Checking Account Project with Check Writing Practice

About this resource

What's inside this resource

A multi-part checking-account project moves students through a glossary of eleven banking terms, an interview with an adult who has a checking account, a labeled parts-of-a-check diagram, practice writing checks for three real-world scenarios, and exercises in endorsing and voiding a check, each including a deliberate error for students to spot and fix. Students then use a labeled debit-card diagram, an external ATM simulator with follow-up questions, an eleven-transaction checkbook ledger to balance, and an eighteen-transaction sample bank statement to interpret before a closing reflection. The creator's own introduction notes the project can be run as one combined unit or split into standalone activities, and states it has been used with both middle school and high school classes. A complete answer key, with sample completed checks and a filled-in ledger, is included alongside both a PDF/PPTX version and an externally linked Google Slides paperless version.

What's included

Introduction and grade-level guidance from the creator
Glossary of 11 checking-account terms
Interview-an-adult activity with 6 questions about real checking-account use
Parts-of-a-check diagram (10 labeled parts) plus a check-for-understanding practice check with an error to find
Write-a-check practice for 3 scenarios (utility bill, groceries, used car)
Endorse-and-void-a-check practice, including a check with a written/numeral mismatch to spot
Debit-card diagram (9 labeled parts) with a pros/cons list
ATM simulator activity linking to an external online simulator with 6 follow-up questions
Balance-a-checkbook-ledger activity (11 transactions) plus 6 analysis questions
Sample checking account statement (18 transactions) with 10 analysis questions
Reflection questions
A full answer key with sample completed checks, ledger, and worked answers for every activity
A Google Slides paperless version accessed via an external link

Resource types: Activities, Projects

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Students will identify the parts of a check and correctly write checks for given real-world scenarios.
Students will endorse and void checks, and identify errors such as a missing signature or a written/numeral amount mismatch.
Students will maintain a running balance in a checkbook ledger given a sequence of deposits, withdrawals, and automatic payments.
Students will interpret a bank statement to answer questions about balances, fees, and transaction history, and reflect on responsible use of a checking account.

Teaching tips

Assign as a full multi-day project or split into standalone activities, as the file explicitly supports either approach.
Use the 'Interview an Adult' activity as a homework kickoff so students connect the project to a real checking-account user before the classroom activities.
Use the answer key's sample completed checks and ledger entries as a model before students attempt their own, since several practice items include a deliberate error for students to find.
Note that the ATM simulator activity requires visiting an external website and that its simulated currency isn't American, per the file's own note.

Skills covered

Check-writing mechanics — students write checks correctly for 3 given scenarios and identify errors in sample checks.
Checkbook-ledger balancing — students track 11 transactions and compute a running balance.
Bank-statement interpretation — students answer 10 questions using an 18-transaction sample statement, including identifying overdraft fees and an unexplained missing check.
Real-world financial vocabulary — students learn and apply 11 checking-account terms via the glossary and an adult interview.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

Why does the sample checking account statement not show a record for Check No. 403?

The sample response reasons that check No. 403 was either voided or has not yet cleared the bank, which is why the statement skips from No. 402 to No. 404.

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Curriculum

Standards, concepts & topics

Standards

6. NS.C.7 — Understand ordering and absolute value of rational numbers. a. Interpret statements of inequality as statements about the relative position of two numbers on a number line diagram. For example, interpret –3 > –7 as a statement that –3 is located to the right of –7 on a number line oriented from left to right. b. Write, interpret, and explain statements of order for rational numbers in realworld contexts. For example, write –3 oC > –7 oC to express the fact that –3 oC is warmer than –7 oC. c. Understand the absolute value of a rational number as its distance from 0 on the number line; interpret absolute value as magnitude for a positive or negative quantity in a real-world situation. For example, for an account balance of –30 dollars, write |–30| = 30 to describe the size of the debt in dollars. d. Distinguish comparisons of absolute value from statements about order. For example, recognize that an account balance less than –30 dollars represents a debt greater than 30 dollars.