What do you get when you combine the study
of mathematics, economics, history, geography, current events,
and global studies? The result is The Stock Market Game Capitol
Hill Challenge, and a class of Onekama High School students who
are extending their math skills by applying them to real world
situations of saving and investing.
The OHS students in Laurie Blevins’s
Applied Math class began participating in the Stock Market Game
this fall. In this nationwide game, Blevins’s students competed
against other high school teams from across the country. They
received special assistance from local businesses, and also from
their Congressman.
The goal of the Stock Market Game program
is to engage students in the world of economics, investing, and
personal finance in order to prepare them for financially
independent futures. Student teams must manage a hypothetical
$100,000 online portfolio by investing in real stocks, bonds,
and mutual funds. Each month, Jeff Reau from the Edward Jones
office in Manistee came to speak with the Onekama Applied Math
class to help navigate students through the Stock Market Game.
The Capitol Hill Challenge is a special edition of The Stock
Market Game that shares with members of Congress real-time
examples of students benefitting from the program in their
respective district or state. Blevins’s class was paired up with
their district Congressman Bill Huizenga. On Friday, May 6,
Congressman Huizenga made a special visit to Onekama High School
to speak with his team directly and to share some insights with
them.
“Our team did very well with the portfolio
during the Michigan game time period, but struggled during the
last 12 weeks with the volatility of the current market,”
explained Blevins. “The students have made some smart choices
and have even had a local company in their portfolio – PCA
(stock ticker: PKG). It has done well for them and they have
learned about local businesses, as well as global economies
during this time frame. I think they have found that they may
not have been aggressive enough in their portfolio. And, that a
lot of the success in the stock market is due to some chance or
luck.”
The Stock Market Game addresses a variety
of math skills, including basic computation, percentages,
calculations, estimation, decimals, graphs, and ratios. The
activity enriched student learning beyond the area of
mathematics as well.
“This truly is teaching across the
curriculum,” said Blevins. “I have seen my students become
engaged in math in a new way, and have been delighted to see
that they have looked forward to class every day. It was a
wonderful format of current events that affect the market and
their team stocks, to global geography of the emerging markets,
to how much is the 2% brokers fee for selling our stock going to
affect our profit?
“The students have learned to identify if
they are risk takers or conservative investors, and they have
discovered that they can find ways to invest no matter which
they are,” added Blevins. “Having Jeff Reau come into the
classroom monthly has enhanced the experience of the students.
They love the opportunity to ask a professional about things to
look for in the market and ways that they can become investors
at a young age.”
Blevins was pleased and impressed when she
was contacted by Congressman Huizenga about coming to school to
speak to the students directly. During his May 6 presentation,
Congressman Huizenga covered a variety of topics, including oil
prices, stimulus efforts, and world markets. He used the
whiteboard to sketch examples to help students understand, and
he answered questions thoughtfully and thoroughly. He also
encouraged the students to stay informed and active in the
political process.
“Congressman Huizenga gave us a little
hope that our country can pull through like it always does and
get back on track,” stated OHS junior Emily Pomeroy.
Added senior Paul Cunningham, “When you
think about it, high school students are the future of this
country, and it is important that we know that our elected
officials are working for the better. I am glad that he came to
talk to us and give advice. He also sought our insight as to
what is going on with our economy.”
“It was amazing to see a room full of 40
students actively listening and engaged in the discussion,” said
Blevins. “Even if a student didn't have a specific interest in
the topics he covered, I feel that they at the very least left
with the feeling that their Congressman is listening and
available to them.”
