ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

What do my students know right now? The students have not received much exposure to saving and investing. Most have only dealt with two types of saving, a savings account or a piggy bank. They are proud to have any money saved and want to spend it immediately. They do not want to think about their long-term goals, only the short-term wants they “need” to satisfy. What do they need to know? With so many people in the United States living at or below the poverty line, I feel it is important as an educator to help our young students learn how to manage money now at a young age, by saving and investing. Students can learn how to plan for their futures right now. Most think that retirement is so far away, but they will be surprised to learn how fast money can go if you do not have a plan for it. The stock market game allows students to learn to save and invest money. It gives them the opportunity to invest in the “real” stock market with $100,000. With so much to cover in all curriculums, most high school age students never get the opportunity to learn anything about the stock market. I hope to change that by helping the students become more involved in planning for their futures starting right now by playing a simple game called the Stock Market Game. According to managers of the stock market game, students benefit enormously from this game, not only in the business education and technology area, but across all curriculums. The Stock Market Game teaches students about the stock market and how it affects our economy, while also encouraging saving and investing. In the fall of 2003, a survey was conducted nationwide of teachers offering the Stock Market Game to their students. The following results were found: 94% of teachers agree that the SMG program helps them teach basic academic skills such as mathematics, language arts and social studies in exciting ways. 91% of teachers agree that the SMG program provides the tools to teach the standards of learning. 96% of teachers agree that the SMG program increases students’ ability to apply basic skills to life decisions. 98% of teachers found their students’ understanding of the importance of saving and investing improved using the SMG program. I feel that these statistics prove how valuable this game can be to high school students. I would like to incorporate this into my Introduction to Business class to give my students this wonderful opportunity.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: It is important for students to learn more about the stock market now. By gaining this knowledge right now, they will have a much brighter future. They will be able to secure the investments that will allow them to create a nest egg for themselves and their family. They will take the skills they learn today and apply them to their first job, creating a much brighter future. Goal(s): Students will be able to learn more about the stock market. Students will prepare a presentation to teach others about the stock market.

Questions Answered

Essential questions: What kinds of businesses should I invest in, and how do I make money in the stock market? What does it mean to short sell and short cover and what are the risky/less risky options for investing? How can I apply this when I get my first job and how will the stock market affect me later in life? How can I teach others useful skills and concepts that I have learned to others? Objectives: Students will apply computer skills by creating a spreadsheet of their stock’s high, low, and average price, research companies to determine which stock to purchase, and create a research paper explaining their decisions. Students will apply problem-solving skills by determining which business to invest their money to make the largest profit. Students will apply their knowledge of the stock market to create a presentation to teach others about the stock market and why investing their money is important. Students will learn the terminology involved in the stock market, which will be demonstrated through quizzes and tests, their research paper, and a Power Point presentation.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? Pre-quiz and post-quiz will be given to students. The scores will be compared to see if students gained any knowledge in the unit. What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding? Students will be expected to participate in lecture, offering their input to questions asked by me. The students are also encouraged to ask questions of their own to create more discussion. Questions I will ask, “What do you think of ...”, “What would you do in this situation….”, and “Why did you choose that answer…”. What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? The students will be expected to turn in a portfolio at the completion of their unit. It will include the following: research paper, PowerPoint presentation, stock market game journal. What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment)</em> of understanding will you collect? A rubric will be given to students to evaluate their own work, other students work, and for me to grade their portfolio and its effectiveness.

Instructional Strategies

Students will utilize project-based and problem-based learning throughout this unit. Project-based: Students will produce a portfolio of their stock market information. This will be their end product. They will need to organize this portfolio as they will be given a rubric grade for organization. They will be given specific instructions on the content. They will follow the steps that a person would really follow when investing their own money. I, as the teacher, will be monitoring their group activities, checking level of participation, and giving feedback throughout the project. The Stock Market Game is a competition, however, I encourage them to try to make money. That doesn’t mean that they need to beat everyone else, they need to set a goal for where they would like to be. I encourage all students to try to get over $100,000, the initial starting point. The students will be responsible to produce a portfolio of all projects completed. This will provide them more of a real-life situation by practicing the entire process of purchasing stock. Problem-based: The students are given $100,000 to invest in the Stock Market. This is based on the real Stock Market and uses current prices, which provides a realistic situation for the students. They have to determine on their own how to spend the money. This presents them with their problem. Through research and group collaboration they will hopefully find a solution. I, as the teacher, have presented them this problem and split them in to groups. I will continually monitor the students and guide them throughout. The students feel a great sense of accomplishment in working to solve this problem and work together with minimal assistance. They feel ownership in finding their own solution. They know that there is not a specific, correct answer, and have to collaborate to find what works for them.