Jorden thought he was out of his mind, but why not give it a try? She and her students would be learning it together. “Okay, let’s do it. Shouldn’t we say something to Mr. Rinehart? Seems like we’d need the principal’s approval.”

“I’ll talk with him tomorrow. I don’t think he’ll mind as long as we don’t disrupt our regular math curriculum,” Jim replied.

Jorden figured she could work with the stock market at least one period a week, probably on Fridays, over the course of several months. Instructions could be adjusted to fit each class level. She took the next three weeks to gather data while developing lesson plans and coordinating her efforts with Jim.

At last, the day came for the first presentation. Jorden looked out at her students. “Let’s start with the basic history of the stock market. Does anyone know when the Dow Jones Industrial Average was established?”

Blank faces stared back at her.

“I’m not crazy. This has been around for a while. Someone make a guess.” Jorden scanned her students’ faces. Jimmy’s arm shot up.

“Go ahead. Give it a try,” Jorden encouraged him.

“The 1920s. You know, with all the flappers dancing around.”

“Good try. You’re close. The actual date was May 26, 1896. In the beginning, twelve prominent companies were involved. During this time period, the average started at zero. Today, in 1969, the Dow Jones Average is around 950.”

Nora raised her hand. “What’s the average mean?”

“Good question.” Jorden checked her notes. “Here we go: ‘The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price average of thirty blue-chip stocks of companies which are generally leaders in their industry. It has been a widely used indicator of the stock market since October 1, 1928.’”

After reading, Jorden looked up at the class. She saw one hundred percent confusion and forced herself not to laugh. “Don’t worry. I’ve made a handout for all of you. There’s nothing in your math book about this.”

After the introduction, Jorden continued with the rules. “Each of you will receive ten thousand dollars of bogus money to buy stocks.”

Ben called out, “I think it should be real money.”

“I wish!” Jorden couldn’t help but smile before she continued. “A list of twenty-five high-quality companies will be given to each of you. From the list, you can choose which ones you want to invest in and become a stockholder.”

Nora’s hand flew up. “Why can’t we pick our own companies?”

“Yeah,” Jimmy piped up. “Why not?”

“We, Mr. Stone and I, thought it would be easier for you to have a list of trustworthy companies. You can select your companies to be a stockholder at any time during the next couple months. All stocks will be sold on a designated day, and then a test will be given.”

Boos and hisses filled the classroom. “No fair!” Pete shouted.