To show the effects of the the three items above on the environment.
ASSIGNMENT: Student...
- Is assigned a company
- On a weekly basis graphs the percent increase or decrease in the stock's price during the semester or year (therefore all graphs are normalized for easy comparison).
- Creates a poster showing
- Name, symbol, exchange, and location of company
- Evolving graph of stock price
- Graph of the previous year's stock price movement.
- Profile-the company's own statement of what it does
- Researches the company, what it does, how it impacts the environment, how its work relates to the course syllabus/topics.
- At completion of the project, presents 10 to 15 minute explanation of #4, above.
- Prepares bibliography in assigned format to turn in the day of presentation. NO WRITTEN REPORTS ARE REQUIRED!
- Submits two multiple choice questions about his presentation for a quiz/test.
- Participates in assessing presentations of other students using a teacher prepared rubric.
INTERNET SUPPORT:
Most IAP's provide a stock quote link: e.g. AOL, Yahoo!. Also these provide all the needed information.
If your IAP (Internet Access Provider) does not provide financial information, then make use of the offerings of major on-line brokerage and news firms, such as:
www.etrade.com, www.cnn.com, www.cbs.com
Go to tabs or links named: QUOTES & RESEARCH, QUOTES, PROFILE, and/or NEWS
Most companies have their own websites: e.g.: www.monsanto.com
Otherwise learn to "surf the net."
TEACHER SUPPORT:
- Entire details of assignment given to students in syllabus: also posted on course web-site; includes directions for finding necessary information on the internet.
- Conducts computer lab session insuring that the students have practice accessing internet stock information.
- Frequent (weekly) comments on current events affecting companies included in the projects.
ASSESSMENT - Teacher Rubric
- POSTER
(65 pts)
- 4 pts - 1 pt each for name, symbol, exchange, location
- 6 pts - 2 pts each for proper scale of graph (assigned); labels to axes; units on axes (specific dates and percentages).
- 5 pts - overall neatness and appearance of poster
- 50 pts - 2 pts for each properly graphed point (-1 for each late point)
- PRESENTATION
(35 pts)
- 5 pts - Style: degree on "non-reading:" Verbatim reading from notes is discouraged; conversational style is encouraged (using note cards and the poster as prompts)
- 25 pts - Substantive content
- Clear explanation of company's market niche (5 pts)
- Evidence that information is very current (5 pts)
- Correlation with course topics (15 pts)
- 5 pts - Performance in teacher and student Q&A after presentation.
INTERNET AIDS TO THE TEACHER ONLY
(Teacher's Eyes Only)
WWW.BIGCHARTS.COM
On the home page, type in a real symbol to get daily quote and 1 yr chart.
On home page, choose "Historical Quotes" to get quote on any stock on any day in the past.
On home page, type in any symbol and click the RED "interactive" button to get the capability to graph 1 to 8 stocks simultaneously. When 2 or more are plotted, the graphs are automatically normalized in percent up or down.
THIS IS HOW TO CHECK THE ACCURACY OF YOUR STUDENTS' GRAPHS.
C O M P A N I E S
(The example list is subject to changing times.)
- PG&E Pacific Gas & Electric (Calif company; previous convictions for toxic chem dumping, fraud (a la Erin Brockivich)
- Mercedes Benz Makes hydrogen powered urban buses now used in Europe
- U.S. Electricar of California Makes electric cars
or
Solectria of Massachusetts Makes electric cars
- FCEL, BLDP, PLUG, etc. Make fuel cells (alternative electrical power generation for heating, cars, space craft, neighborhoods)
- Exxon "Exxon Valdez" oil spill on Alaska coast
or
Occidental Petroleum (parent company of Hooker Chem and Plastics - toxic spill Love Canal, NY)
- Royal Dutch-Shell proactive in renewable energy technologies.
- Millipore Corporation makes filters to remove particulates from factory exhausts.
- Global Marine only companies now capable of mining deep sea
bottom for methane hydrate (yields methane as ocean surface)
or
Transocean Offshore
- IBP (Int'l Beef and Pork) is one of the major meat rendering companies that was heavily fined for pollution of the Neuse River NC, and coverup.
- South Down Inc. destroys hazardous wastes in cement kilns (p 501 W&N)
- IP - Int'l Paper Co's meeting guidelines for pollution control from all its many processes. Patented dioxin-free bleaching process, and attendant processes.
- NUE - Nucor Steel, Winton NC, and its other locations use mostly recycled steel - one of top three steel producers in the the world.
- Monsanto is the largest company producing genetically modified food crops (pest resistant crops; concern about cultivating pest-resistance)
WISH LIST
Bioremediation companies
Photoremediation companies
Waste disposal companies - toxic, clinical, industrial, governmental (nuclear)
Mass transit companies and equipment manufacturers
Alternative power equipment and production companies - wind, geothermal