Scholastic Choices articles from March 2003

Scholastic Choices archives from March 2003

Thank you for using choices in your classroom!(Editorial)
March 1, 2003... Welcome to Choices, a magazine about personal growth through positive decision making. This month we introduce you to Kyla Carter, a teen who suffers from an allergy to peanuts. Food allergies plague many people, but the group most susceptible...

Booze and your brain. (Substance Abuse).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Need another reason to turn down offers to drink alcohol? Here's one: drinking may shrink your brain. Last December, researchers presented a report at a meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA). The study found that the part of the...

Are you a 'trep'? (Cool Website).(www.youngbiz.com provides information to youths who want to be entrepreneurs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Do you have a great business idea and are curious about what to do? Then visit www.youngbiz.com. Online and offline, the mission of YoungBiz Media is to help eight- to 18-year-old entrepreneurs, or "treps," learn the ins and outs of...

Avoiding acne. (Nutrition).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Anthropologists have found that teens in remote tribes of South America and Papua, New Guinea, which eat mostly unprocessed foods, have clear skin. Loren Cordain says the Inuit Eskimo did not suffer from zits--until they started eating like...

Get organized! (Personal Responsibility).(Organizing From the Inside Out for Teens )(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... "If you're planning to read this just to get people off your back, you can put the book down right now." That honest, in-your-face intro reveals the freshness of Organizing From the Inside Out for Teens (Owl Books, 2002). Written by...

Cruel contacts. (Consumer).(decorative contact lenses )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... People who wear cosmetic or decorative contact lenses can instantly change their eye color to match a sweater, or make a fashion statement with cat eyes, sunbursts, or zebra stripes. But if they aren't getting these novelty contacts from an eye...

Fatal foods: who has the highest risk of being allergic to food? teenagers, find out how one teen copes with her allergy to peanuts.
March 1, 2003... Three years ago, Kyla Carter went to Canobie Lake, an amusement park near her hometown of Kingston, New Hampshire. After whipping through the air on a ferris wheel and splashing down on the log flume, Kyla wanted to try the Boston Tea Party...

The angels of Alaska. (Personal Responsibility).(Dragon Slayers: teen girls volunteer for fire-rescue with Aniak Fire Department)
March 1, 2003... THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE RESIDENTS OF ANIAK, ALASKA AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE TEEN MEMBERS OF THE DRAGON SLAYERS RESCUE SQUAD. Last summer, 17-year-old Erica Kameroff was working at the Aniak (Alaska)...

5 real ways to manage your weight. (Health).
March 1, 2003... LOOKING TO LOSE WEIGHT? DON'T TRY A QUICKIE DIET THAT'LL HARM YOUR HEALTH. TRY OUR FIVE-STEP METHOD INSTEAD. YOU WILL LOVE THE RESULTS. KRISTIN JONES, 16, FROM Winnetka, Illinois, admits that she usually looks for quick and easy solutions...

Pain meets poison: the true story of how one teen huffed her way to rook bottom and almost died. (Close-Up: Inhalants).(solvent abuse of Megan Hakeman)(Interview)
March 1, 2003... Until she was 12, Megan Hakeman had a simple life in Watertown, South Dakota, a small town with one mall and one movie theater. She described herself as a "regular, happy kid" who hung out with friends and watched TV The only real suffering...

Mexican standoff.
March 1, 2003... BOTH OF THESE MEXICAN FOOD DISHES TASTE GREAT, BUT WHICH ONE IS BETTER FOR YOU? Traditional Mexican food contains a vibrant blend of colors, textures, and flavors. The cuisine is also low in fat and high in nutrients. When the...

Super salsa: Entertaining frieds? spice up the gathering by making your own salsa. (Living).
March 1, 2003... What To Do 1. With a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes. Dice means to chop into 1/4 inch cubes. 2. Dice the red onion, radishes, and serrano chiles. Chop up the garlic. Before you dice the chiles, remove the seeds. (Warning: The spicy...

Nose bleeds: bloody noses are messy and sometimes scary. Here's how to handle them. (Your Body & Mind).
March 1, 2003... You're eating lunch when, suddenly, your nose starts to run--or so you think. You grab a napkin to wipe it, but you discover that your nose is actually bleeding! What's going on? The last time you checked, wolfing down a turkey sandwich wasn't...

My parents drink too much! Marlene Tedeschi answers your tough questions. (Advice Corner help!).
March 1, 2003... Q. I am ashamed to write this, but I really need help. I am 15 and I have two older sisters who don't live at home. During the week, things are pretty quiet around the house. My mom and dad work, and when they come home we all kind of do our...

Starting a conversation: You've just walked into a party and you don't know many people. Here's how to get involved in conversations with others. (10 Tips).
March 1, 2003... 1. Prepare Beforehand Give yourself topics to discuss by thinking about movies you've seen or your favorite computer games before the party. 2. Introduce Yourself Introduce yourself early in the conversation. Then ask what the...

The problem.(girlfirend ignoring old friends because of new boyfriend)
March 1, 2003... Dear CHOICES, I have a friend who used to hang out with my friends and me. Now she devotes all her time to her boyfriend. I want to tell her that she is ditching all of us for this guy, but I don't want to hurt her. What should I do? ...

The skinny on losing weight. (Chokes Challenge/Activity Page).
March 1, 2003... DIRECTIONS: AFTER READING, "5 REAL WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR WEIGHT," BEGINNING ON PAGE 15 OF THIS ISSUE OF CHOICES, TAKE THE QUIZ BELOW. FILL IN THE BLANKS IN THE SENTENCES USING WORDS FROM THE LIST. IF YOUR ANSWER IS CORRECT, ONE LETTER WILL FIT IN...

Inhalants: Stats, signs, & more info.(solvent abuse in youth)
March 1, 2003... Graph Skills: What the Numbers Say Studies show that the vast majority of teens choose not to huff, and to number of users keeps going down. Use the graph to answer the questions: 1. By what percentage has inhalant use by 8th-graders...

Are you safety savvy? (Choices Challenge/Activity Page).
March 1, 2003... DIRECTIONS. THE DRAGON SLAYERS, WHOSE STORY APPEARS ON PAGES 10 TO 14 OF THIS ISSUE OF CHOICES, GO THROUGH MONTHS OF TRAINING TO LEARN HOW TO SAVE LIVES. BUT EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT VOLUNTEERING ON A RESCUE SQUAD, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE BASIC KNOWLEDGE...