Active learning ideas
Investing is about making money work for you. This topic introduces students to various investment vehicles available in Canada, such as GICs, mutual funds, stocks, and bonds. A key focus is the relationship between risk and return: the idea that higher potential rewards usually come with a higher chance of loss.
Activity 01
Students are given $10,000 in 'virtual currency' to invest in five Canadian companies. They track their portfolio over a week, discussing how news events affect their stock prices.
What is the relationship between risk and return in investing?
Activity 02
Posters around the room describe GICs, Mutual Funds, ETFs, and Stocks. Students move in groups to rank them from 'Safest' to 'Riskiest' and explain their choices.
How do stocks differ from bonds?
Activity 03
Show two charts: one person starts saving at 20, another at 40. Pairs discuss why the early starter ends up with so much more money even if they invest less total cash.
Why is early financial planning beneficial?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Investing is the same as gambling.
Students often see the stock market as a casino. Through collaborative investigation of long-term market trends, show how diversified investing is a strategy for growth based on economic value, not just luck.
You need thousands of dollars to start investing.
Many believe investing is only for the wealthy. Use a station rotation to show modern 'micro-investing' apps and TFSA options that allow Canadians to start with very small amounts.
Methods used in this brief
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