Teacher Resource
A Personal Finance Vocabulary Game About Relationships
Make It Make Cents is a rotating daily challenge, not one single game format. Its Vocabulary Challenge asks students to identify a financial term from a definition and letter feedback, while Financial Connections asks them to examine 16 terms and find four precise relationships. Financial Fill-Ins add practice using financial language in a real-world scenario.
Play Today’s ChallengeWhat the Financial Connections format asks students to do
This categorization activity is one format within the broader daily rotation.
Scan for possible anchors
A highly recognizable term can suggest a category, but students still have to locate three supporting terms.
Separate close concepts
Some words could appear near more than one topic. Students must decide which relationship is most specific.
Name the connection
A strong category label explains why all four terms belong together instead of merely restating that they are financial words.
Revise after feedback
The game allows four mistakes. An unsuccessful set creates an opportunity to revise the relationship rather than guess randomly.
Representative published Connections categories
These examples come from Financial Connections challenges that have already been published. They are not previews of future boards.
Pay Stub Terms
Gross · Net · YTD · Check
Types of Financial Aid
Grant · Scholarship · Work-Study · Loan
Auto Loan Terminology
Principal · Interest · Term · APR
Monthly Utilities
Electric · Water · Gas · Trash
Before students submit
Ask for a relationship statement with evidence:
“We think these four belong together because…”
This keeps the focus on reasoning and gives classmates something specific to agree with, challenge, or refine.
After a category appears
- Define one unfamiliar term in context.
- Contrast two terms students may confuse.
- Add a fifth term that would fit the category.
- Explain when someone might encounter the group.