Show What You Know + Stocks Wrap Up

See my Do Now in my Strategy folder that explains my beginning of class routines.

Often, I create do nows that have problems that connect to the task that students will be working on that day.  Today is a unique day, where students are taking a quiz and wrapping up a project.  I want students to have the Day 5 share price data at the beginning of class so they can work on their project after they finish the quiz.

I call students by rows to find a Closing Price Spreadsheet around the room.  They copy the closing price of the companies they have invested in on their packet.  I walk around to ensure that students have collected the data and are working on part 2d.

I ask the students if they have any questions they want answered before they take the quiz.  I encourage students to look at their homework assignment from the previous night.  If there is a question, students participate in a Think Pair Share with a partner and we share out ideas.

I do my best to keep the review brief.  It is easy for this review to stretch and take over the period.  I set a timer and hold myself to this.

Notes:

• Students began this project with the lesson Absolute Value and Stocks.
• Students should have Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b, and Part 2c completed.

I have a volunteer read over the to-do list for this part of the lesson.  I explain that this will be the last day that we work on the “Tracking Your Investments” project in class. I tell students the due date for the project.

Students work independently with their calculators.  Students are engaging with MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.  As I walk around, I monitor student progress.  A common mistake is that students find the change in closing price by subtracting day 3 – day 4.  If students do this, I refer them back the practice page to review.  I also ask them if the closing price increased or decreased from day 3 to day 4.  If the closing price increased, does it make sense that the change in price is negative? 

If students successfully complete part 2d, I remind them to read over the rubric and make revisions.  If they finish with the project they can work on the Unit 3 Challenge about percent change.  I allow students to use calculators.  

 For Closure I ask students, “What have your learned about the stock market?” and “What do you still want to know about the stock market?” I am curious to see what students valued about the project and what they are still wondering about.  If I have time, I ask students “How would you improve this project?”  I may have the occasional Negative Nancy say “Not do it”, but most students come up with really valuable ideas that I can take into account for the next year.    

I explain that their Homework is to finish the “Tracking Your Investments” project.