It’s the beginning of week 2 of National Reading Month, so I figured I’d start you off with a recommendation for an excellent introductory text on investing. With the Common Core Standards knocking down almost every teacher’s door, there’s a shift from telling students information to having them read nonfiction texts and make meaning. Here’s a start:

Investing 101: Types of Investments

What is it? This Investopedia article is exactly what it sounds like — a brief introduction to four classes of investments. You get bonds, stocks, mutual funds, and alternative investments in 10 seriously short paragraphs.

Why is it cool? The language is basic enough that even those with no prior investing knowledge can follow. Even better, the finance lingo is hyperlinked, so if they’re reading electronically, students can click the vocabulary to have it defined by Investopedia. By reading this intro article, students will be able to pull out core details about investing, and they’re learning by reading rather than your presenting the boring old Power Point they passively copy as an intro to new material. Finally, I did extensive online research for this investing unit, and many of the available resources go in-depth about commodities, penny stocks, or junk bonds, or they throw savings vehicles such as as CDs in with investing. This resource keeps it clear and simple.

Questions I Might Ask:

1. For comprehension:
   • How do you make money on bonds?
   • What is another word for “stocks?”
   • How do you make money on stocks?
   • How is a mutual fund different from a stock or a bond?
2. To classify:
   • Students can fill out this chart by writing an H for high, an M for medium, and an L for low to categorize each investment type’s ranking for each category:
3. To make connections:
   • Which type of investment have you heard most about? Why do you think that’s the case?
   • Has anyone ever given you investing advice? If so, how does it align to what you just learned?

Where is it in the NGPF collection? It’s resource 12  in “Investment Basics” in our Investing unit.

About the Author

Jessica Endlich

When I started working at Next Gen Personal Finance, it's as though my undergraduate degree in finance, followed by ten years as an educator in an NYC public high school, suddenly all made sense.