Career Pathway Development Project
Lesson: Bear or Bullish

Unit 3 Lesson 4
Teacher Guide

Lesson Title: Bear or Bullish

Pathway(s) Addressed: Business, Finance, and Marketing

Submitted by: Sharon McMullen

Date: 6-20-00

Age(s): 11-14

Recommended: Online/Student Directed

Time frame: This unit is designed for two weeks, everyday.

Alaska State Content Standards:

Mathematics
A student should understand mathematical facts, concepts, principles, and theories.
B A student should understand and be able to select and use a variety of problem-solving strategies.
D A student should be able to use logic and reason to solve mathematical problems.

Technology
C A student should be able to use technology to explore ideas, solve problems, and derive meaning.
E A student should be able to use technology responsibility and understand its impact on individuals and society.

Employability
A student should be able to use employability skills in order to effectively make the transition from school to work and life-long learning.

Reading, Writing and Math
A student who meets the content standard should:

A.6 collect, organize, analyze, interpret, represent, and formulate questions about data and make reasonable and useful predictions about the certainty, uncertainty, or impossibility of an event;
B.4 develop and apply strategies to sol e a variety of problems;
D.5 use inductive reasoning to recognize patterns and form mathematical propositions

Employability
A student who meets this standard should:

A.2 understand how to apply skills and academic knowledge in a variety of work settings

Overview:
Bear or Bullish is a simulation game in which students are investors in the market and must decide what stocks they want to buy sell or trade.

Objectives:  Students will be able to

Organize a small business including materials, employees, advertising, and transportation costs   

Use news media and random events to predict the success or failure of their business by analyzing newspaper clippings, customer reviews and profit of their business.

Resources/Materials:
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/edu/RSE/RSEyellow/basicslesson.html
Business scenarios
Newspaper clippings
Customer reviews
Profit

Vocabulary:
simulation, principle, investing, profit

Classroom Setting:
Students will work in small cooperative learning groups of 4.  The teacher may choose from several activities.

Activities:
The activity is outlined at the website.

Community Connections:
Invite a stockbroker or financial advisor to visit your classroom and do some investing activities with your class.
Invite a parent who invests in the stock market to discuss how to build a portfolio, the risks and the benefits.

Assessment:
Students will keep a journal and write an entry each day of their activities involving this simulation.