Double Entry Bookkeeping Activity
A Group Activity with Lectures
Learning Goals
This activity is designed to engage students in the bookkeeping functions of a business without knowing debits and credits.
Students will learn to
Remember 5 account types
Determine how transactions affect account types
Prepare Income Statement and Balance Sheet
Student Level
This activity is appropriate for middle school or high school students. No prior knowledge of accounting or bookkeeping is needed.
Activity Overview
After an introductory lecture about account types, students (in groups of 3-4) will read transactions, tear them apart and categorize them by account type. A follow up lecture will recap the activity and teach students to prepare financial statements. An optional lecture is provided regarding careers in accounting and how they relate to this activity. Time will depend on level of students, but can range from 100 to 200 minutes.