Course Overview

Step into the world of financial literacy, business operations, and career readiness in this engaging, project-based Accounting course designed for high school students. Whether you're planning a future in business, preparing for college, or just want to understand how money works, this course gives you real-world skills you can use right away.

Students will explore essential accounting concepts while developing teamwork, communication, and problem-solving abilities. This course provides a full introduction to the Accounting Cycle, cash-control systems, and payroll processing, all grounded in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). With an emphasis on hands-on learning and real-life applications, students will gain the confidence and tools to manage financial records, collaborate in business environments, and prepare for entry-level jobs or further study in business and finance.

What Makes This Course Unique?

• Team Projects & Collaboration: Students work in teams to simulate accounting departments, manage finances for fictional companies, and create interactive tools for peer learning. Group tasks promote leadership, time management, and peer accountability.
  
  

• Creativity Meets Business: Students will combine creativity and critical thinking in a major team project where they design an Accounting Cycle-themed board game. This game will help reinforce the accounting process through gameplay, while helping other students learn through fun and interaction.
  
  

• Career & Life Ready Skills: From balancing books to processing paychecks, students will gain practical skills applicable in both personal finance and professional settings. Career exploration activities help students envision roles in accounting such as payroll clerk, bookkeeper, staff accountant, or CPA.
  
  

Core Units & Featured Projects

🔹 Accounting Foundations

• Learn basic financial vocabulary, the accounting equation, and GAAP
  
  

• Team competition: “Accounting Terms Showdown”
  
  

🔹 The Accounting Cycle

• Practice journaling transactions, posting to ledgers, preparing statements
  
  

• Major Project: Teams will create an original board game that teaches the full accounting cycle (design, rules, and gameplay based on real accounting processes)
  
  

• Includes peer playtesting and presentation of the final game
  
  

🔹 Cash Control Systems

• Understand internal controls, checks, deposits, reconciliations
  
  

• Group project: Draft a campus club’s cash-handling policy
  
  

• Bank statement recon game: “Find the Fraud!”
  
  

🔹 Payroll Systems

• Calculate gross-to-net pay, track taxes, and record payroll entries
  
  

• Major Grade 1: Paycheck Simulation – Calculate a fictional employee’s pay and role-play explaining a pay stub
  
  🔹 Careers in Accounting

• Explore accounting jobs, ethics, and responsibilities
  
  

• Participate in a guest speaker Q&A panel and attend a résumé and LinkedIn workshop to prepare for real-world applications

EARLY FINISHER ASSIGNMENTS:

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