In Social Studies classes, Mr. Powers’s students are learning about the stock market and The Great Depression. The students are assembling portfolios based on companies that they would be interested in buying. They are also researching how much the stocks cost, the range of prices in the last year, and the PE Ratios (price per earnings). The students will continue to monitor their companies throughout the year and decide whether the company is growing or slowing in the current market.
Students are also identifying the causes and effects of the stock market crash in 1929 and comprehending the realities of the Great Depression. They understand how the public was buying stocks on margin, and why people purchased goods on credit. They also compared the causes of the Great Depression with today’s unstable markets. The eighth grade students are gaining a clear understanding of how the stock market works and how it affects our lives today.