One of my favorite lessons is our annual stock market challenge. Each year I issue a challenge to my students to try and make as money as they can, fictional money as they can, by investing in the stock market. Students are given $1,000 to invest and can choose anything they wish. Students always have interesting strategies to try and make money and they vary each year. In the picture above you will see my 6th period students checking the NASDAQ in order to decided what stocks to purchase.

At the end of the event students ultimately “cash-out” their stocks and we figure who were the winners and losers. This year we have had students gain and lose as much as $350. Students also seem to enjoy the activity as well and seem to take a genuine interest in learning about stocks and how they gain/lose value. Also, this whole process helps the kids learn how much of a gamble the stock market can be at times as well.

Mr. McClung