Money Talk
Warren Goetzel, Malaika Jordan, Will Todd, and Carl Zeigler

A Module for Investigative Case Based Learning in the Classroom

 

Overview:

Utilize in Algebra, Economics, Marketing, Business, and Social Sciences.

Students will model investment strategies in order to maximize profits in an effort to secure a scholarship from the Alumni Association.

 

 

Case:

The Booker T. Washington High School Alumni Association has given you $10,000 to use for college. In order to have access to the money, you must first demonstrate how to invest money wisely. There exist many forms of investments, including savings accounts, CDs , money market accounts, mutual funds and stocks. Finding the best investment strategies has puzzled investors for years.

In order to satisfy the alumni association, you must come up with the most profitable way to invest your money over a 12-week period on a weekly basis.

Your group will be evaluated by the presentation you give to the Alumni Association. The three main categories of evaluation include:


1. Visual presentation of facts through the use of a project board to display graphs, charts and other pertinent information.


2. Oral conveyance of net loss/gain, which should demonstrate understanding of, related concepts.


3. Overall net gain.


Learning Objectives:

Students will:

1. Interpret data supplied by stock market report.


2. Compute simple and compound interest.


3. Investigate various types of investment to compare pros and cons of different investment options.

 

Relation to Science Education Standards:

GRADE: 9-12 COURSE: Algebra I

2. Describe orally and in writing, using the appropriate mathematical vocabulary, mathematical concepts and procedures, such as solving a word problem or computing.

15. Graphs points (ordered pairs of numbers) in the coordinate plane and identifies the coordinates of given points in the plane.

16. Identifies the slope and intercepts of a linear equation. AA 17

 

Elements of ICBL

1. Case:
Students will read case and are likely to discuss questions such as:

1. What are stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CD's, and money market accounts?
2. What is the difference between simple and compound interest?
3. What is the minimum amount of money allowed to be invested in each category?
4. What kinds of information need to be included on my graph?
5. What is the best investment one could make?

Groups will be divided into four members. Each student in the group will invest according to one of the following strategies.

The conservative person will investigate savings accounts and CDs. The cautious investor will investigate the money market accounts. The moderate will investigate the mutual funds and the gambler will investigate the stocks.


2. Resources:
The student will use :

the Internet (http:/www.quicken.com, www.microsoft money.com)

magazines (Fortune, Business Week, Black Enterprise)

banks and credit unions

newspapers (Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Journal and Constitution)

television stock reports.


3. Investigative Activity:
Each group member will investigate a particular investment strategy based on each of the following types:

saving accounts/CD's

money market accounts

mutual funds

stocks


4. Assessment:

Individual and group assessment will be based on a presentation to the Alumni Association. The group that demonstrates the most understanding of the topic, presents the information most effectively, and has the most profitable investments will be awarded the scholarship when they graduate High School and attend college.

The students will reach consensus as a group on how much of the $10,000 should be invested in each of the categories, and choose particular banks, brokerage firms and company stocks.

These presentations will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. Use of graphs, charts and other manipulatives (30%)
2. Effective oral communication of net loss or gain (30%)
3. Highest net gain (40%)

 

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