accounting assignment 6th week

• Introduction to Financial Accounting

(4 reviews)

David Annand, Athabasca University

Henry Dauderis

Copyright Year: 2017

Last Update: 2021

Publisher: Lyryx

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Katheryn Zielinski, Assistant Professor, Minnesota State University Mankato on 6/14/23

The text reading follows typical financial accounting flow. Beginning with the foundational introduction to what accounting is through the full accounting cycle, while including financial statement analysis towards the end of the book. Students... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text reading follows typical financial accounting flow. Beginning with the foundational introduction to what accounting is through the full accounting cycle, while including financial statement analysis towards the end of the book. Students will find the format helpful; the voice is student-friendly. There is online homework help for students. Instructors will find the text format friendly to semester-long class as concepts broken down into 13 chapters. The chapters explain the learning outcomes, use examples to express concepts, with chapter summary at end. The topics included are consistent with intro accounting courses.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

No issues noticed with accuracy. The text includes accurate financial accounting information.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

For an introductory accounting class with focus on US the concepts covered are typical.

Clarity rating: 5

The content is presented in a student friendly manner. Answers are provided. The extra information is helpful for students wanting extra practice.

Consistency rating: 5

The format and layout of the book chapters are consistent. All users will quickly understand the format as it is applied the same to each chapter. This helps provide consistency for students learning introductory accounting.

Modularity rating: 5

The content within the chapters can be broken-down and assigned as instructor plans for the course length. The manner is which the material is presented flows easily as reading.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text organization is consistent and coherent. Each chapter is presented in same manner.

Interface rating: 5

No observed tech issues. PDF downloaded and used with ease.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammar or language issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

No cultural insensitive or offensive context noted.

This is a student friendly text. However, students might find a glossary helpful, as well as an index.

Reviewed by Lawrence Overlan, Part-time Professor, Bunker Hill Community College on 6/4/20

I appreciate how the Statement of Cash Flows has a separate chapter towards the end of the book. Might be better to wait until that chapter instead of also discussing it in Chapter One.....lots of material for opening week.... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

I appreciate how the Statement of Cash Flows has a separate chapter towards the end of the book. Might be better to wait until that chapter instead of also discussing it in Chapter One.....lots of material for opening week....

I sampled several problems...all correct.

Hard to make accounting obsolete. All the required material is present.

Problems are presented clearly and with good font size. Excellent color schemes and graphics.

Yes....no problems detected in this area. Very straightforward.

Chapters contain the right amount of content. Not too long with out breakup diagrams or examples etc.

Standard flow of chapters with excellent subdivisions.

To the contrary, the graphics and flow charts break up the material very nicely.

No issues noticed in this area.

Nice work! I will definitely consider adopting.

Reviewed by Patty Goedl, Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati Clermont College on 3/27/18

The text covers all of the topics normally found in an introductory financial accounting (principles of accounting I) text. The table of contents essentially mirrors the table of contents found in the leading texts in this field. I like that... read more

The text covers all of the topics normally found in an introductory financial accounting (principles of accounting I) text. The table of contents essentially mirrors the table of contents found in the leading texts in this field. I like that this text also covers the classified balance sheet, financial disclosures and partnerships.

Content is error-free, accurate, and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is up-to-date. Introductory accounting does not change often so future updates should be minimal. The authors used the year 2015 in most of the problem and examples. This might make the text "seem" out-of-date in a few years.

The book is clear and concise. The topics are clearly explained and the technical terminology is appropriate for an introductory level.

The writing, style, and formatting are consistent throughout this text.

The text is divided into topical chapters, which is appropriate considering that the concepts build on each other. The chapters are further subdivided into sub-topics. This makes it easy for an instructor to pick which sub-topics to cover.

Excellent organization and flow. The concepts logically build upon each other and the material is presented in a clear fashion.

The HTML interface is excellent. The book has good graphics, end of chapter content, and even video examples.

I did not notice grammatical errors.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way

Excellent book that is comparable to any of the leading financial accounting titles. The authors even provide end of chapter problems, videos, and interactive Excel problems for students. Overall, a great resource! I commend the authors for making something of this caliber freely available.

Reviewed by Margarita Maria Lenk, Associate Professor, Colorado State University on 1/7/16

The content of this textbook matches the content and organization of most introductory financial accounting textbooks. It is written by Canadian authors, but is relevant to US students. The text begins by explaining the role of financial... read more

The content of this textbook matches the content and organization of most introductory financial accounting textbooks. It is written by Canadian authors, but is relevant to US students. The text begins by explaining the role of financial accounting in society, and then describes the underlying structure of double entry accounting systems and the process of recording economic events that impact the value of the organization through the journals and the ledger. The records of these events are then summarized into the primary financial statements. The numeric subtotals and totals on these statements are used to calculate standard financial measures and ratios used to evaluate the organization's performance. The text's organization then proceeds sequentially through the balance sheet accounts, explaining in more detail how the accounting for each category of economic value is recorded and reported. The author's decision to move the most complex content to the end of the book matches how most faculty choose to organize their coverage of these topics.

My reviewed resulted in highest marks regarding accuracy. The only possible concern I would mention here is that the authors use a commonly used technique in chapter two which sometimes leads to students misunderstanding that revenues and expenses are not part of owners' equity until the revenues and expenses are closed at year end to retained earnings. It is my preference to teach introductory students that revenues and expenses are distinct and separate from equity, and then explain that revenues and expenses ultimately get closed to equity. So, this is not an inaccuracy by the authors, just a point that some instructors may want to know before adopting the textbook.

It is my opinion that the content of this textbook will be relevant and current for at least a decade. Any changes made to accounting principles, Canadian or International, will be very easy and straightforward to update.

It is my opinion that the clarity of this text is very high. The authors are succinct and use visuals often to highlight the theoretical structures.

This test is very consistent with the framework that is set up by the authors in the beginning of the text.

The textbook is very clearly divided into separable modules, making it easy for both students to read and for instructors to choose which modules to include in their course.

The content of this textbook matches the content and organization of most introductory financial accounting textbooks. It begins by explaining the role of financial accounting in society, and then describes the underlying structure of double entry accounting systems and the process of recording economic events that impact the value of the organization through the journals and the ledger. The records of these events are then summarized into the primary financial statements. The numeric subtotals and totals on these statements are used to calculate standard financial measures and ratios used to evaluate the organization's performance. The text's organization then proceeds sequentially through the balance sheet accounts, explaining in more detail how the accounting for each category of economic value is recorded and reported. The author's decision to move the most complex content to the end of the book matches how most faculty choose to organize their coverage of these topics.

The online text worked perfectly in my Chrome browser. The end of chapter exercises and problems are perfectly formatted on the screen. All assessment materials (quizzes, exams, etc.) are located on a different site that requires registration to have access.

I found the grammar to be very clear, concise and very effective. Because the book is written by Canadians, expenses are sometimes referred to as revenue expenditures, which does not match how US textbooks refer to expenses, but is perhaps a better learning tool, as the expenses are always recorded in the period in which they match the revenue generation, so I support the authors' choices regarding how they refer to the difference between assets (capital expenditures) and expenses (revenue expenditures).

The textbook adequately refers to the international accounting standards. That is the only cultural relevance which is relevant to introductory financial accounting.

I found this textbook and its exercises to be a useful teaching and learning tool. Instructors and students have access to pre-made PowerPoint slides, exercises and problems, and there is the option to enrol in an online service for online assessments, which seem to have student feedback capabilities in addition to assessment gathering capabilities.

Table of Contents

• The Accounting Process
• Financial Accounting and Adjusting Entries
• The Classified Balance Sheet and Related Disclosures
• Accounting for the Sale of Goods
• Assigning Costs to Merchandise
• Cash and Receivables
• Long-lived Assets
• Debt Financing: Current and Long-term Liabilities
• Equity Financing
• The Statement of Cash Flows
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Proprietorships and Partnerships

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This textbook is an adaptation by Athabasca University of the original text written by D. Annand and H. Dauderis. It is intended for use in entry-level college and university courses in financial accounting. A corporate approach is utilized consistently throughout the book.

The adapted textbook includes multiple ancillary student and instructor resources. Student aids include solutions to all end-of-chapter questions and problems, and randomly-generated spreadsheet problems that cover key concepts of each chapter. These provide unlimited practice and feedback for students. Instructor aids include an exam bank, lecture slides, and a comprehensive end-of-term case assignment. This requires students to prepare 18 different year-end adjusting entries and all four types of financial statements, and to calculate and analyze 16 different financial statement ratios. Unique versions can be created for any number of individual students or groups. Tailored solutions are provided for instructors.

The original Annand/Dauderis version of the textbook including .docx files and ancillary material remains available upon request to D. Annand ([email protected]).

About the Contributors

David Annand, EdD, MBA, CA, is a Professor of Accounting in the Faculty of Business at Athabasca University. His research interests include the educational applications of computer-based instruction and computer mediated communications to distance learning, the effects of online learning on the organization of distance-based universities, and the experiences of instructors in graduate-level computer conferences.

David completed his Doctorate in Education in 1998. His thesis deals with the experiences of instructors in graduate-level computer conferences.

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Financial Accounting and Reporting Classroom Materials

Financial Accounting and Reporting is an important part of the accounting curriculum. The skills students learn in your classroom will not only prepare them for more advanced courses, but to one day succeed in a career.  The below are supplemental curriculum resources that the AICPA Academics team have reviewed and think can be used in the classroom.

Award-Winning Curricula

The Academics team is proud to offer award-winning curricula designed to encourage faculty and expand the knowledge of accounting students. The curricula below is from the  Accounting Professors Curriculum Resource tool  and has been recognized for excellence with the  Bea Sanders/AICPA Innovation and Teaching Award , the  George Krull/Grant Thornton AAA Innovation in Junior and Senior-Level Teaching Award,  or the  Mark Chain/FSA Innovation in Graduate Teaching Award . 

• A Better Way to Teach Effective Interest Method Related Problems in Accounting   This resource presents a simpler method of teach accounting problems involving the use of the effective interest method. The method stimulates student interest by focusing on the economics of the transaction and relating it to real-life examples.
• Accounting in the Headlines: A News Blog for the Introductory Accounting Classroom   This resource shares Wendy Tietz's "Accounting in the Headlines" blog in which she writes stories about real-life companies and events that can be used in the accounting classroom to illustrate introductory financial and managerial accounting concepts.
• Accounting Challenge (ACE): Mobile-Gaming App for Learning Accounting Accounting Challenge is the first mobile-gaming app for teaching financial accounting. ACE aims to enhance learning of accounting outside the classroom by engaging students to play and learn accounting on the go.  
• A FASB Accounting Standards Codification Project for Introductory Financial Accounting   This exercise is designed as a team project in which introductory accounting students act as a consultants to a client seeking guidance on issues surrounding a start-up venture. Students must access and cite the Codification as the basis for the materials they submit in fulfillment of the project requirements.
• Attracting the Best and Brightest to Accounting: Establishing an Honors Accounting Course   This resource presents one school's approach to attracting and recruiting the best and brightest students toward accounting by offering an honors accounting course.
• Beyond Debits and Credits... Service Learning in Accounting   This resource presents a service learning project implemented in two accounting courses to enhance student skills in communication and teamwork.
• Business From the Idea to the Seasoned Offering: Accounting and Financial Statements Reflecting Business Activities   This project takes accounting education from bookkeeping to holistic active business learning including how financial statements build to reflect the business.
• Chocolate: Accounting as a First year Seminar   This resource provides a thematic approach at combining first year seminars and accounting programs using student activities that are simultaneously engaging and assessable.
• Creative Strategies for Teaching MBA Level Accounting   This resource presents a new concept for teaching accounting to MBA level students. At its heart, accounting centers on measurement of historical transactions or the measurement of future opportunities. this course turns the focus from rules, to the tools leaders need to manage a complex organization.
• Cultivating Deep Learning in the Principles of Accounting Classes through Philanthropy-Based Education   This philanthropy project goes beyond service learning or volunteerism. Students make real decisions that have immediate impacts on their community. Students award funding to not-for-profit agencies based on a competitive proposal process.
• Digital Storytelling for Engaged Student Learning   This resource uses digital story telling, a movie, to enhance students' technical competence in accounting. The story uses 12 episodes to follow three young business graduates who started their own business and discover along the way the role of financial information in managing a business venture.
• FASB Accounting Standards Codification: Student-Authored Research Exercises   This resource is based on the notion that the best way to learn something is to teach it. Students in a financial accounting graduate class demonstrate their master of GAAP research skills by creating research assignments using the FASB Accounting Standards Codification.
• Forming Groups in the Age of YouTube   This resource uses a variation of speed dating as a means for forming groups in an introductory accounting class. By learning more about their classmates prior to self-selecting a group this method allows students to choose better groups.
• Getting Started in the Throughbred Horse Business: A Review of Some Basic Accounting Principles   This resource provides reinforcement of common accrual accounting concepts centered on the breeding and racing operations of a small thoroughbred horse business. This curriculum is appropriate to use after students have been exposed to fixed assets, inventory, profit and loss and cash flow reporting.
• IFRS Immersion   This resource provides instructions for teaching an IFRS course from the standpoint of foreign companies that have already dealt with the problems and issues associated with converting from local GAAP to international GAAP.
• IFRS Projects Using Dual Reporting of IFRS and U.S. GAAP   This resource illustrates integrating IFRS learning into financial accounting curricula by incorporating valuable contrasting information from the dual reporting.
• Integrated Accounting Principles: A New Approach to Traditional Accounting Principles Courses   This resource describes an integrated accounting principles course that combines traditional financial and managerial accounting courses into a single six hour course.
• Introducing Freshmen Students in the Accounting/Finance Course to the Library   This resource describes a series of online, interactive tutorials and quizzes to help students learn fundamental concepts and skills of company and industry related research.
• Introduction to Financial Accounting Case Project: Arctic Blast Ice Cream Store   This case provides an opportunity for students to apply accounting concepts to a simple business venture. The project lasts 4-6 weeks and covers three distinct phases of the management process: business decision making, performance and evaluation.
• Let's Go to the Movies: Using Movies as an Ethics Assignment   This project involves students watching a series of predetermined movies and noting the ethical dilemma. At the end of the semester each student must defend one of the movies as a nominee for "A Must See Ethics Movie" for accounting/business students.
• Mini-responsibility Centers: A Strategy for Learning by Leading   This resource explains the concept of using mini-responsibility centers (MRCs) to decentralize large financial, managerial and cost accounting courses. In return the students are more focused and engaged.
• Modeling Uncertainty in C-V-P Assignments: Going Beyond the Basics!   This resource provides an outline for using the Monte Carlo Simulation to offer graduate students an opportunity to rapidly come to insights about probabilistic model building and interpretation. The simulation combines quantitative skills and qualitative skills along with reports and presentations.
• Northwind Data Query Exercise   This project encourages students to consider the evolution of data sources for financial reporting and evaluate how to acquire and manipulate information in this emerging business reality; by actually practicing queries and exporting information to worksheets.
• Reinventing Student Engagement and Collaboration within Introductory Accounting Courses   This resource provides ideas for increasing engagement and collaboration in the introductory accounting class. Examples include student projects, flipped classroom applications and in-class problems.
• Responsibilities and Choices: An Active Engagement Exercise for Introductory Accounting Courses   This exercise provides students with an opportunity to perform a basic due diligence task, complete a relatively simple working paper to document their work and make a decision. The exercise has embedded moral temptation and ethical issues and examines ethical choices that students make in the presence of time pressure and reward structures that encourage aggressive performance.
• TeachingIFRS.com   This document provides information on TeachingIFRS.com which was created  in response to the rapid growth of IFRS and lack of high quality and effective teaching resources. The site consolidates and provides links to numerous freely available IFRS pedagogical materials.
• Testing Critical Thinking Skills in Accounting Principles   This resource describes a method for testing critical thinking skills in an accounting principles course. Using this method, each testing period is divided into two parts. First, students complete an individual traditional test. The second part is a critical thinking exercise called "the challenge problem".
• The Accounting Profession Post Sarbanes-Oxley: An Approach to Impart Knowledge About the Conceptual Framework and Attract Students to the Accounting Major   This document provides the description of a program entitled "The Accounting Profession Post Sarbanes-Oxley". The program provides students with an opportunity to better understand important elements of the conceptual framework. It also provides an overview of the career opportunities in accounting.
• The Accounting Tournament - March Madness in Financial Accounting   This resource describes implementation of an end of year comprehensive review using brackets as a model. Students are randomly placed in the bracket and compete against each other for extra credit points.
• The Amazing Accounting Race: An Introductory Accounting Semester Project   This project engages students with an exciting internet race around the professional world of accounting. Students obtain clues to complete tasks, encounter detours, road blocks and fast forwards. The assignments utilize students' synthesis skills and computer application skills as they collect facts about accounting careers from the internet and assemble data in an organized format.
• The College to Professional Experience   This resource outlines a program that serves to better prepare students for the "real world" by changing the perception of education from "learning by doing" to "doing and making to learn with technology". The project aims to move beyond traditional models of education to leverage technology to facilitate new methods of delivery and understanding.
• The Farming Game and the Introductory Financial Accounting Course: An Accounting Simulation   The Farming Game enables students to develop many of the skill-based competencies needed by students entering the accounting profession, regardless of career path. The Game provides experiential learning of various accounting principles. It is a learning opportunity that offers students a degree of reality and a larger view of the system.
• Understand FX Risk by Playing Monopoly   This resource uses a short version of Monopoly to understand the FX risk impact on net income.
• Back to the Future: Using Accounting History to Explore Professional Opportunities   In this project students read an article about a period of time in accounting history and present their findings to the class in a video format. Students then tie what they have learned in the presentations to the field of accounting today as well as the future.
• From Pacioli to Picasso: Using Art to Enhance Critical Thinking in Accounting Capstone Courses   This resource outlines using name cards, picture drawings and classic artwork to help students enhance their critical thinking skills. The exercise sets the tone for a course that requires them to think about more than rules and regulations and instead delve into the "why" and "what could be."
• Digging Deep: Using Forensic Analytics as a Context to Teach Microsoft Excel and Access   This resource describes a graduate level case that focuses on the development of technology skills through the lens of forensic analysis.
• Who Moved My Classroom? Community Linked Learning and Assessment   This resource describes three exercises that expand learning beyond the classroom. The first exercise allows students to discover the linkage between classroom studies and what practitioners do in the "real world". The second allows students to apply the COSO model to internal controls. The third requires students to interpret financial statements for a friend.

Additional Materials

Here are additional materials we reviewed and think are useful to incorporate into the classroom.

• IIRC Database of Research on Integrated Reporting The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) launched the <IR> Academic Database, a searchable collection of more than 200 articles, books, chapters, dissertations, and other pieces of scholarly research on the advancement, adoption, and practice of integrated reporting. 
• A destination is only as good as its compass. The new  My 360  is here to help you create a free plan personalized to your financial needs by helping guide you through all the resources 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy has to offer.

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Getting an Overview of the Core Terms in Margin Analysis

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

• Get an Overview of the Core Terms in Margin Analysis

Overview of the Core Terms in Margin Analysis

https://learning.sap.com/learning-journeys/outline-cost-management-and-profitability-analysis-in-sap-s-4hana/outlining-profitability-analysis_b5b7efbb-55ea-4ff5-bc70-15d39d8a14eb

Introduction to Margin Analysis

The following video provides an overview of Margin Analysis.

Master Data

Master data in margin analysis include profitability characteristics and functional areas. Functional areas break down corporate expenditure into different functions, in line with the requirements of cost of sales accounting.

These functions can include:

• Production.
• Administration.
• Sales and Distribution.
• Research and Development.

For primary postings, the functional area is derived according to fixed rules and included in the journal entries. For secondary postings, the functional area and partner functional area are derived from the sender and receiver account assignments to reflect the flow of costs from sender to receiver.

Profitability Characteristics

Profitability characteristics represent the criteria used to analyze operating results and the sales and profit plan. Multiple profitability characteristics are combined to form profitability segments. The combination of characteristic values determines the profitability segment for which the gross margin structure can be displayed. A profitability segment corresponds to a market segment.

For example, the combination of the characteristic values North (Sales region), Electronics (Product group) and Wholesale (Customer group) determine a profitability segment for which the gross margin structure can be displayed.

True vs Attributed Account Assignments

Each activity relevant to Margin Analysis in the SAP system, such as billing, creates line items. G/L line items can carry true or attributed account assignments to profitability segments.

• Goods issue item or billing document item in a sell-from-stock scenario.
• Manual FI posting to profitability segment.
• Primary Costs or Revenue.
• Secondary Costs.
• Balance Sheet Accounts with a statistical cost element assigned.

The derivation of attributed profitability segments is based on the true account assignment object of the G/L line item. This object can be of the following types:

• Cost Center.
• Sales Order.
• Production Order (only for Engineer-to-Order process.)
• Maintenance Order.
• Service Document (service order or service contract.)

After the profitability characteristics are derived, the resulting data is mapped to the G/L line item according to specific mapping rules. An attributed profitability segment is derived to fulfill the requirement of filling as many characteristics in the item as possible to enable the maximum drilldown analysis capability.

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Chicago White Sox

New York Yankees

Soto's 2 homers, gil's 14 strikeouts lead yankees over white sox 6-1 for 6-game winning streak, yankees pitcher luis gil k's 7 batters in a row en route to total of 14.

Luis Gil strikes out seven consecutive White Sox batters on his way to a total of 14 for the Yankees.

NEW YORK -- — Juan Soto had his first multihomer game with the Yankees, Luis Gil struck out a career-high 14 and New York beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Saturday to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games.

Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Trevino also went deep for New York, which has won 12 of 14 and improved to an AL-best 32-15. Soto was 4 for 4 with a walk and is batting .317 with 11 homers and 37 RBI.

“It was a fun day," said Soto, who has rebounded after a 3-for-25 slide on a six-game road trip."

New York is 12-2-1 in series, matching 2002 as the only times since 1950 the Yankees have won 12 of their first 15 series.

Soto tied the score in the first with a 417-foot drive deep into the right-field bleachers, had an RBI single in the second and hit another solo shot in the fifth with a 437-footer deeper into the right-field bleachers. It was the 18th multihomer game for Soto, who combined with Stanton and Aaron Judge to make New York the first team this year with a trio of double-digit home run hitters.

Gil (5-1) won his fourth straight start and fifth consecutive decision, allowing one run, five hits and one walk in six innings. Gil has given up two runs over 24 1/3 innings in his last four starts.

“I have a great professor in Gerrit Cole ,” Gil said through a translator of his Cy Young Award-winning teammate. “He’s always around and always giving me pointers.”

The 25-year-old right-hander averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball, 0.5 mph above his season average. He set the Yankees' rookie record for strikeouts, topping the 13 on Aug. 13, 1998, by Orlando Hernández, who threw out Saturday’s ceremonial first pitch.

“I was very happy to meet him after the game,” Gil said. “For him to be here and connect after the game — great.”

After struggling through a 29-pitch first inning that included 13 changeups, Gil struck out seven in a row starting in the fourth in a streak ended by Eloy Jiménez’s single.

“Maybe his best fastball of the year, which is saying something,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Brad Keller (0-2) allowed a career-high four homers. Making his second start this season, he gave up six runs — five earned — and seven hits in four-plus innings. Chicago batters struck out a season-high 16 times as the White Sox dropped to a major league-worst 4-18 on the road and 14-32 overall.

Andrew Benintendi’s opposite-field RBI double to left put Chicago ahead in the first, but Gil stranded the bases loaded when Korey Lee took a fastball for a called third strike.

Soto tied the score, Judge reached on an infield hit when third baseman Danny Mendick double-clutched before his throw, and Stanton hit an opposite-field RBI double off the right-center wall for a 2-1 lead.

Stanton homered to right-center in the fourth, his 11th of the season and fifth in nine games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: INF Bryan Ramos , on the IL since straining his left quadriceps Tuesday, could soon start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte, manager Pedro Grifol said.

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow nerve inflammation and edema) threw his first bullpen session in which he sat down in the middle for a break simulating an inning. “That’s a big, big one for him to check that box,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “See how he bounces back after today and then go from there.” Cole was throwing in the low 90 mph range and soon could progress to batting practice. Cole was told to stop throwing in mid-March and pitched his first bullpen on May 4. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is likely to need four or five minor league rehab starts, simulating spring training.

LHP Carlos Rodón (4-2, 3.31) starts Sunday’s series finale coming off his first consecutive winning outings with the Yankees. RHP Chris Flexen (2-3, 4.46) starts for Chicago.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

NYY win 3-0

Game information.

• Home Plate Umpire - Mike Estabrook
• First Base Umpire - Erich Bacchus
• Second Base Umpire - Tripp Gibson
• Third Base Umpire - Laz Diaz

2024 American League Central Standings

2024 american league east standings, yankees start 4-game series with the mariners, astros open 3-game series against the angels, guardians host the mets on home winning streak.

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6 ways to use Microsoft Copilot for end-of-school-year tasks

May 14, 2024.

By Microsoft Education Team

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The end of the school year is a hectic time for educators everywhere. Between reviewing content, completing assessments, and maintaining classroom management, it’s easy to feel the pressure of too many responsibilities and not enough time to accomplish everything.

Whether closing out the academic year in the northern hemisphere or preparing for the next one in the southern hemisphere, Microsoft Copilot offers innovative and efficient ways to complete many of the tasks that occupy these transitional times of year. From drafting student feedback to composing newsletters and offering planning suggestions for events, Copilot adapts to whatever task it’s asked. To get started, all you need is a basic understanding of how to access and use Copilot.

Start using Copilot for your end-of-school-year tasks

You can learn how to use Copilot by visiting Meet your AI assistant for education: Microsoft Copilot .

When you’re ready to get started, go to copilot.microsoft.com or download the iOS or Android mobile app.

Writing prompts for the end of the school year

Prompting Copilot to generate content requires practice. Including specific information in your prompt helps produce more relevant responses.

An effective Copilot prompt:

• Asks the tool to take on a role called a persona .
• Provides an objective  that tells the tool what to do or produce.
• Defines the audience  who will be using whatever Copilot generates.
• Includes context  that gives the tool background information.
• Sets boundaries  that limit or constrain responses.

Elements of a Good Prompt infographic which includes tips for writing prompts that produce more relevant responses.

Throughout this post, you’ll find sample prompts that include these components. We recommend borrowing inspiration from them and adjusting to make them fit your own classroom, or you can copy and paste the examples without modifications if you are just beginning.

Now let’s learn how Copilot can help you complete six common end-of-school-year tasks.

1. Craft student feedback at the end of the school year

Copilot can help you write end-of-school-year feedback in a style and tone that all students can understand. Simply craft a prompt that includes the subject area and details about the feedback you want to provide, and Copilot can draft a constructive, supportive statement written specifically for students. For example:

You are a fourth-grade teacher who is writing feedback on a student’s current reading skills. The student uses details to explain what text means but is unable to draw inferences in fiction. The student can identify in-text examples that illustrate a given theme but is unable to independently produce a theme without guidance. Write a short statement that explains this feedback to a student. Include a description about why using details is important and 1-2 ways to develop this skill. The paragraph should be written with plain text so that a fourth-grade student will understand.

You can always refine your prompt if the response is not what you expected. Simply include something like, “Re-write this feedback in Spanish” without selecting New topic , and Copilot will continue where you left off. Give it a try.

2. Write end-of-school-year reflections

Educators often write end-of-school-year newsletters for families, update class blogs with a final post, and draft reflections on school year goals. Copilot can assist with all these tasks and can help you create personalized, engaging visuals for your content. For example, you can use the following prompt to produce a summer newsletter for families.

You are the science department leader for a middle school in New York City. Draft a summer newsletter for families that includes an introduction that talks about the past year and 5 sections: Science Books for Young Adults, Science at Home, Science Summer Camps, Science Events in NYC, and NY Science Museums. Only include information that can be linked to a website to learn more. The newsletter should be written in plain text using an informal tone.

You can also share your experiences, memorable moments, and insights from the school year and Copilot will help you find creative ways to share this information with colleagues, families, and students.

3. Organize classroom materials at the end of the school year

The last few weeks of a school year includes packing up classrooms for the summer, collecting books and devices, and organizing materials for the next year. Copilot can create checklists or reminders for end-of-school-year tasks like these and offer suggestions that you might not even consider. For example:

You are a high school media specialist who checks out technology to administrators and educators. Write a checklist of the 3 most important things to do before returning each of the following devices: document camera, tablet, digital projector, games, and wires. Make each device a section heading and use bulleted lists for the content. Write the checklists so that the content is easily understood by people with varying levels of technological expertise.

Another way to use Copilot when you are organizing classroom materials is to ask for suggestions for efficient ways to declutter and prepare your classroom for the next school year.

4. Plan an end-of-school-year celebration

Many schools celebrate major milestones like the start of summer or moving from lower grades to higher grades with a party or ceremony. Copilot can be your personal planner and assist with brainstorming ideas for end-of-school-year events, awards ceremonies, or virtual gatherings. It can even suggest ways to be more inclusive in areas you might not have considered, like food options in the prompt below.

You are a guidance counselor in charge of helping rising eighth-grade students transition from middle school to high school. Draft a letter to middle school teachers that shares the biggest differences between middle school and high school. Include paragraphs on class schedules, touring the high school, meeting educators, extracurricular activities, and summer reading books. The letter should be written in a formal, conversational tone.

Whether you are creating invitations, planning activities, or drafting speeches, Copilot can be your creative collaborator.

5. Develop transition materials at the end of the school year

When students enter elementary school or move to middle or high school, everyone involved in the transition needs to know how to prepare for this change. Students need to know what to expect, families need to know how to support their children, and current educators need to provide relevant information. Copilot can help create transition materials so that everyone stays informed using a prompt like this example:

You can also use Copilot to write welcome letters, tips for success, or information about what to expect in the upcoming year.

6. Streamline parent communication at the end of the school year

Copilot can help you create templates for parent-teacher conferences at the end of the school year, as well as student progress updates, and letters to families. For example, you can ask Copilot to create a message to families about signing up for conferences with the following prompt.

You are a high school math teacher who teaches introductory algebra. Write a letter to families about parent-teacher conferences. Include an introductory paragraph that thanks families for their ongoing support and paragraphs about what will happen during the conferences, why conferences are important, who should attend, and how to prepare for the meeting. Conclude the letter with a paragraph about how to sign up for a conference slot. Write the letter using an approachable, informal tone.

Microsoft Copilot is a versatile AI tool for educators that adapts to your specific needs. To learn more about Microsoft’s AI solutions and resources, check out Smart learning: AI resources every educator should know and the  AI for educators learning path on Microsoft Learn. Most importantly, enjoy the end of the school year with your students and the time you saved by using Copilot. 

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