Students will learn how to read the stock market. 
     The teacher will show pupils the financial pages of the L.A. Times, Barron's, and The Wall Street Journal newspapers.  The instructor will discuss the following items that are found on the financial pages:  economic articles; graphics and charts; Dow Jones Industrial Averages; bonds; interest; international stocks; U.S. dollar as measured against other world currencies; commodities; price of gold; wheat; oil; etc.; Amex; Money mutual funds; NASDAQ; foreign markets; treasury notes, bonds, bills; New York Stock Exchange; currency trading; future options prices.  Once these are discussed, the teacher will pass these financial pages around the class for the pupils to see.  The instructor will pass out the vocabulary sheets about the stock market. We will pronounce the words on the list and discuss them.
   I also have a list of words that my pupils should know.  I will  write the following list of words about the stock market on the  board:  Wall Street; prospectus; proxy; annual report; diversify; volume; margin; income stocks; growth stocks; liquidation; stock broker; The Standard and Poor's 500.  Pupils will copy these words and put them into their notebooks.  They will use them in sentences.
    Pupils will obtain an annual report for extra special credit  points.  They may write  a letter to the corporation requesting an annual report and a prospectus.  I have the addresses for them.  The students like to share these with the class. 

VIDEO: 

    I will show students the video, "Understanding the Basics:   The  Stock Market."  This thirty minute film provides pupils with a good picture of what goes on in the stock market.  I will discuss with my pupils  what to look for in the video.  I have a few questions for them to answer.  What is stock?  Why own stock?  What are exchanges?  What are different kinds of stock?  What are strategies for investing in the market?  How do  you structure a   portfolio?  What factors influence stock prices?  I pass out this page of questions before the video and discuss them.  After the video,  we discuss the questions and answers.  Now pupils  can write several paragraphs about what they saw in the video. 

PRACTICE:

    I have some stock market  practice papers that I do with my students to make sure that they understand what they are doing.  After we have completed the practice stock market activities, I again review the closing prices for stock.  This is the price that the  pupils will use to purchase their own stock.  Now I will instruct pupils in the changing of a percent to a decimal in order to calculate a 1% commission  on their stock purchases.
 

COOPERATIVE LEARNING:

Pupils now divide into groups to work on the assignment.  I have instruction sheets to give out.  I go over the instructions very carefully and make sure that pupils understand the assignment and examples.  I have overhead transparencies  that I use for further clarity if needed.  I go from group to group helping and explaining the assignment.  After a few weeks, we repeat the assignment to see if we made a profit or took a loss.  In this part of the assignment, pupils have to analyze market  conditions, U.S. conditions, world conditions, The Federal Reserve, interest rates, etc.

KEY CONCEPTS:

    1.  The economic health of the nation is measured by the stock market.
    2.  Stock market holdings are divided into stock buyers who must understand the importance of diversification of their stock portfolios.
    3.  The stock market is influenced by corporate profits, world events, The Federal Reserve, and interest rates.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE CLASS:

   1.  Written reports about the stock market and Wall Street
   2.  Oral presentations of above reports
   3.  Graph  of the stock market
   4.  Students bring in economic articles and events from the newspapers and TV
   5.  Students bring in economic cartoons
   6.  Prepare reports about the economic crashes of l929 and 1987
   7.  Roll play about  the market illustrating the roll of the investor and broker
   8.  Write a skit about the market
   9.  Have a hostile take over

ACROSS THE CURRICULUM:

     This stock market lesson is really one that is across the curriculum.  We graph and chart the progress of the market.  There are many writing assignments  included as well as research involved.  There are current events  which have had a great   influence upon the market.  We can look back into history and review the market crashes of 1929 and l987.  My classes are very concerned about history repeating its self   in the very near future.  They are very pleased when the market goes up for the day.  For a bit of art, my economic classes are making a stock market   scrapbook of articles and drawings.  We will have a speaker come and discuss stocks and bonds.  Last year I had several students who  were very interested   in becoming stock brokers.

CONCLUSION:

    Of  all the projects we do in the economic classes, the stock market is   the most popular and productive.  Pupils really do enjoy this activity. 

RESOURCES:

http://www.nasdaq.com/
http://www look smart com./2
http://www lycos.com/
     
My Powerpoint Presentation

Teacher:  Eleanor Skinner
School Name:  Ganesha High School
School Location:  1151 Fairplex Drive
Pomona, CA  9l768
e-mail address: eleanor.skinner@pomona.kl2.ca.us
Last Revised:  05/19/2001