Ms. Edwards began her teaching career in the Caribbean. While there she specialized in the teaching of science to students at the elementary level. After migrating to the United States, Ms. Edwards earned a degree in reading. Presently, she is a 4th grade teacher at P.S. 35 where she has been working for 8 years. Through her years of teaching, Ms. Edwards has developed a passion for mathematics and she integrates it with other subjects. This is one reason why she was attracted to the stock market unit.
1. Each student was allowed to select their favorite stock to invest in.
2. The students used The New York Times to track the performance of their stock.
3. Students had to formulate word problems based on their stock performance. In addition, students challenged their classmates to correctly solve their contructed problems.
Instructional
Objectives
Students will develop an appreciation for the stock market.
Students will be able to interpret Standard & Poor's 500-stock index.
Students will be able to calculate the profit and loses of the stocks they bought.
Students will be able to construct word problems based on their stock performance.
Technology Integration
The Internet was used as a research tool. Microsoft Excel was used to create tables of their stock performance. Microsoft Graphing function was used to create line graphs of their stock performance.
Assessment
The students had to calcuate their stocks' profit and loses. The students had to transfer the S&P information into line graphs. The students had to explain their stock performance.
Tips
for Teachers
I recommend planning a trip to the stock market as the introduction to the unit. If you do not live near the stock market, you could invite a financial adviser to school.
Provide the students an opportunity to invest in the stock market.
Student Work Samples
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