Stock Market Simulation
Supplemental Activities
Overview
The students will gain a basic understanding of the stock market and stock prices by tracking stocks throughout
our visits. After completing the simulation, students will discuss the benefits of long term investing.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Track stock prices
 Explain basic factors affecting prices
 Understand the importance of long term investing
Preparation
Review and record the stock prices for the following companies using the website http://finance.yahoo.com
(Type the “Ticker Symbol” (ex. MCD or YHOO) and click on “Get Quote”)
McDonalds - MCD
Apple - AAPL
Coca Cola – KO
Walmart – WMT
Yahoo – YHOO
Review current events and issues affecting stock prices.
Become familiar with Yahoo! Finance website.
Recommended Time
This supplement usually takes 10-15 minutes to complete.
Materials
30 Student Investment Worksheets (Need to make copies, worksheet found at the end of this document.)
Activity 1 (A Month in the Life, Personal Budgeting)
o Explain to the students budgeting is an important part of personal finance. Saving or investing should be
included in their budgeting calculations.
o Define investing, as indicated in the JA Volunteer Guide, as allocating money to use in a venture that
offers the possibility of increased value as interest, income, or worth.
o Discuss student reactions. The students may believe that investing is something they will do when they
are older. Explain that the earlier they start saving and investing their money, the more time their money
has to grow.
o Tell the students that during this session they will track stock prices of several different companies and
explore long term investing benefits.
o Distribute Investment Worksheets to the students. (Need to make copies, worksheet found at the end of
this document.)
o Read the following paragraph to the students:
Happy Birthday! As a birthday gift, your grandmother gives you $10,000 to begin investing. She helps you get
started by selecting companies to choose from. She allows you to select how many stocks of each company you
would like to purchase.
McDonalds - MCD
Apple - AAPL
Coca Cola – KO
Walmart – WMT
Yahoo – YHOO
o Tell the students to select the number of stocks to purchase from each company and complete the first
section of their Investment Worksheets. Have the students use the stock prices you found before the
class session as purchasing price (or pull website up in class). Ignore transaction or commission costs.
During this visit, simply have them choose the number of stocks to purchase based on what they know
or have heard from the media. Note: During Activity Two (From Dreams to Reality; Investments), you
can spend more time discussing factors to look for when investing in a company.
o Tell them that during each visit you will watch stock prices as a class. During the final visit, they will
calculate how much they have earned or lost if they sold their stocks.
Activity 2 (From Dreams to Reality; Investments)
Start out the lesson looking at the companies’ stock prices. Have them record the stock prices on their
Investment Worksheet.
o
o
o
o
o
o
Hang the “How Should I Invest?” Posters around the room (these are found in the JA kit).
Distribute the Invest in Your Future Pocket Guides.
Use the information from the posters and pocket guides to discuss the Stock Market Simulation.
Discuss factors to consider when purchasing stock.
Discuss the difference between short term and long term investing.
Discuss other types of investments besides stocks.
Continuation - Activities 3 (Your Credit, Your Future; Credit) & 4 (The case of the missing identity)
Start out each lesson looking at the companies’ stock prices. Have the students continue to record the stock
prices each visit on their Investment Worksheet.
o Why are the stock prices changing?
o Are there current events affecting the prices?
Activity 5 (Protect Yourself, Insurance)
Have the students complete their Investment Worksheet by completing “Week 5” and the “Final Calculation”.
Tell the students to assume they sold their stock today because they wanted to buy a new car.
o
o
o
o
How much money did they earn or lose?
What did they learn about short term versus long term investing?
What affected prices?
What is important when selecting a company to invest in?
Name:
Week 1:
Stock:
McDonalds
Apple
Coca Cola
Walmart
Yahoo
TOTAL:
Stock
Ticker
Symbol
# of stocks:
Stock
Price:
Total
Value:
Change in price (+/-):
Total
Value:
Change in price (+/-):
Total
Value:
Change in price (+/-):
Total
Value:
Change in price (+/-):
MCD
AAPL
KO
WMT
YHOO
Week 2:
Stock:
McDonalds
Apple
Coca Cola
Walmart
Yahoo
TOTAL:
Stock
Ticker
Symbol
# of stocks:
Stock
Price:
MCD
AAPL
KO
WMT
YHOO
Week 3:
Stock:
McDonalds
Apple
Coca Cola
Walmart
Yahoo
TOTAL:
Stock
Ticker
Symbol
# of stocks:
Stock
Price:
MCD
AAPL
KO
WMT
YHOO
Week 4:
Stock:
McDonalds
Apple
Coca Cola
Walmart
Yahoo
TOTAL:
Stock
Ticker
Symbol
MCD
AAPL
KO
WMT
YHOO
# of stocks:
Stock
Price:
Week 5:
Stock:
McDonalds
Apple
Coca Cola
Walmart
Yahoo
TOTAL:
Stock
Ticker
Symbol
# of stocks:
Stock
Price:
Total
Value:
MCD
AAPL
KO
WMT
YHOO
Final Calculation
Stock:
McDonalds
Apple
Coca Cola
Walmart
Yahoo
TOTAL:
Stock
Ticker
Symbol
MCD
AAPL
KO
WMT
YHOO
Week 1
Purchase
Price
Week 5
Selling
Price
Final
Value
(Week 1Week 5)
Change in price (+/-):