The General Journal :: Curriculum

Accounting Model

Units:

The General Journal

Part of Unit: Accounting Cycle for a Service Business/Sole Proprietorship

Lesson Plan Overview / Details

This lesson is most effective after students have learned the basics - the accounting equation, debits and credits, and classifying business transactions.

Times

55 - 60 minutes or: 1 Class Period

Standards

California Career and Technical Education Standards

FB.A.A1.1 Understand the accounting cycle for service businesses and merchandisebusinesses.
FB.A.A2.2 Apply appropriate concepts and techniques to account for equity investmentsand w...

California Academic Content Standards (Reinforced)

ELA.9-10.R.CAGT.2.5 Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis...3
ELA.9-10.R.SFIM.2.1 Analyze the structure and format of functional workplace documents, including th...32
M.4.NS.3.1 Demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to use, standard algorithms for...1
M.6.NS.2.3 Solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems, including th...1

Student Objectives / Goals

Students will be able to explain the first three steps in the accounting cycle.
Students will be able to make accurate journal entries.
Student will be able to make correcting entries.

Activities in this Lesson

Office webisode video - Hooks / Set
Short video from the Office to get the students' attention.

It is kind of dry unless you like the humor form the Office. It is however a good discussion opener of what it means to have unbalanced books.

Discussion opener: what are "books" in accounting and what do you think they meant by they were unbalanced or missing money?

After a couple minutes of discussion, students should know that there are financial statements that businesses use to keep track of their records. They are generally referred to as "the books" (they used to go in great big bound books with lots and lots of paper, now most are digital).

This will lead into the accounting cycle and where the students are presently in the cycle. From here begin the power Point lecture.
- the office webisode 1.xspf [ Download ] Office episode.
Power Point Lecture - Lecture
Power Point lecture reviews the steps in analyzing a business transaction and how to apply the information to the General Journal.

Speaker notes are included on several slides.
- The General Journal.pptx [ Download ] lecture
Class Participation - Guided Practice
Short activites guided by the teacher show help students work through several business transactions and place them in the General Journal.

Teacher can use this on an overhead, projector, or print out for individual copies.
- GJ class practice.docx [ Download ] Class practice document
Homework/ Independent work - Independent Practice
Students will receive handouts to work on an individual problem on their own. Must print out both forms to complete assignment
- General Journal blank.xlsx [ Download ] Blank Journal form
- GENERAL JOURNAL1.docx [ Download ] practice set

Assessment

Assessment Types:: Teacher-Made Test,

Quiz covering basic concepts from lesson. Includes a word bank that can be deleted from worksheet if teacher wants to. Solution is at the end.

Alternate assessment: Short answer questions. Students can write or type the answers to these questions: (Questions can be copied and pasted to a document)

1. What is the purpose of the General Journal?

2. What is the correct order for entering information into the journal?

3. How do you correct errors in the journal?

4. What are the first three steps in the accounting cycle?

5. What is the difference between a fiscal year and a calendar year?