Stock Market Game Week in Review

The Stock Market Game is a curriculum-based teaching tool that allows students to invest a hypothetical $100,000 online stock portfolio to learn about long-term saving and investing.

While the Oscars and all of the attention surrounding Slumdog Millionaire may have provided a nice escape from reality as of late, the status of the economy has remained relatively unchanged -- downright gloomy, with jobless claims on the rise and a tumbling stock market. The Dow closed the week down 4.1%. For the month of February, the index dropped 11.7%, and year-to-date, it has lost 19.5%. (Don't miss "GE Cuts Dividend, Markets Fall Into Weekend".)

But the main focus for many on Wall Street last week was President Obama's federal budget for the next 10 years. It includes a two-tiered mission: Reduce the $1 trillion-plus deficit and make big investments in the future. But what may be of particular interest to your Stock Market Game students is the President's promise for more money for conservation and renewable energy. The plan includes an effort to double the production of renewable energy in three years through loans and tax breaks, while also providing more money for cleaner power plants and for transforming the country's aging electric grid.

For those just joining the spring semester of the program, the "buy what you know" strategy may be appropriate, but in light of the current buzz around green energy, we will take a step back and highlight socially responsible investing (SRI) this week. ...