Ohio Graduation Tests: Playing A Stock Market "Game"

History teacher Jim Vanatsky found an innovative way to prepare his students for the social studies portion of the Ohio Graudation Test (OGT). Ninth graders at Loveland High School in suburban Cincinnati are using the Ohio Stock Market Game to learn about basic economics, as well as world history in the early 20th century as a practical means of OGT preparation.

The 10-week online trading game is sponsored each spring and fall by the University of Cincinnati Economics Center for Research and Education. Hundreds of southwest Ohioans of all ages play, forging teams to "buy and sell" stocks based on real-life market fluctuations.

Vanatsky says his students not only learn about the ups and downs of trading, but also the forces that lead to the Great Depression of the 1930, the Russian Revolution, the World Wars and even the rise of communism.

"They're all market lessons," Vanatsky was quoted as saying in the Cincinnati Enquirer on November 9.

A four-student team of ninth graders called the Hickory Dickory Docks "bought" 800 shares of MasterCard stock at $69 and quickly saw their fortunes rise to $89. They sold, reaping a profit of more than $13,000. But was it too soon? Only time will tell.

Preparation is key in helping students hurdle the OGT. Online preparation seems to work best for today's teens who are technologically savvy and accustomed to using computers for everything.

Click on the buttons at right for additional information on state-of-the-art preparation tools for the Ohio Graduation Test. Free demos are available for registering.