ACC 201 Module Two Short Paper Guidelines and Ru
ic
Overview: In this short paper, you will evaluate the importance of the accounting cycle by illustrating the products of that cycle and identifying the potential for
problems if it is not properly followed. There is only one short paper assignment in this course, and it has a unique purpose: You can think of this exercise as
establishing the conceptual framework for your remaining work in the problem sets and Final Project I. Essentially, in those activities, you will be engaging in the
specific tasks of the accounting cycle and applying detailed processes on a practical level. Therefore, it is important to grasp the larger picture in this short paper
so that you will be able to connect these smaller tasks and details and recognize their larger significance.
Prompt: In a well-crafted short paper, respond to the following questions:
What are the steps of the accounting cycle? Describe each in your own words using specific examples.
What are the outputs of the accounting cycle? Why are they important? Identify and explain the purpose of each financial statement, including how
they are inte
elated.
Why is the accounting cycle important to a business? Evaluate the significance of the accounting cycle in terms of its practical relevance for businesses.
In your response, be sure to give specific examples of why certain steps are necessary. Address at least three different steps in your evaluation.
Ru
ic
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper should follow the formatting guidelines in the Module Two Short Paper Template. It should be a 2- to 3-page Microsoft
Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and references to the textbook content cited in APA format.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Steps Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates keen insight into
the sequence and
inte
elationships between the
steps of the accounting cycle
Describes each of the steps of
the accounting cycle in own
words using specific examples
Describes the steps of the
accounting cycle, but fails to fully
or accurately identify each using
own words and specific
illustrating examples
Does not describe the steps of
the accounting cycle
30
Outputs Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates nuanced
understanding of the products of
the accounting cycle
Identifies and explains the
purpose of each financial
statement created by the
accounting cycle, including their
inte
elationships
Identifies the purpose of each
financial statement created by
the accounting cycle, but fails to
fully or accurately explain each,
including their inte
elationships
Does not identify the purpose of
each of the financial statements
created by the accounting cycle
30
Significance “Meets Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates deep
appreciations of the significance
of the accounting cycle
Evaluates the significance of the
accounting cycle for businesses,
including at least three specific
examples of why certain steps
are necessary
Evaluates the significance of the
accounting cycle for businesses,
ut fails to fully or accurately cite
specific examples of why certain
steps are necessary
Does not evaluate the
significance of the accounting
cycle for businesses
30
https:
learn.snhu.edu/d2l/lo
viewe
view.d2l?ou=6606&loIdentId=15077
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of e
ors
elated to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and organization
and is presented in a
professional and easy-to-read
format
Submission has no major e
ors
elated to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major e
ors
elated to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
eadability and articulation of
main ideas
Submission has critical e
ors
elated to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
10
Total 100%
Running head: ACC 201 MODULE TWO SHORT PAPER 1
ACC 201 Module Two Short Paper 2
(This entire first page can be deleted after you review the guidelines. Your paper should begin with the title page that follows.)
Review the Module Two Short Paper Guidelines and Ru
ic document to see how your paper will be scored.
Be sure to follow APA format when providing references. If you have questions on APA formatting, you can check the Purdue OWL website or seek help from the SNHU Writing Lab.
Notes on APA in a Formal Assignment
· Use one-inch margins on all sides.
· Use 12-point Times New Roman font with double spacing.
· Paragraphs should be at least three to four sentences in length.
· Delete the headings for “Introduction” and “Conclusion” in the template. These headings are included below to help you lay out your paper. APA format assumes that the introduction begins the paper, the body continues the paper, and the conclusion wraps up the paper, so those headings are not needed.
· Indent the first line of every paragraph by 0.5”.
· Be careful not to use personal pronouns such as “I.”
· Make sure to delete headings such as Paragraph One, Paragraph Two, and so on.
· Be sure to replace all of the guidelines text in
ackets with your own writing.
ACC 201 Module Two Short Paper: The Accounting Cycle
[Your Name]
Southern New Hampshire University
Introduction (delete this heading in your final paper)
[In your opening paragraph, very
iefly introduce the purpose of your paper. Recall that you will be discussing the accounting cycle in keeping with the key terms of steps, outputs, and importance, as explained in your ru
ic instructions. Three or four sentences will be sufficient.]
Paragraph One (delete this heading in your final paper)
[Using your textbook and other provided course resources, identify the steps of the accounting cycle. Provide a description of each step in your own words, using specific examples.]
Paragraph Two (delete this heading in your final paper)
[Identify and describe the major products of the accounting cycle. Why are they important? Explain the purpose of each financial statement, including how they are inte
elated. A minimum of five to six sentences is required to support your thoughts. Be specific in your answer and use examples to support your thoughts.]
Paragraph Three (delete this heading in your final paper)
[Defend the importance of the accounting cycle to a business. Specifically, Discuss why specific steps are necessary. Include in your discussion at least three different steps. A minimum of five to six sentences is required to support your thoughts. Focus your thoughts on the role of each step, as discussed in the second paragraph, and what each step contributes to the overall accounting process.]
Conclusion (delete this heading in your final paper)
[The conclusion reminds the reader what your paper is about and allows you to make a final point without introducing new information. Three or four sentences will be sufficient.]
Reference
Wa
en, C.S., Reeve, J. M., & Duchac, J XXXXXXXXXXCorporate financial accounting (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
[Make sure that you provide appropriate in-text citations in APA style, with the author’s name and year of publication (author last name, year). The textbook citation above is provided as an example of a References page citation, and it should be kept in the references section your paper. Feel free to add other resources. To add credibility to your paper, remember to cite ALL of the sources within the body of the paper, as well as in the References page at the end. References should be in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.]
Chapter Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Zynga
© Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Zynga is a leading provider of social games with more than 240 million active players per month. Zynga's games, such as CastleVille Legends, FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and Words With Friends, can be played on a variety of platforms including Facebook, Google Android, and Apple IOS.
Zynga was founded in 2007 and is named after CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Mark Pincus's dog. Zinga is an American Bulldog who is known for her human-like qualities, which include sitting on chairs and eating at the dinner table. Because she is playful, loyal, and lovable, Zinga is considered the guiding spirit of the company.
In developing its games, Zynga goes through a game development cycle that starts with the initial gaming concept, program development, and ends with testing and debugging e
ors. Businesses also go through a cycle of accounting activities that begins with recording transactions and ends with preparing financial statements and getting the accounting records ready for recording the next period's transactions.
In Chapter 1, the initial accounting cycle for NetSolutions began with Chris Clark's investment in the business on November 1, 2017. The cycle continued with recording NetSolutions' transactions for November and December, as we discussed and illustrated in Chapters 1 and 2. In Chapter 3, the cycle continued when the adjusting entries for the two months ending December 31, 2017, were recorded. In this chapter, the cycle is completed for NetSolutions by preparing financial statements and getting the accounts ready for recording transactions of the next period.
Source: Zynga.com
What's Covered
Completing the Accounting Cycle
Preparing Classified Financial Statements
Closing the Accounts
The Accounting Cycle
Reporting Using a Fiscal Yea
·
Flow of Accounting Information (Obj. 1)
· Income Statement (Obj. 2)
· Retained Earnings Statement (Obj. 2)
· Balance Sheet (Obj. 2)
·
Closing Entries (Obj. 3)
· Post-Closing Trial Balance (Obj. 3)
·
Summary (Obj. 4)
· Illustration (Obj. 5)
·
Calendar Year (Obj. 6)
· Natural Business Year (Obj. 6)
Learning Objectives
· Obj. 1
· Describe the flow of accounting information from the unadjusted trial balance into the adjusted trial balance and financial statements.
· Obj. 2
· Prepare financial statements from adjusted account balances.
· Obj. 3
· Prepare closing entries.
· Obj. 4
· Describe the accounting cycle.
· Obj. 5
· Illustrate the accounting cycle for one period.
· Obj. 6
· Explain what is meant by the fiscal year and the natural business year.
Analysis for Decision Making
Describe and illustrate the use of working capital and the cu
ent ratio in evaluating a company's financial condition.
4-1
Flow of Accounting Information
Objective 1
The process of adjusting the accounts and preparing financial statements is one of the most important in accounting. Using the NetSolutions illustration from Chapters 1, 2, and 3 and an end-of-period spreadsheet, the flow of accounting data in adjusting accounts and preparing financial statements are summarized in Exhibit 1.
The end-of-period spreadsheet