Stock market games and simulations allow students a valuable and fun opportunity to learn all about the process of making good investments and begins a good foundation for sound money management. These games are designed not only to be used in mathematics and economics but also give valuable lessons in social studies, language arts, technology and even science classes. It helps students expand their knowledge and gain new skills in investing, saving, communication, cooperation, research and decision making.

Youth Benefits of the Stock Market Game

The main benefit of the stock market game is that students who take part in it earn higher scores on personal finance exams than those who do not play it. More than one learning style is encouraged as both students and teachers become acquainted with the rules of the language of saving and investing money. Students are also able to carry out their own research at a comfortable level as teachers get to customize classroom lessons. Being a team- based learning, it also allows cooperation on each part of the student. Along with classroom learning activities is the use of interdisciplinary teaching to extend the growth of a portfolio in online simulated securities trading as it allows students to use their research done online.

Game Process

In order to learn the ins and out of the stock market, students research can be done through the internet, magazines and newspapers. For classrooms without internet access, a toll-free fax machine is used. It is advisable that there are fewer students on each team so each student can interact more with the simulation. For seven days a week and at any time of the day or night, classes are able to trade.

There are two popular stock market games for high school students across America. These are the Stock Market Game and the National Stock Market Simulation. These games are played using virtual money as each class needs it to make simulated sales and purchases of stocks plus mutual funds and bonds. There is a specified amount of time to complete the classroom portfolio.

The Stock Market Game exposes students within smaller budgets to increased educational standards. Meanwhile, the National Stock Market Simulation runs for 10 weeks which allows classes to ask orders for U.S. stocks and make real-time bids. Each student can view their performance as well as ranking in real time as there is a streaming portfolio update. According to Stock Market Simulations, both students and classes can use market, stop and limit orders while they play.

Students with the largest total equity in their portfolio at the end of a session is the winner. Prizes are usually awarded to the top three preforming teams. Rewards range anywhere from actual stock market shares to dinner certificates to t-shirts and trophies.

Stock Market Game Resources for Teachers

• Play the Market. A four week lesson plan catered for middle school students to learn about how the stock market works .
• The Stock Market Game. Includes five lesson plans in conducting a modified stock market game.
• The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. An integrated math/history lesson plan that gives emphasis on the Stock Market Crash .
• Investing in the Stock Market: A lesson plan for students to learn the three major US stock markets by using imaginary stock.
• Great Stock Market Crashes of the 20th Century. A lesson plan for high school or college students to learn about stock market crashes in the US.
• The Capital Market. An online quiz about the Capital Market.
• Who Owns McDonald’s?: An interesting lesson plan to introduce students on the concept of being owners of a business through purchasing stock.
• The New York Stock Market: Includes information about the New York Stock Market which opened on Wall Street on January 4, 1865.
• Your Chance to Make Millions in the Stock Market. A three-part lesson plan that takes students through an interactive historical simulation and investments decisions.
• The Crash of 1929. Includes historical information on “Black Tuesday” wherein almost 31 points was lost in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
• Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz. A quiz developed by two university personal finance professors to contribute to a study on measuring financial risk tolerance .
• The E-Book Quiz. A quiz to assess the students’ understanding of important concepts and facts related to the E-book of international finance and development.
• Great Nebraskan National Economics Test: An online quiz to measure basic economic principles and facts.
• Understanding Portfolios. An objective type stock market game quiz to measure how well the students understood the lesson.
• The Balance Sheet and Market Indexes. A quiz in Foundations of Business Administration made by Prof. Bauer-Ramazani for freshman college students.
• The Stock Market Game. A site where students can log-in and learn about stock markets while playing.
• Stock Game. A game where students can experience living the life of Wall Street professionals.
• Can You Be the Next Market Guru?. An online flash game wherein students can invest on imaginary stocks.
• Fed Chairman Game. An online game where students have the chance to take charge of a simulated economy.
• The Fantasy Stock Exchange. A game for kids where they can have the option to select different companies and buy shares.

Stock Market Game Resources for Students

• Stock Market Activities for Students. Includes three different activities like Wall Street Survivor, Stock-Track Simulation and Financial Post Stock Market Challenge.
• College Savings Calculator. An online calculator to help college students determine the amount one must invest each year to cover college costs.
• Types of Investments: A guide on the seven basic ways on investing your money.
• simCEO: An online simulation game where students can create their own companies.
• 12 Steps to the Stock Market Game. A starter kit PDF that guides students to the stock market game in 12 steps.
• Investing 101. A detailed information about investing.
• FDIC Learning Bank. A site dedicated to give comprehensive information on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
• Math in Daily Life. A comprehensive look at how math affects students.
• NYSE Made Easy. An article to help students learn simple terms associated with the New York Stock Exchange .
• Feed the Pig. A site to learn how to take control of personal finances.
• What is the Stock Market?: Gives an overview of what stock market is.
• Ump’s Fwat. A picture ebook dedicated to help people of all ages understand basic principles in economics.
• What’s Up with Wall Street?. A page dedicated to learn the basics about Wall Street.
• Saving Plan. Includes simple tips on how to make a saving plan.
• Economists. A guide to help students learn what the responsibilities of an economist are. It is suited for older students.
• The Hows of Taxes. Includes 14 modules to give students a background on tax concepts.
• Investing for Teenagers. A guide on how teenagers can also invest.
• The Stock Market Crash. Includes information on the stock market crash that occurred in the 1920’s.
• How to Get on the Stock Exchange. A page on common terms and information about starting stock exchange.

Stock Market Game for Charity