Teacher Cheat Sheet — Session 7: Investing

Money, Values & You · 6th Grade Financial Literacy

90 minutes Ages 11–12 Session 7 of 8 ND-Friendly

90-Minute Agenda

Time	Block	What's Happening
0–5	Hook	"$100 now or $200 in one year — which do you take?"
5–20	Lesson 1	What is investing — ownership, growth, planting money
20–35	Lesson 2	Risk vs. reward — diversification, don't put eggs in one basket
35–55	Activity	Halal Stock Screen — 10 companies, ethical criteria (15 min + 5 debrief)
55–70	Lesson 3	Stocks and businesses — ownership, dividends, how markets work
70–80	Journal	"$500 for 10 years — what would you invest in and why?"
80–88	Recap	"One thing about investing that surprised you?"
88–90	Close	Preview Session 8: Final session — giving + personal financial plan!

Note:Lesson 4 (Halal investing details) can extend if class is engaged, or use as enrichment.

Key Vocabulary

Investing — putting money into something expecting it to grow over time

Stock — a small ownership share in a company

Risk — the chance that an investment could lose value

Return — the profit (or loss) from an investment

Diversification — spreading investments to reduce risk

Dividend— a share of company profits paid to stockholders

Halal Investing — investing only in ethically permissible companies

Screening — checking if an investment meets ethical standards

ND-Friendly Teaching Tips

Anchor concretely — "You're buying a tiny piece of a company you believe in."
Risk/reward — use familiar examples (risky game move = high reward or cost; safe = small but guaranteed).
Halal screen activity — keep criteria to 5–6 clear rules. Don't overwhelm with fiqh details.
Diversification — say "don't put all your eggs in one basket" and use the literal image.
Reassure overwhelmed students — "You don't need to invest now. This is about understanding the system."
Celebrate debate — the gray-area companies in screening ARE the lesson. Disagreement = engagement.
Warn before transitions — "2 minutes left on screening, then we debrief."

Discussion Questions + Teacher Notes

"$100 now or $200 in one year — which is better?"
→ Depends on inflation, need, opportunity cost. No single right answer. Opens the investing conversation naturally.
"What's the difference between saving and investing?"
→ Saving = keep what you have (low risk, low growth). Investing = make it grow (higher risk, higher potential).
"Why would any investment be risky?"
→ Because the future is uncertain. Even the best companies can fail. That's why diversification matters.
"Name a company you'd want to own a piece of."
→ Engage excitement first. Then ask: "Does it pass the halal screen?" Makes the screen feel real, not abstract.
"Is investing the same as gambling?"
→ Different: investing = ownership + analysis. Gambling = pure chance. Though some speculation overlaps — hence halal screening.
"Why does it matter WHO you invest in?"
→ Your money supports that company's activities. Halal investing = intentional ownership.

Halal Stock Screen Activity Setup

Groups screen 10 companies using 5 halal criteria. Mark INVEST or SKIP .

Companies to screen:

ApplePepsiAirbnb McDonald'sToyotaNetflix Johnson & JohnsonMarriottAmazonLululemon

Screening criteria (write on board):

Skip if significant revenue from: alcohol · pork products · gambling · adult entertainment · interest-based finance · weapons

Keep if primarily: technology · clothing · vehicles · travel services · healthcare · food (halal-certifiable)

Gray areas (Amazon, Netflix, McDonald's) ARE the lesson — debate = learning.

Opening Hook

"I'll give you a choice: $100 cash right now, OR a guaranteed $200 in exactly one year. Which do you take?"

Take votes. Discuss: "What factors change your answer?"

→ Leads to time value of money and why investing exists.

Journal Prompt

Write on board:
"If you had $500 to invest for 10 years and couldn't touch it, what would you invest in and why? What would you avoid?"

8 min. Encourage halal thinking. 2 share.

Close + Preview

Recap: "One thing about investing that surprised or interested you?"

Preview Session 8:

"FINAL SESSION next week — Giving back, Zakat, and your personal financial plan!"

Take-home:Look up one company you use daily. What does it do? Could it pass a halal screen?