Topic: Investing
Subtopic: The Stock Market

Suggested Time: 1 hr. 25 min.

Preparation: The students will have a lecture on the stock market, and on how to evaluate a company’s financial report.

Objectives:
Students will-
1.   Gain an understanding of how the stock market works.
2.   Gain an understanding of how to evaluate a company’s financial report.
3.   Brainstorms about what companies they know that have been highly successful.
4.   Go to the computer and log onto the stock market analysis page at Yahoo. Look up ticker symbol for two Companies that interest the student, and are traded on the NASDAQ, NYSE, or AMSE. (Student may have to be instructed on how to obtain a user name and password at Yahoo)
5.   Research the two Company’s statistical information on the Internet. Visit the company’s home pages for further investing information.
6.  Have an in-class discussion about the pros and cons of some of the company’s investigated
7.  Write a summary about why they would or would not want to invest in the companies that they looked up.

Standards/expectations:
Students should select companies to investigate their financial information. Students should be able to refer to their previous class notes on the stock market, and on “how to evaluate a company on and off the web.” Next, students should complete evaluating the two companies they have chosen. The students should take notes, and then partake in an active class discussion. Finally, they should be able write a summary about their findings, and develop a conclusion. The teacher will be available to assist students in their work.
 

Teaching:

Input:  Begin by referring to class notes on the stock market, and understanding financial reports.

Modeling/demo: The teacher will select a company and locate its ticker symbol on Yahoo. Then review how to access the information that is provided by Yahoo. Next, the teacher will visit the company’s homepage and/or recent news reports that are listed. Be brief and specific.

Direction giving: Teacher should be available to assist in keeping
Students’ focused.

Checking for understanding: Students presents their research to the class.
Guided Practice: When information is presented to the class students
Will add comments and analyze.

Closure:  Students will write a summary about the company’s they have decided to research. Finally, they should make some conclusions about whether or not they would recommend investing in their chosen companies.

Resources and Materials:
Classroom computers and Internet Access.
Blackboard to provide additional notes or reminders.
Students should provide their own paper and pens.
 
 
 

Lessons for grades 9-12^{th
developed by Alyssa Fresa}

Topic: Rent an apartment within a set budget

Object: Learn to work within a budge, use of technology to find available apartments, comparative shopping: critical thinking skills enhanced, use of Microsoft Word in conjunction with software like CorelDraw, also possibility of working with Excel spreadsheets and to enhance public speaking skills.

Prep: Make cards with different identities that the students will assume. Include things like salary, type of occupation. Number of dependants, city and state of residence, age and sex.

Plan: Give students their new identities. Students ate to use the information given on the cards to determine and set their own budgetary issues that are involved in renting an apartment.

Students are to find an apartment but they must take into consideration other expenses as well. In a report the student is to include approximate prices for all things they must consider while living on their own (perhaps a checklist should be given out). They must display these costs and that can be done in any manner they choose and must be displayed consistent time frames. For example, amount per month or week throughout the entire report (if Excel is used, possible extra credit?). This initial report is due in one week. The apartment does not have to be found yet but this checklist will be peer checked and handed in.

A final report is to be written on how the decision was made in choosing the particular apartment. The report should include all the information from the checklist and information on apartments that weren’t chosen and why. The final report will be due two weeks after initial report at the time of presentations.

The final presentation to the class should include pictures of the apartment, floor plans, etc; a brief description of the apartment and why it was chosen. Each presentation should not be longer than 4.5 minutes. Note Cards may be used but reading from their final reports will not be allowed.

Documentation should be made per MLA guidelines.

The three week timeframe is mainly independent work, except for the in class critique. The majority of class time will be used at the end during the oral presentations.

Grading Suggestions:

Initial report: 15%

Participating in critique: 5%

Final report: 60%

Presentation: 20%

Since the final report counts as the majority of the grade, rewrites can be accepted and the two grades can be averaged in to form new 60%.

Questions to Consider:

• Accessibility of internet outside the classroom
• Accessibility of software outside the classroom
• Can more class time be devoted to this project
• Will the project work better in groups in order to accommodate accessibility issues, if so regarding is necessary to accommodate a group participation grade?

Grading Suggestions: