Frequently Asked Questions
Throughout the years, EconomicsWisconsin has compiled a list of frequently asked questions regarding the Stock Market Simulation. Please use this guide as a starting point to answer any of your Stock Market Simulation questions. Please feel free to email EconomicsWisconsin's SMS Help Desk for any further clarifications or questions you may have.
- How much class time does it take?
- How is the SMS program integrated into core subjects?
- How can the SMS help my students?
- Does the program help me meet Wisconsin's learning standards?
- How can I measure how well my students are doing?
- What level of investment knowledge is required?
- How do I get started?
- How do students make trades?
- What resources are provided?
- What training is provided?
- What is the cost to participate in the Stock Market Simulation?
- What sets us apart from other stock market games?
- Is there funding available?
- Who sponsors the Stock Market Simulation?
- Disclaimer
How much class time does it take?
It takes three or four class periods to introduce students to the SMS, which can be started before the game officially begins. Once the game starts, students have the opportunity to post trades as often as they like. Because students have access to their online portfolios 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any computer with internet access, teachers have the flexibility of choosing how much or how little class time is devoted to the program.
How is the SMS program integrated into core subjects?
The SMS can be adjusted to suit any teacher's needs. The flexibility of the program allows teachers to use it with a variety of subjects including: Social Studies, Math, Business, Technology, Family/Consumer Sciences, and Economics. It can be integrated into regular classrooms, school clubs, after school programs, and gifted and talented programs.
EconomicsWisconsin hosts a statewide essay contest to help measure the students' grasp of saving and investing. Students are asked to write about the three main lessons that they have learned by participating in the Stock Market Simulation. The essay contest is an optional component of the SMS. Teachers can use this as an assignment, extra credit, and/or collaborate with English/Language Arts teachers.
How can the SMS help your students?
Business Education Teachers: Use the SMS to teach students the characteristics of the business cycle and a market system, the role of business, consumers and government in our economy, how supply and demand interact to determine prices, how to use technology to maintain, manipulate and report financial information, and more.
Elementary and Gifted and Talented Teachers: Use the SMS to reinforce math skills and to introduce children to the value of investing and saving for the future. Students also develop important life skills in group decision making, conflict resolution, data collection and analysis, problem solving, critical thinking, and more.
Financial Education Teachers: Use the SMS to help students: learn how to apply strategies for creating wealth and building assets, how to develop financial goals and budgets, how to analyze and balance risk against benefits, about the purposes and services of financial institutions, and more. Lessons from LEI, the free curriculum available to registered SMS teachers, are correlated to the National Standards in Personal Finance.
Math Teachers: Students will see real-world applications as they learn to use ratios, decimals, estimating skills, fractions, amounts of money, percentages, basic computation. Students also learn data analysis and probability, and more. Lessons from LEI, the free curriculum available to registered SMS teachers, are correlated to the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.
Social Studies and Economics Teachers: The SMS will reinforce your introduction of financial markets and institutions, supply and demand, profit and loss, opportunity cost, risk and return, and more. Lessons from LEI, the free curriculum available to registered SMS teachers, are correlated to the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics.
Students are not the only ones to benefit.
Teachers improve their financial and economic understanding as well! If you are new to investing yourself and are hesitant to offer the SMS to your students, we offer free teacher training programs to teach you the basics of saving and investing and tips to help you get started using the SMS in your classroom.
Does the program help me meet learning standards?
Learning, Earning and Investing (LEI), the free curriculum available to all Wisconsin SMS teachers, has been correlated to national standards. Lessons have been classroom-tested and reviewed by teachers, economic educators and economists. LEI is correlated to:
- National Standards in Personal Finance
- Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
- Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics
Proven Results:
- The first Nation's Report Card on Economics, released in 2007, found that students participating in a stock market game scored a statistically significant higher score on standardized tests than students who had not participated.
- In six consecutive reports over a 12 year period, the biannual survey by the Jump$tart Coalition for Financial Literacy found that students that participated in a stock market game score higher on the Jump$tart financial literacy survey than students that did not participate.
How can I measure how well my students are doing?
An interactive pre- and post-test is available on the Learning, Earning and Investing web site. The Invest Test includes 23 investment related questions. Have your students take this as a pre- or post-test; or, take the test yourself and see how much you know about investing. Each question gives detailed explanations regarding the correct answer along with references to the lesson(s) that covers that particular topic.
What level of investment knowledge is required?
The SMS program is designed so students and teachers learn as they go; therefore, minimal knowledge about investing is needed. In fact, SMS serves as a valuable tool to learn basic investing skills.
The Wisconsin SMS help desk is here to help if you have any question about investing concepts or need assistance in locating lesson plans to help your students improve their financial future.
If you are new to investing and are hesitant to offer the SMS to your students, we offer free teacher training programs to teach you the basics of saving and investing and tips to help you get started using the SMS in your classroom.
SMS teachers often work with a volunteer from a local investment firm to help them get started. Contact your local investment firm to request a volunteer to speak to your class about the basics of savings and investing or other topics of interest.
How do I get started?
Simply register you teams online. You will receive an email with usernames and passwords. Please check your junk mail folder if you do not receive them within 2 days of registering. No payment is necessary upon registration. An invoice will be mailed to you.
We offer free teacher training workshop (either online or in person) for those who wish to participate.
The following resources will help you get started:
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SMS User's Guide - Everything a first time user needs to know to get started
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Economics Wisconsin's Online Guide - Lessons organized by standards correlations
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Learning Earning and Investing Curriculum and web site - Access Power Points and visuals that accompany the lesson on LEI's web site. Power Points are located under the Workshop Leaders Guide section.
Other Useful Resources:
- EconEd Link - A premier source of classroom tested, Internet-based economic lesson materials for K-12 teachers and their students
- Invesptopedia - Easy to understand articles and tutorials. Also offers an investment dictionary.
- More resources can be found here.
How do my students make trades?
Trades are made via the SMS web site. Students can gain access to accounts on our web site 24 hours a day, seven days a week to review account activity, review class rankings, and research stocks.
What types of resources are provided?
We provide a flexible curriculum that can stand alone or supplement your existing curriculum. Free teacher training is available to help you make the stock market a real and understandable piece of your economic knowledge. Online training is available year round or attend a face-to-face session held each January and September. If you need help finding the funds to participate, contact us to find out how we can help.
Free Teacher Training Workshop: Provide teachers with hands on experience with the SMS.
Help Desk: A live help desk is available to answer your questions and assist you in any way. You can also email any questions.
Free Curriculum: Teachers who participate in the SMS receive a free copy of Learning, Earning, and Investing. (Limit one copy per teacher). Curriculum material is also available in the resource section of this web site.
Additional lessons:
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Economics Wisconsin also offers lessons specifically related to the Stock Market Simulation.
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Links to lesson plans and online activities covering all areas of economics and financial literacy can be found in the resource section of our web site.
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Our Online Guide consists of links to lesson plans sorted by grade level and Wisconsin State Standards for teaching economics.
Free Copies of Your Local Newspaper: Many newspapers provides free or reduced cost newspapers to classroom teachers through their Newspapers in Education Departments. Contact your local paper's Newspapers In Education Department to inquire about their program.
Local Volunteers: SMS teachers often work with a volunteer from a local investment firm to help them get started. Contact your local investment firm to request a volunteer to speak to your class about the basics of savings and investing or other topics of interest.
What type of training is provided?
The Wisconsin Stock Market Simulation is available to all public, private, and home schools in Wisconsin. Workshops are located throughout the state in each fall and winter. Workshops are free of charge and include a complimentary lunch. Registration is required at least one week in advance. Online training is also available.
What is the cost to participate?
10 Week Stock Market Simulation:
There is a fee of $20 fee per team for the 10 week games. SMS teams are generally comprised of one to five students. While larger teams are allowed to participate, Economics Wisconsin limits prizes and awards to five students per team. If you need assistance, we do have different funding options available.
School Year Challenge (Oct. - April): There is a fee of $35 per team. Teams are generally comprised of one to five students. While larger teams are allowed to participate, Economics Wisconsin limits prizes and awards to five students per team.
What sets us apart from other stock market games?
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Teams compete against other Wisconsin schools for a trip to NYC to tour the New York Stock Exchange!
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We offer awards including T-shirts, certificates, and medals and recognize winning teachers and students at awards banquets.
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The Stock Market Simulation provide students access to a safe and secure site. Other free simulations include message boards where students can interact and communicate with adults and anyone else who chooses to use the site. The Wisconsin SMS site is limited to registered teachers and their students. All accounts can be tracked to a Wisconsin school and teacher so they are safe for student use.
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The Stock Market Simulation offers a live and local help desk .We're here to answer any questions whether it be a question about your portfolio, the rules, or if you are looking for resources to help explain concepts such as short selling or buying on margin. Many other sites offer little or no support.
Funding may be available to help schools in need. Contact EconomicsWisconsin to request funds. Please include your name, the name of your school and the number of teams that you would like to register.
You may also wish to contact area businesses to ask for their support. We have composed a letter to help guide you in the process.
Who sponsors the Stock Market Simulation?
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Disclaimer
When you sign up with the Wisconsin Stock Market Simulation and/or the SMS Online Workshop, you automatically opt in to receive regular email updates about Economics Wisconsin's workshops, programs, special offers and more. You may opt out at any time. Simply click on the unsubscribe link that is found at the bottom of each email. Please note: We do not sell, rent, lease or disclose information that identifies you individually or makes it possible for other parties to contact you directly.
