >> Or a new movie theater. >> Or my gym. >> It's already cost us a bullfield. Well, now the people who bought this land and provided all the steel and concrete had a particular purpose in mind. They can't make things everybody wants, right? So, if you were deciding, how would you make the choice? [music] [music] >> [music] >> The content of trade-offs was developed entirely [music] with funds from a consortium of 46 state and provincial education agencies. Other funds for tradeoffs were provided by these foundations [music] and corporations. [music] [bell] >> [music] >> This program was produced by EFC, Educational Film Center, Northern Virginia Educational Telecommunications Association. [music] Animated segments produced by Goldshaw and Associates under the supervision of AIT, the Agency for [music] Instructional Television.