Introduction to the Stock Market

This course focuses on introducing the concepts of financial literacy to students by providing the knowledge of stock markets and practices of investing.  Using this course, the students will explore and experience the fundamentals of personal finance and stock market investing, while practicing real-world skills in Math, ELA, Economics, Social Studies, and other subjects. 
This innovative course enables students to learn to build and manage an investment portfolio in the real-world and the dynamic marketplace by analyzing and make decisions, explore the consequences of their choices, and seek new ways to strategize for success. Also, students learn critical modeling problem solving and efficient money management skills that will be of great use in shaping their future and facilitate them to find means to achieve future financial goals. 
Below is the course syllabus, although individual sections will be tailored to fit the needs of the participants:
Objectives: 
1.	The Basics of Investing
2.	Stock Market – An Introduction
3.	Stock Basics  – Introduction, What are Stocks, Different types of Stocks, etc.
4.	Working of the Stock Market - How stocks trade, What causes stock prices to change.
5.	Buying Stocks -  How to read stock table/quote, Stock Market Simulation Apps 
6.	The Bulls and the Bears, Stock Market Crashes

Week 1: The Basics of Investing
This week, students will get an insight into the basics of investing and related terminology. They will get to know why one needs to invest and how it helps to secure their future, or to attain their goals. Understanding the basics of investing will teach the students some valuable lessons about money and its management and the power of investment growth. 
One of the biggest advantages of successful investing is the time horizon, and by learning to invest early, young students can take full advantage of that. This week, students will learn several concepts about investment, such as spending and earning basics, bills, and expenses, and several means of saving and investing. Students also learn about financial goals and their types, such as short term, medium-term, and long term financial goals, and how they can be achieved through systematic investing.
The students move on to learning activities.
Spending and Earning Basics – Students learn the value of a dollar, and three things that can be done with it, spending, earning, and investing. Students learn with examples, terminologies like saving, mortgage, debt, investing, credit cards, college savings, real estate, bankruptcy, and taxes.
Bills and Expenses – Students discuss the concept using an instance such as the internet connection, or credit cards and then each one can explain with several other instances
Assignment – Students list some of their goals, such as having a car, or paying for college and how they can make plans to achieve them.

Week 2: Stock Market – An Introduction

Understanding the stock market is initially intimidating for students. This class aims to make the stock market easy and understandable. This week, students will get introduced to the stock market, why companies have stocks, and how investing in stocks can be useful. Students will learn how investing money wisely by choosing the right stocks can help them have a cushion against inflation and a source of funds that is independent of the jobs they may have. 

Students move on to learning activities.

Wall Street – the financial capital of the world – Students learn through a presentation, the history of Wall Street in New York City.

Know your stock exchange – Students are introduced to a familiar stock exchange such as NYSE and others in different countries.  Students can research market working timings, opening and closing bells, and other basic details.


Week 3: Stock Basics – Introduction, What are Stocks, Different types of Stocks, etc.

This week, students will learn basic stock market terminologies such as the meaning of stocks, different types of stocks, who is a stockholder, bonds, and mutual funds and also about their risks and rewards. They get to know how a stock is bought or sold. Once the students are well versed in the elementary terms, it is easy for them to dabble in the market and test financial waters. 

At the end of the class, students move on to interesting learning activities such as crosswords and quizzes.

Investing in the stock market quiz – Students play a quiz to exhibit their understanding of the terminology learned.


Week 4: Working of the Stock Market - How stocks trade, What causes stock prices to change.

This week, students will learn in detail how a stock is bought or sold in stock exchanges. Students learn about what investors look for in a stock or security and what makes it valuable. Students get to know why the prices of stocks rise or fall and how investors make a profit or loss from that. Students also get to know how to study stocks of a company over a period and what means, or media sources can help to research information about the stock prices.

Students move on to learning activities.

Watch your stock market in action  – After learning the concepts, students watch real-time, the working of the stock market, and stocks. Students can see how prices of stocks rise and fall over about 15 minutes or half an hour and also investigate reasons for the same. 

Stock Research Activity – Students select a company they are familiar with and collect information about the variation of its stock prices over a period and the reasons for the same. Ex: Facebook or Mcdonalds.

Week 5: Buying Stocks -  How to read stock table/quote. 

Initially, stock quotes and tables can appear confusing, but once their components are broken down, they provide a valuable snapshot of a company. This week students get a better of stock quote data. Students will learn how to read a stock table and quote and relevant terminologies such as the security of interest, its ticker symbol, the price that the buyer/seller is willing to pay for or sell the shares at, and the number of shares to buy or sell. Students learn how the quote data appears on a stock chart and how it is used to measure the stock volatility. 

Students move on to learning activities.


Stock Market Simulation Apps – Students learn to buy, sell, and watch stocks using any stock market simulation app. Students can buy stocks virtually for a fixed price. They make a portfolio by selecting stocks of their choice and create a watchlist to watch their portfolio, thus testing financial knowledge in real-time. Students can watch stocks they picked over a week, and in the end, find out whether they are making a profit or loss.


Week 6: The Bulls and the Bears, Stock Market Crashes

This week, students will learn about the bulls, bears, and stock market strategies. Students learn the history of why these animals got into finance terminology and when markets become bull or bear markets. Students also get an idea about different stock market indices and their behavior, and situations that cause markets to rally or crash. Students assess their portfolio.
 
Students move on to learning activities.


Group Activity – Students form groups, and each group tracks a selected index related to a particular category of stocks. They discuss the behavior of the chosen index over a period and reasons for the same.

Portfolio Watch – The assessment of the activity of the previous week is done in this class, where the student explains his/her portfolio choice, and the best portfolio can be rewarded.