The Stock Market

This module provides links to some of the best stock market educational materials on the web, including articles, research tools, and most importantly, tutorial programs that your students can use to practice playing the stock market.

In your Business English course, you could introduce the stock market early in the semester, then have students monitor their stock portfolios (track, buy, sell stocks) over a lengthy period of time.

ACTIVITY 1: Have students research the stocks they will "buy" and submit a written report of which stocks they have chosen and their justifications for doing so.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: Ask students to analyze (every two weeks or so) the progress of their stocks in the form of a written report. This could be an email journal activity in which they post their reports to the group over the internet.

Articles for Introducing the Stock Market

Why invest? An article in the Family Money magazine discussing some basic reasons to invest in the stock market. Written for high school students--in concise, simple English.

Reading Stock Tables. An article on how to read the stock tables in the newspaper. Gives a long list of terminology and definitions. A good introduction into the world of finance.

New York Stock Exchange's Educational Section provides detailed articles on every aspect of the stock market. This is for more advanced students who are already familiar with the market. Includes case studies of 13 events and how they effected the stock market.
 

Tools for Tracking Stocks and Economic Statistics

Public Company Search Engine Enter the name of a company and this engine will provide you with the appropriate stock symbol. Caveat: this site loads slowly.
Stock Quotes A place for students to check daily share prices of companies. Know your stock abbreviations before entering this site. Advantage: loads quickly. Disadvantage: gives only daily quote.
Hoover's Stockscreener Screen stocks for free--up to 20 different performance criteria. May be overwhelming for beginners, but is very comprehensive. Also has the ability to track the history of stock prices.
Hoover's Online This is a good source for company information (a good amount is free to all). Go to bottom of page and quick search for news about *companies *industries and *stock prices.

Stocks in Action: Games and Simulators

Stock Game for Educators A great learning tool for a step-by-step demonstration on how to pick, buy, monitor, and sell stocks. Students can learn about stock market investment and evaluate their financial gains and losses. The Steps (I-V) in this game can be used as individual lesson plans. Students will need access to computers.

Edustock's educational web page for teaching people of all ages what the stock market is and how to use it. On the Welcome Page you can find links to an educational tutorial on the stock market, company profiles, and a stock simulation program to show how the stock market works. Highly recommended.

Stocktool's Stockwatcher is a simulation program that students can use to track stocks. Includes sections on the best and worst stocks to invest in.

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