Grades 6–8 · Lesson 5 · 50 minutes
Avoiding hype and FOMO
Students recognize emotional decision-making and practice a disciplined process.
StockSt uses fictional currency and simulated shares for education only. This is not investment advice.
Warm-up
Show a fictional social-media post that says, “This share is going to the moon!” Ask students what makes the post persuasive and what information is missing from it.
Mini-lesson
- Introduce four ideas in student-friendly language: FOMO (fear of missing out), herd behavior (doing what everyone else is doing), confirmation bias (only noticing facts that agree with what you already believe), and loss aversion (feeling a loss more strongly than an equal gain).
- Explain that these are normal human tendencies, not character flaws, and that a written checklist is one way to slow down.
StockSt activity
- Give students a fictional “hot tip” about a rapidly rising celebrity share.
- Before they may buy, students must complete a checklist: What is the evidence? What is the downside? What percentage of my fictional portfolio would this be? What is my exit rule?
- Students decide whether to buy, wait, or skip, and write down their decision and reasoning.
Discussion
Ask, “Why do people sometimes buy high and sell low?” Connect the answer to the four ideas from the mini-lesson and to the checklist the students just used.
Exit ticket
Students write one personal rule to avoid impulsive decisions.
Assessment
Completed checklist and reflection. The lesson reinforces that simulations provide a safe place to practice financial decision-making.
Student Learn links
Assign these before or after class so students practice the same ideas.