The Stock Market Game
The Stock Market Game™
The Stock Market Game™ program is an online education program used in thousands of classrooms nationwide to help teach math, social studies, business, economics and language skills while focusing on the importance of long-term savings and investment. In Illinois, the SMG program has engaged over 585,000 students since it was introduced in 1988.
Students in grades 4-12 participate in teams and manage a simulated investment portfolio during ten to thirty-two weeks of the school year. Teachers access grade- and subject-specific lesson plans, activities, newsletters and tutorials for classroom instruction.
Stock Market Game lessons and activities, correlated to Common Core Standards, are available to registered teachers in four mastery levels and three different grade divisions. Thus, the same students can increase learning by being involved in the SMG more than once - two grading periods of the same year, or two or more years in school.
Core SMG lessons are available in Spanish as well as English. See these examples:
- What is a company? (Spanish)
- What causes stock prices to change? (English)
Cabrera Statewide Award
The Cabrera Statewide Award is given annually to the top grades 4-8 team and the top grades 9-12 team among the 10- to 15- week fall and spring sessions. This award is made possible by funding from Cabrera Capital Markets, LLC.
The two teams visit the Chicago Financial District at the end of the school year. Stops include the Cabrera offices, the CME Group/Chicago Board of Trade, the office of the Chicago City Treasurer and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Students receive funds for an investment account; the teachers receive a professional development scholarship.
Illinois Capitol Challenge
Illinois Capitol Challenge is made possible by funding to Econ Illinois from Citi Foundation. This pull-out competition is offered each fall and matches state legislators to SMG teams in their district. The winning team is awarded a trip to Springfield to meet with their legislative sponsor on Capitol Hill.
InvestWrite
InvestWrite is a national writing competition encouraging critical thinking skills while reinforcing concepts learned in the classroom. Students respond to a question or prompt on investing with a brief essay. National and state awards include mini-computers, trophies and gift cards.
Capitol Hill Challenge
Capitol Hill Challenge is a special edition of the SMG program provided by SIFMA Foundation. Offered each spring, Members of Congress are matched with SMG teams in their district. The top five teams from across the U.S. travel to Washington D.C. in June to receive awards on Capitol Hill.