Recently in Financial Literacy we have been learning about the stock market and how to manage stocks. Along with gaining knowledge in this field we are playing the stock market. I know it sounds a little crazy, but we are using fake money to buy shares and really play the stock market under real time. 
We have been playing this for maybe about two weeks and are competing against each other and other classes for the top 25 spots in the competition. This has been fun and challenging. The market is extremely unpredictable. One day you will be up 5.0% and then the next day you could be down 5.0%. It has been a big game of chance and risk.
One of my stocks has been extremely unpredictable and I have never been able to decide whether it is time to sell. This has been a big risk and I am learning more and more everyday on how much these stocks influence my life.
If I want Google or Apple to go up I need to be using their products and supporting their companies and development of new products.
I would suggest learning to play the stock market through www.howthemarketworks.com. It gives you the opportunity to play in international contests and create your own. This will give you practice before you buy into the market with your own money.