The Stock Market Game
How It Works
This unit provides five lessons for conducting
a modified stock market game in your classroom. The lessons are titled: Determining
Stock Market Criteria, Creating
a Portfolio, Graphing
Stocks, Graphing
Stocks With A Spreadsheet, and Stock
Statistics.
In Determining Stock Market Criteria, students
learn about the concept of stocks and investment and the criteria for
selecting of stocks. In Creating a Portfolio, students are shown how to keep
track of the progress of their investments. In the two graphing lessons,
students use both drawing application and spreadsheet application to create,
read, and interpret stock progress on graphs. The Stock Statistics lessons
provides opportunities for the students to find the range, mean, high, low,
and use spreadsheet formulas for finding statistical information about their
investments.
How it works:
In this unit, the teacher, using an LCD
display projector, shows the class how to find stock reports, quotes, and news
article related to stocks on the Internet. He/she asks students what kind of
information would be important in ascertaining whether or not a company would
be a good investment choice. Using available articles related to the stock,
students are asked what information would be useful in determining whether the
company in question would be a viable investment, and what current events
might affect the stock’s performance. After formulating these criteria, the
information is added to a semantic web. Additional criteria for discussion
might include sector, industry, number of employees, what the company
manufactures or sells, net income, revenues, and who else invests in this
company. Students are then shown how to track their stocks using a portfolio
as used on American Online in their Personal Finance section. Portfolios for
each cooperative learning group are set up. The students track the progress of
their stocks using their portfolio and by keeping a daily narrative journal
with a word processing application such as Student Writing Center. Next
students use a drawing application and a spreadsheet to create graphs showing
the progress of their stocks and finally use a spreadsheet, as illustrated via
an LCD display projector by the teacher, to calculate statistical data related
to their stocks.
Evaluation:
The students are evaluated on participation and
their ability to find locations on the Internet for researching stocks. The
teacher evaluates the quality of the semantic web and database created as well
as the criteria established. In addition, students will be evaluated on their
success in setting up a group portfolio, interpreting daily changes in their
portfolio, and on writing about the progress of their investments in narrative
form in their journal. The successful creation of the students’ graphs and
spreadsheets and the ability to use spreadsheet formulas to interpret
statistical data will also be used in the evaluation of the students'
mastery of skills and concepts in this unit. Students will also be
evaluated on their ability to work cooperatively in groups and in the
presentation of the information they find.
Overall
value:
In cooperative learning groups,
students read and analyze investment reports, graphs, news articles, and
company overviews on the Web for two different stocks. From the data, they
synthesize the information and add to their list of criteria to be used in
selecting stocks for investment. The students produce a computer-generated
semantic web and/ or database with criteria or focusing questions to be used
when selecting a stock for investment. (For lower grades, 5-6, the teacher
creates a database based on the semantic map that the students make.) The
students also create a group portfolio and journal to track their stocks,
create and interpret graphs and spreadsheets, and use spreadsheet formulas to
calculate statistical data.
Standards:
English Language Arts: students read and understand informational
materials, produce an informative report, participate in group meetings,
prepare and deliver an oral/written presentation, restate or summarize
information, and use a range of appropriate strategies, such as providing
facts and details and describing or analyzing the subject.
Mathematics: students predict results and analyze data, read and
interpret information from a graph, describe and compare quantities, collect
and organize data to answer a question, and make statements and draw
conclusions based on data.
Social Studies: students define basic economic concepts such as supply
and demand, markets, opportunity costs, resources, productivity, and economic
growth.
Applied Learning: students apply academic knowledge to solve practical
problems, integrate writing and drawing skills with computer technology,
identify a problem and use motivation and logical skills to solve it in
individual and group settings, and communicate effectively through written and
verbal language.
Tips
for teachers:
If possible, a parent or someone familiar with the stock market might speak to
the students about investment options. Teachers
in New York City can also plan a trip to the New York Stock Exchange.
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Carolyn Hornik has been a New York City public school teacher for twenty five years (12 years as a classroom teacher in third, fourth, and fifth grades and 13 years as a technology coordinator.)
She teaches in-service courses for the New York City Board of Education After School Professional Development Program and on-line courses for new teachers through
Teachers Network.
Chornik@aol.com
Estimated Class Periods To Complete: 10
or more
Subject: English, Social Studies
Beginning Grade Level: 4
Ending Grade Level: 8
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