Teacher Support Center
Welcome to The Stock Market Game™
This short guide provides the essential components for successful program implementation. The SMG program is extremely flexible and can be customized to meet the specific needs of your students.
Team IDs & Passwords:
Before introducing your class to the SMG program, organize the students into teams. In most cases, team size is up to you, though we recommend three to five students per portfolio.
Assigning each team member a well-defined role helps them maintain focus and provides them with a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Roles also ensure each team member participates in the learning process, is accountable for group assignments, and supports group decision-making.
Tools for Teachers:
The following tools will help you get started with SMG in your classroom.
Tools for Students:
The following resources can be presented in class or shared directly with your students to help them get started with the SMG program.
Program Rules:
It is very important that you and your teams know the rules of the program. SMG advisors and their teams need to understand both the national SMG rules and any local program rules specific to your region or competition (if there are any).
Click below to view national and local SMG rules as well as to download a handout of SMG rules to share with your class. Your students can also view the rules from the Resources tab in their team portfolios. To ensure your students are knowledgeable about the program rules, you are also encouraged to use the "Do You Know the Rules?" quiz provided below.
SMG Lesson Plans & Activities:
SMG lessons are organized into units that correspond to the thought and research processes SMG teams engage in when building their portfolio: Before You Invest, Selecting Your Investments, Tracking Your Investments, and Reflections.
For more lessons and teaching resources, visit Additional Curricula in the Teacher Support Center.
- Understanding SMG: (reviews program fundamentals)
- Before You Invest (concepts students need to know BEFORE they enter their SMG portfolio)
- Selecting Your Investments (concepts that assist students as they make their investment picks. It is encouraged that students begin entering their first trade/s at this point in the program)
- Tracking your Investments (concepts that assist students after they have entered trade/s)
- Reflections (summing it up)
- Understanding SMG: (reviews program fundamentals)
- Before You Invest (concepts students need to know BEFORE they enter their SMG portfolio)
- Selecting Your Investments (concepts that assist students as they make their investment picks. It is encouraged that students begin entering their first trade/s at this point in the program)
- Tracking your Investments (concepts that assist students after they have entered trade/s)
- Reflections (summing it up)
- Understanding SMG: (reviews program fundamentals)
- Before You Invest (concepts students need to know BEFORE they enter their SMG portfolio)
- Selecting Your Investments (concepts that assist students as they make their investment picks. It is encouraged that students begin entering their first trade/s at this point in the program)
- Tracking your Investments (concepts that assist students after they have entered trade/s)
- Reflections (summing it up)
Rankings:
Many local SMG programs offer a "portfolio equity" competition, where teams are ranked based on portfolio Total Equity. The team with the highest equity at the end of the trading session is recognized as being the winner of The Stock Market Game.™ Some SMG programs offer a "percent return" competition where teams are ranked based on the percentage growth of their portfolio as compared to growth in the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index for a similar time period. The rules and awards for each competition differ from location to location. Contact your state SMG coordinator for information regarding the type of portfolio competition available to you.
For a detailed explanation of both types of ranking methods, click below for a printable guide you can share with your students. You may track the progress of your teams by clicking Team Portfolios on the landing page of the Teacher Support Center. Your students may check their team's progress by selecting Rankings from the dropdown menu that appears when they mouse over the Portfolio menu option or in Team Rankings on the landing page of their SMG portfolio.
Connect SMG to ELA and compete for great prizes at the state and national level with the InvestWrite® essay competition:
SMG Advisors are invited to access this awesome supplementary SMG activity for in-class or at-home independent work to enhance your students' SMG experience. In addition to opportunities for state and national recognition and exciting prizes like an all-expense paid trip to Wall Street, InvestWrite® provides you with an authentic culminating assessment tool.
Watch an InvestWrite® student get the surprise of a lifetime.
Request a financial industry guest speaker for your classroom with Invest It Forward™:
Business professionals from firms and functions across the financial industry are ready to volunteer as your next classroom guest speaker - and bring SMG lessons to life! Invest It Forward™ connects teachers and students to industry professionals for classroom visits either in person or online. Teachers and students gain real-world insights into savings, investing, and future academic and career pursuits.
Watch an Invest it Forward™ volunteer in action in the classroom.