Middle School · Grades 6–8 · Individual or pairs · 45 minutes
Research Before You Buy
Prevent hype-driven decisions.
StockSt uses fictional currency and simulated shares for education only. This is not investment advice.
Setup
- Give students a fictional “hot tip”: “Everyone is buying this celebrity share. It is going to explode!”
- Before they may buy it, students complete a StockSt Research Card: Why is the price rising? What evidence supports continued growth? What could go wrong? What percentage of my portfolio would this purchase be? What is my exit rule? Would I still buy this if no one else were talking about it?
- Students who complete the card may trade.
- Students who skip the card must wait one round before trading.
Scoring
Cards are scored on evidence and completeness rather than on the outcome of the trade. Students who skip the card wait one round, which is the built-in consequence.
Teacher debrief
Discuss FOMO, herd behavior, and why popularity alone is not research. Ask students which card question changed their mind the most.