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Lesson Plan: Building Wealth with NGPF Stax

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Grade Level: 9–12

Subject: Financial Literacy / Economics

Class Length: 90 minutes (can be shortened to 45 minutes)



 Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Explain the importance of diversification in investing.

  2. Compare the risks and returns of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

  3. Apply decision-making skills to build and manage a virtual investment portfolio.

  4. Reflect on strategies that impact long-term financial growth.



 Florida Sunshine State Standards Alignment

  • SS.912.FL.1.1 – Explain how personal financial decisions are influenced by incentives, institutions, and individual choice.

  • SS.912.FL.3.2 – Explain how individuals incur costs and realize benefits when consuming, saving, and investing.

  • SS.912.FL.4.1 – Illustrate how diversification can reduce investment risk.

  • SS.912.E.1.2 – Describe how economic choices made by individuals, businesses, and governments impact standard of living.



 Materials Needed

  • Internet-enabled devices (laptops, tablets, or smartphones)

  • Access to NGPF.org Arcade

  • Student notebooks (or digital note-taking tool)

  • Screenshot capability for final results



 Lesson Procedure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

  • Begin with a discussion: “What does it mean to invest your money instead of just saving it?”

  • Briefly explain the role of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

2. Instructions (5 minutes)

Provide students with the following step-by-step guide:

  1. Log into NGPF.org.

  2. Go to the Arcade section.

  3. Select Build Your Stax.

  4. Play the game through to the end.

  5. Take a screenshot of the amount of money you finished with.

  6. Upload the screenshot to Canvas/Focus/Notebook folder as directed.

3. Gameplay (25–30 minutes)

  • Students play Stax, making decisions on how to invest over a 20-year simulation.

  • Encourage them to try different strategies.

4. Reflection & Class Discussion (20 minutes)

Prompt students with questions:

  • Which investment choice grew your portfolio the most?

  • How did diversification impact your results?

  • What real-life lessons can we take away from this game?

  • How might emotions (fear/greed) affect investment choices?

5. Wrap-Up & Assessment (15 minutes)

  • Students submit their screenshot of their ending portfolio balance.

  • Write a short reflection (5–6 sentences) on what strategy worked best and why.



 Teacher’s Note to Students

Hi Students,

I encourage you to check out the game Stax on NGPF.org. It’s a fun and interactive way to learn about managing investments and understanding financial growth. You’ll make decisions about stocks, bonds, and mutual funds while seeing how your choices impact your portfolio over time.

Give it a try, and let’s see who can build the most successful portfolio! Let me know your thoughts or any strategies you discover while playing.

Happy learning!



 Assessment

  • Participation: Played the game fully.

  • Evidence: Screenshot uploaded of final results.

  • Reflection: Written summary of lessons learned about investing and diversification.



 Extension (Optional)

  • Compare the results of conservative vs. aggressive investment strategies.

  • Graph class results to visualize who had the highest and lowest returns.

  • Connect to real-world stock market performance.




 
 
 
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