UNIT PLAN

Jennifer Bjorngaard

Jill Jackson

Holly Kunick

Kati Loersch

Jennifer Reynolds

Sara Yaden

Introduction

Topic: The Stock Market

Grade level: 6^th - 8^th

Length of time with students: 45 minutes to an hour

Materials & resources:

• The internet
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Calculators
• Pencils
• Paper
• Handouts (worksheets)
• Final project rubric

Goals: By learning about the stock market, students will be able to pick out reliable companies to invest their money in someday. The lessons are designed to introduce students to the basics of how the stock market works through the integration of economics, business, language arts, critical thinking, and mathematics. Students will also be able to understand how to read stock symbols, charts and terminology. In short, students will ideally leave the class understanding basic knowledge about the stock market and how investing creates wealth and financial security for all.

Standards & Benchmarks:

Language Arts

Standard 1, 2, and 3 - Meaning and Communication

Standard 4 - Language

Standard 6 – Voice

Standard 7 – Skills and Processes

Standard 11 – Inquiry and Research

Standard 12 – Critical Standards

Social Studies

Standard III.2 – Ideals for American Democracy

Standard IV.1 – Individual Household Choices

Standard IV.2 – Business Choices

Standard IV.4 – Economic Systems

Standard IV.5 – Trade

Standard V.1 – Information Processing

Standard V.2 – Conducting Investigations

Standard VI.2 – Group Discussion

Mathematics

Standard III.1 – Collection, Organization, and Presentation of Data

Standard III.2 – Description and Interpretation

Standard III.3 – Inference and Prediction

Standard V.1 – Operations and their Properties

Standard V.2 – Algebraic and Analytic Thinking

Assumed Skills: Students are expected to know basic knowledge about the economy. They are also expected to know how to use computers and the Internet to research information.

Skills to teach: Students will be taught how to achieve economic security by learning the following skills…

• How to find and read company stock symbols
• How to calculate profits and loses,
• How to successfully invest money
• How the media effects stock prices
• How to trade stocks
• How to make their own company

The 5 Senses:

Sight – Students will use their sense of sight by going on their field trip and researching on the Internet. They will also use sight when constructing their product for their final project.

Hearing – Students will listen to a voice recording of Peter Lynch reading “Chapter 1: The Miracle of St. Agnes” in his book Beating the Street. They will also use sound when creating a jingle f