Financial Literacy in High School Business Classes

I teach many high school business classes that focus on doing research on companies and using basic accounting and finance principles to analyze the material.  I really enjoy these classes because I have a minor in business and accounting was my strength.  So what I try and reinforce in these classes is that when a student is working on a project that they use the information taught in accounting such as ratios and balance sheets to do comparisons among companies they are researching.  One interesting project came from a student working at a hotel where they did liquidity, solvency and profitability ratios for the Marriott Corporation against industry standards in the Risk Management and Assessment Manual.  It was a very good project as the student learned how to analyze a balance sheet of a company, use the accounting ratios taught in class, and do research to find out how the company is currently operating. Even business classes in middle school can be very informative as students learn how to balance checkbooks and use ledger sheets.  
Not only is this good academic preparation for college it is good personal knowledge as they strive to become competent and independent adults prepared to practice good personal finance.