TechnoInvestor

TechnoInvestor begins with an introduction to Microsoft Excel. Afterwards, students use the project resources to learn about the stock market. They answer questions about trading stocks.

Once familiar with this method of earning money, middle school students take part in a stock market simulation. The simulation includes eight fictional companies that are listed on the TechnoStock Exchange. Events occur to these companies causing their stocks to rise or fall in value. Students form investments teams and collaborate to make trading decisions.

TechnoDollars and TechnoStock Certificate

The TechnoInvestor project has everything needed to run a stock market simulation including TechnoDollars, TechnoStock Certificates, Company Profiles, TechnoStock Exchange Listings, and Money and Markets financial newsletter.

View Profiles

The simulation begins with each investment team being allocated TechnoDollars. Students study the Company Profiles document, to learn about the history of each company and determine those that are a good investment. Investment teams then buy shares in these companies receiving a stock certificate as proof of the purchase.

The trading decisions are then organized in a Microsoft Excel worksheet. Excel lesson plans explain how to create a table that contains information about stocks, the amount purchased, and current market value. This electronic portfolio is updated each session, to help students manage their investments.

Students read the first issue of “Money and Markets“ news to find out how recent events have affected each of eight fictional companies on the TechnoStock Exchange. In this way, they learn how current events influence stock values. Using this information, they make decisions about the second trading session: buying, selling or keeping stocks in the eight listed companies.

View Magazine

Transactions are entered into the spreadsheet. Students learn to use formulas and AutoFill to calculate total stock values.

Following an update of events in the second issue of “Money and Markets”, investment groups participate in another trading session of the stock market simulation. Students update spreadsheets and learn how to apply conditional formatting to make it easy to see if they are making money.