The Wall Street Challenge
In this unit, fifth grade students learned about investing and the stock market! Using the Wall Street Survivor website, students worked in teams to invest $100,000. They worked collaboratively to make decisions about how to best their invest their money. Students researched stocks using newspapers and websites, talked strategy, and competed with their classmates to see who could earn the most money by the end of the unit! Scroll down to check out the Wall Street Survivor Leaderboard, and see how our investments fared over the course of six weeks! Read student testimonials to find out what they learned from this real world unit!
So FiFTH GRADERS, WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THIS UNIT?
Team 1: William and Elizabeth
Elizabeth: I learned that no one can predict the stock market, and surprises can happen anytime. I also learned that while sitting on top of your money COULD get you to the top, it could land you in last place. It also helped Team Asia bond! (over our fake money :) ) I learned about what a stock actually WAS. Honestly, I had no idea what it was (and my parents couldn't really explain) , but now I understand a little more about the vast world of Bullish and Bearish. (i learned about that, too! Bullish is the good kind, right?)
Now, I feel like in the real world I’ll take more chances and make mistakes, because it will make what I’m doing more fun! (like going on random stock sprees) and be a little more confident. Go ahead and be risky, in Wall Street and the real world!
The most interesting thing about the stock market is that the vast amount of different stocks you can invest in. You can personalize your stock choice to your tastes! (I’m all about personalization) Another favorite thing about the stock market is the idea of it. Sharing is caring! Especially sharing stock! It’s a great way to feel a little better about yourself. (even with fake money) Supporting companies, yourself, and the economy? Sounds like a smile-grower to me!
Tips for the future:
Always spend at least half of your cash. The cash its still there, but it could get BIGGER!
Buy stocks when they are down, even a little bit. It could make all the difference later!
(if you’re doing a contest, this rule could apply) Remember: Don’t EXPECT to win. It never works. If it doesn't work for me, it won’t work for you.
William:
Elizabeth: I learned that no one can predict the stock market, and surprises can happen anytime. I also learned that while sitting on top of your money COULD get you to the top, it could land you in last place. It also helped Team Asia bond! (over our fake money :) ) I learned about what a stock actually WAS. Honestly, I had no idea what it was (and my parents couldn't really explain) , but now I understand a little more about the vast world of Bullish and Bearish. (i learned about that, too! Bullish is the good kind, right?)
Now, I feel like in the real world I’ll take more chances and make mistakes, because it will make what I’m doing more fun! (like going on random stock sprees) and be a little more confident. Go ahead and be risky, in Wall Street and the real world!
The most interesting thing about the stock market is that the vast amount of different stocks you can invest in. You can personalize your stock choice to your tastes! (I’m all about personalization) Another favorite thing about the stock market is the idea of it. Sharing is caring! Especially sharing stock! It’s a great way to feel a little better about yourself. (even with fake money) Supporting companies, yourself, and the economy? Sounds like a smile-grower to me!
Tips for the future:
Always spend at least half of your cash. The cash its still there, but it could get BIGGER!
Buy stocks when they are down, even a little bit. It could make all the difference later!
(if you’re doing a contest, this rule could apply) Remember: Don’t EXPECT to win. It never works. If it doesn't work for me, it won’t work for you.
William:
- I now know that the Stock Market is a part in the economy that some people work for as a job. One thing that was interesting was that companies could reverse split. I think I might try investing as an adult. I enjoyed talking with my partner and deciding what to buy.
- One tip I have is buy either a lot of different stocks to hope that they all go up, and if one lowers you won’t suffer much. Or, you could buy a lot of stocks for few companies so that if they go up, you make a lot of money.
Team 2: Caighley and Lila
Lila: During the stock market unit in LEAP, I learned a lot! I never really knew that much about the stock market. One of the most interesting things I learned about was splits. Sometimes, large companies split their stocks, or make one stock into to more stocks. Say, if you had 100 stocks in Coca-Cola and they did a split, you might now have 1,000 stocks. You still have the same amount of money, but instead of 100 expensive stocks you now have 1,000 cheaper stocks! Companies split to make their stocks cheaper, therefore making people more likely to buy them if they appear cheap. A lot of the time companies are trying to appeal to buyers that are new to the stock market and do not want to spend a lot of money.
There are two HUGE things I have to say to future investors. One, do some research before you invest. I looked online for hot stocks and I found Tesla. I learned that they were about to open a whole new factory and market in China! I came into LEAP and told everyone to invest in Tesla. A few weeks later, Tesla skyrocketed. Research is really amazing and it can help you become rich!
The second thing I have to tell you comes from a very sad story. Here it is, TRUST YOUR GUT! So, when I told everyone to invest in Tesla, they all bought hundreds. I only bought 15 because I was afraid that I was wrong. Can you imagine my disappointment when Tesla went up and I was the only one who just invested a little? YOU WILL NEVER FEEL MY PAIN IF YOU FOLLOW MY ADVICE!! So, you are most likely to be right if you do research and trust yourself. Good luck!
Caighley:
Throughout this whole stock journey, I have learned multiple things. One of the things I have learned to buy lots of stock in cheap stocks. I wouldn’t let my partner go higher than $1,000. Tesla went really high up and we only got about 10 stocks. In the in the beginning the high was 50 stocks and then it went down to to 26 stock only. We could have won! I now don’t pay that much attention to the price. I learned many more things but I have to go on.
Future Stock Owner Friends, some beautiful tips are in store for you. Wonderful Tip #1: Buy low and sell high to get more money. If there is a stock at $1.50, buy it. Then when it goes to $120.50, sell it. Amazing Tip #2: Trust your partner. It may not be a great idea at first, but then think again. Tip #1 says to buy low and sell high. If it is low then buy it, it will end up being a good idea. Take my advice and go!
Lila: During the stock market unit in LEAP, I learned a lot! I never really knew that much about the stock market. One of the most interesting things I learned about was splits. Sometimes, large companies split their stocks, or make one stock into to more stocks. Say, if you had 100 stocks in Coca-Cola and they did a split, you might now have 1,000 stocks. You still have the same amount of money, but instead of 100 expensive stocks you now have 1,000 cheaper stocks! Companies split to make their stocks cheaper, therefore making people more likely to buy them if they appear cheap. A lot of the time companies are trying to appeal to buyers that are new to the stock market and do not want to spend a lot of money.
There are two HUGE things I have to say to future investors. One, do some research before you invest. I looked online for hot stocks and I found Tesla. I learned that they were about to open a whole new factory and market in China! I came into LEAP and told everyone to invest in Tesla. A few weeks later, Tesla skyrocketed. Research is really amazing and it can help you become rich!
The second thing I have to tell you comes from a very sad story. Here it is, TRUST YOUR GUT! So, when I told everyone to invest in Tesla, they all bought hundreds. I only bought 15 because I was afraid that I was wrong. Can you imagine my disappointment when Tesla went up and I was the only one who just invested a little? YOU WILL NEVER FEEL MY PAIN IF YOU FOLLOW MY ADVICE!! So, you are most likely to be right if you do research and trust yourself. Good luck!
Caighley:
Throughout this whole stock journey, I have learned multiple things. One of the things I have learned to buy lots of stock in cheap stocks. I wouldn’t let my partner go higher than $1,000. Tesla went really high up and we only got about 10 stocks. In the in the beginning the high was 50 stocks and then it went down to to 26 stock only. We could have won! I now don’t pay that much attention to the price. I learned many more things but I have to go on.
Future Stock Owner Friends, some beautiful tips are in store for you. Wonderful Tip #1: Buy low and sell high to get more money. If there is a stock at $1.50, buy it. Then when it goes to $120.50, sell it. Amazing Tip #2: Trust your partner. It may not be a great idea at first, but then think again. Tip #1 says to buy low and sell high. If it is low then buy it, it will end up being a good idea. Take my advice and go!
Team 3: Danny, Jonathan, and Erich
Jonathan: II now know that there are risks, and it can be expensive. You can also lose money, and gain money. The coolest thing that I learned was that companies have splits, and splits double your amount of shares that you have. For example, if you have bought 200, you then will own 400 shares! :) I also learned that TSLA (Tesla) is going up over $1,500.00! <3
My tips are to:
1: Buy low, sell high
2: Buy lots of TSLA no matter what
3: Always keep track of your money left
5: Never buy unless it’s worth it
6: Never sell unless it’s worth it
7: Never spam your opponents
8: Never change your profile picture
9: Pretend that this is your real money
10: Look back at #4
Danny: I know now that the stock market changes much faster than I thought. Some stocks don’t even cost a dollar. Also that it is good to buy low and to sell your stocks when they are worth a lot of money .Also there are lots of stock markets like the New York Stock Market. 2. I think what is most interesting is that every stock is worth a different amount of money. 3.The knowledge will impact my life because if I ever decide to buy a stock sometime in my life I will know when I should buy the stock or when the stock might be worth more money than it was worth before. Also, what stock I should buy at the time.
The advice that I have for next years group is that do not get distracted because the stock market can get confusing at some parts. Also, that if you are in a competition with your other classmates, buy low and sell high.
Jonathan: II now know that there are risks, and it can be expensive. You can also lose money, and gain money. The coolest thing that I learned was that companies have splits, and splits double your amount of shares that you have. For example, if you have bought 200, you then will own 400 shares! :) I also learned that TSLA (Tesla) is going up over $1,500.00! <3
My tips are to:
1: Buy low, sell high
2: Buy lots of TSLA no matter what
3: Always keep track of your money left
5: Never buy unless it’s worth it
6: Never sell unless it’s worth it
7: Never spam your opponents
8: Never change your profile picture
9: Pretend that this is your real money
10: Look back at #4
Danny: I know now that the stock market changes much faster than I thought. Some stocks don’t even cost a dollar. Also that it is good to buy low and to sell your stocks when they are worth a lot of money .Also there are lots of stock markets like the New York Stock Market. 2. I think what is most interesting is that every stock is worth a different amount of money. 3.The knowledge will impact my life because if I ever decide to buy a stock sometime in my life I will know when I should buy the stock or when the stock might be worth more money than it was worth before. Also, what stock I should buy at the time.
The advice that I have for next years group is that do not get distracted because the stock market can get confusing at some parts. Also, that if you are in a competition with your other classmates, buy low and sell high.
Team 4: Avery and Alyssa
Avery: What I know about the stock market is that the place where stocks are bought is called a stock exchange. Also, I learned that to tell whether the overall market is going up or down, you can look at a group of representative stocks called an index. Another thing that I learned about is a dividend. A dividend is when a company divides the year into quarters and then the company pays you money per stocks at the end of each quarter. The part that I enjoyed the most was learning how to sell the stocks and learning that you can earn more money from when you bought it at first! I think that learning about stocks would impact my life by every time I hear the word bear I will think about stocks because there is a bear market and the bull market!
Some advice that I have about future stock traders is that you should sell buy low and sell high because if you buy a stock when it costs less and then you sell it when it is worth more you will gain a lot more than what you had when you started! Also, some more advice that I have is that when you sell and buy stocks you will never know when it is going to go up and when it is going to go down so you have to infer and think about what time of year it is and what the company is coming out with!
Alyssa: In Leap, I have learned about stocks. I have learned that when a business company gets less popular the stocks go down and that company loses money. Also, I learned about a dividend. A dividend is when a year is divided into 4 quarters and at the end of each quarter you get an amount money per stock that you own. Now I know that when you sell some stocks that is called a trades. What I thought was interesting about this unit is that we got $50,000 and got to spend it on stocks. I think that since that it was kind of a competition it made us work harder. I think that this unit impacted my life because i’m thinking of being a stockbroker when i’m older. For next years leap class, I give advice to don’t be afraid to spend your money because you have $50,000!!!!! Also, you might want to buy stocks that are staying the same so when they go up, you will get more money and be in a higher place!
Avery: What I know about the stock market is that the place where stocks are bought is called a stock exchange. Also, I learned that to tell whether the overall market is going up or down, you can look at a group of representative stocks called an index. Another thing that I learned about is a dividend. A dividend is when a company divides the year into quarters and then the company pays you money per stocks at the end of each quarter. The part that I enjoyed the most was learning how to sell the stocks and learning that you can earn more money from when you bought it at first! I think that learning about stocks would impact my life by every time I hear the word bear I will think about stocks because there is a bear market and the bull market!
Some advice that I have about future stock traders is that you should sell buy low and sell high because if you buy a stock when it costs less and then you sell it when it is worth more you will gain a lot more than what you had when you started! Also, some more advice that I have is that when you sell and buy stocks you will never know when it is going to go up and when it is going to go down so you have to infer and think about what time of year it is and what the company is coming out with!
Alyssa: In Leap, I have learned about stocks. I have learned that when a business company gets less popular the stocks go down and that company loses money. Also, I learned about a dividend. A dividend is when a year is divided into 4 quarters and at the end of each quarter you get an amount money per stock that you own. Now I know that when you sell some stocks that is called a trades. What I thought was interesting about this unit is that we got $50,000 and got to spend it on stocks. I think that since that it was kind of a competition it made us work harder. I think that this unit impacted my life because i’m thinking of being a stockbroker when i’m older. For next years leap class, I give advice to don’t be afraid to spend your money because you have $50,000!!!!! Also, you might want to buy stocks that are staying the same so when they go up, you will get more money and be in a higher place!
Team 5: Sam and Grace
Sam: In Leap I have learned about stocks. I have learned that when a business company gets less popular the stocks go down and that company loses money. Also, I learned about a dividend. A dividend is when a year is divided into 4 quarters and at the end of each quarter you get an amount money per stock that you own. Now I know that when you sell some stocks that is called a trades. What I thought was interesting about this unit is that we got $50,000 and got to spend it on stocks. I think that since that it was kind of a competition it made us work harder. I think that this unit impacted my life because i’m thinking of being a stockbroker when i’m older. For next years leap class, I give advice to don’t be afraid to spend your money because you have $50,000!!!!! Also, you might want to buy stocks that are staying the same so when they go up, you will get more money and be in a higher place!
Grace: In this unit I learned that the stock market is a place to buy and sell stocks. You can earn money if the company is doing well, but if the company is doing poorly you can lose money. The most interesting thing that I learned in this unit is that companies split to make the price lower. If you had 1 stock you would have 2 stocks after the split. The value of each splits in half. If your stock cost $100 after the split it would only be worth $50, but you would have 2, so you would have the same amount of money. Knowing this information might impact my life because it might open up a new door for me. Maybe it will lead to me buying shares in a stocks! I enjoyed going on Wall Street Survivor.
Some advice for the next class that I have is that don’t give up on a stock too quickly. Even if a stock is going down it might go up later and you could earn a lot of money. Sometimes it’s good to do a little research on the computers and find some stocks that are going up. Also penny stocks are cheap and sometimes they make A LOT of money! Don’t just pick your stocks because you like the company!
Sam: In Leap I have learned about stocks. I have learned that when a business company gets less popular the stocks go down and that company loses money. Also, I learned about a dividend. A dividend is when a year is divided into 4 quarters and at the end of each quarter you get an amount money per stock that you own. Now I know that when you sell some stocks that is called a trades. What I thought was interesting about this unit is that we got $50,000 and got to spend it on stocks. I think that since that it was kind of a competition it made us work harder. I think that this unit impacted my life because i’m thinking of being a stockbroker when i’m older. For next years leap class, I give advice to don’t be afraid to spend your money because you have $50,000!!!!! Also, you might want to buy stocks that are staying the same so when they go up, you will get more money and be in a higher place!
Grace: In this unit I learned that the stock market is a place to buy and sell stocks. You can earn money if the company is doing well, but if the company is doing poorly you can lose money. The most interesting thing that I learned in this unit is that companies split to make the price lower. If you had 1 stock you would have 2 stocks after the split. The value of each splits in half. If your stock cost $100 after the split it would only be worth $50, but you would have 2, so you would have the same amount of money. Knowing this information might impact my life because it might open up a new door for me. Maybe it will lead to me buying shares in a stocks! I enjoyed going on Wall Street Survivor.
Some advice for the next class that I have is that don’t give up on a stock too quickly. Even if a stock is going down it might go up later and you could earn a lot of money. Sometimes it’s good to do a little research on the computers and find some stocks that are going up. Also penny stocks are cheap and sometimes they make A LOT of money! Don’t just pick your stocks because you like the company!