Stock Market Swings: Multiply & Divide Rational Numbers
Simulate Real-World Investing Using Rational Number Operations!
In this interactive 7th-grade math activity, students step into the role of young investors. With a budget of approximately $2,000 each, they choose between two fictional companies—TechNova Corp. and GreenMart Inc.—and simulate buying shares based on real-world logic.
Students use division of rational numbers to calculate how many shares they can purchase and multiplication to determine how their investment changes as stock prices fluctuate each day. The activity culminates with profit calculations and a comparison of portfolio performance using real-life decision-making.
This is more than just a math problem—it's an immersive experience where students apply rational number operations to analyze gains, compare investment outcomes, and understand the financial world around them.
🔑 Key Features
- Real-world storyline: Save, invest, and track daily stock prices
- Division of decimal by decimal to calculate fractional shares
- Multiplication to calculate investment values over time
- Profit/loss comparison and percent change analysis
- Fully aligned with CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.NS.A.2
- Interactive and auto-graded format
- Engaging for independent or classroom use
Learning Objective
Students will multiply and divide rational numbers to simulate real-world investment scenarios, including calculating the number of shares purchased, tracking daily portfolio value, and comparing profits and percentage changes over time.
Randomization Available
If randomization is enabled, each student will receive:
- A different amount invested
- Different starting share prices for both stocks
- Unique daily stock price changes over the five-day period
As a result, answers will vary for each student, making this activity ideal for individualized practice and preventing copying.
💡 Tip: When assigning this activity to your classroom, you can optionally enable randomization to give each student a unique version of the problems. When you re-assign the same worksheet, each student will get a new set of questions, helping them master the content through repeated practice.
