School:  P.S. 101K
Unit:  Stock Market Game
Lesson: Graphing Stocks With a Spreadsheet Application

Aim:     

1. To construct computer generated bar graphs and line graphs.
2. To use the internet as a research tool.
3. To read and interpret graphs.
4. To use a spreadsheet program to create bar and line graphs.

5. To share ideas with other students.
6. To work cooperatively and develop respect for other students' opinions.
7. To appreciate the fact that stock prices change daily.
8. To appreciate the volatility of the stock market.

Setting: This lesson could take place in a computer lab or in a classroom setting in cooperative learning groups. In a class of thirty students, six groups would be formed.

Materials:    Computer with Internet capabilities, spreadsheet applications
such as  ClarisWorks, AppleWorks, or Excel, printer.

Vocabulary:    spreadsheet axis    title    bar graph    line graph       stock quote    closing price

Motivations:   

 1.     Students, within their cooperative learning groups will be following the progress of the stocks they have chosen to invest in over a period of 4-6 weeks.
 2.    Students will obtain quick access to multimedia displays of information via the internet.
 3.    Students will develop pride in being able to create a finished bar and line graph on the computer and print out document for display.
 4.   Cooperative learning group members will be assigned duties such as researcher, who will locate stock quotes on internet, recorder, who will enter the closing quote for each stock onto the spreadsheet as well as write about changes in stock prices for their stock in their journal, a graphic artist who will create the bar and line graphs from the spreadsheet data, and a reporter, who will report to class on the progress of the stocks.
5.  Teacher will exhibit previously made graphs as samples and demonstrate with LCD display projected during whole class instruction, how  to enter data on a spreadsheet and how spreadsheet applications can be used to construct graphs.  During this instruction, the teacher will demonstrate how to enter data in a cell, move from cell to cell, format text font, size, color, style and alignment, how to highlight cells and how to use to "Make Chart" feature in the "Options" menu of ClarisWorks and AppleWorks to construct graphs. See graphs below.

Additional URLs that provide stock quotes, reports by analysts, graphs, historical research, and news articles related to the stocks are:
http://wsj.com
http://marketwatch.com
http://bloomberg.com
http://multexinvestor.com
http://thestreet.com
http://money.com
http://stockplayer.com

Procedure:
1.    Students, meeting in their cooperative learning groups (which were set up at beginning of stock market game unit, see lesson on Stock Criteria, http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/ps101/chornik/stockcriteria.htm) research daily closing price of the five stocks they have chosen to invest in. They can find this information on America On Line by clicking on Personal Finance, selecting quotes, enter symbol or company name. They can also access this information by going to the URLs listed above.
2.    Students will record closing prices for their stocks.
3.    Students will use a spreadsheet application such as ClarisWorks or AppleWorks to construct a spreadsheet: A title, such as Stock Quotes for January, will be entered onto the top of the spreadsheet using the text tool. Students will enter data of closing prices for their stocks daily onto the cells of the spreadsheet. Students will highlight cells for their stocks and use the "Make Chart" feature of the "Options" menu to make a bar and line graph for each stock over a one month period.
4.    Students print and share their completed graphs with class.

Evaluation:    Students will be evaluated on their ability to find the daily closing stock quotes, the aesthetic appearance and accuracy of their graphs produced as well as on the reporting the data depicted on their graphs. They will also be evaluated on the extent of cooperation within their groups.

Click below to see a sample spreadsheet and graph created from the spreadsheet.
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/ps101/chornik/spreadsheettables.htm