Class
project becomes professional-grade game
When 7th grader Jennifer Flynn had to develop a class project
based on the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, she really did it
up right. She ended up with a professional-grade board game
patterned after Monopoly.
And, it was done in just two weeks.
Twelve-year-old
Jennifer is a student at Our Lady of Fatima School in north
St. Louis County. But, her project assignment came from the
Probe Gifted Program sponsored by the Ferguson-Florissant
School District.
Every Tuesday, Jennifer gets released time to attend Probe
classes. About 15 private school kids join with public school
students in classes taught by Ann Clark.
Ms. Clark's 1904 World's Fair project assignment included
lots of options. Among them were writing a fair diary, creating
a fairgrounds map, painting a mural or develop a game. Jennifer
decided to make a board game.
She said, "I like to play Monopoly so decided to do a game
patterned after Monopoly."
For instance, the highest-priced property is called Festival
Hall, instead of Boardwalk. The lowest-price ones are Creation
and Cascade Fountain, instead of Baltic and Mediterranean.
Instead of adding houses, a player adds exhibits. And, the
hotels became castles.
But, it was the quality of the game itself that impressed
Teacher Clark. She was quoted in an article in the Independent
News in Florissant as saying, "I'm just so impressed. She
(Jennifer) put so much wonderful effort into it."
For Jennifer, probably the best reward was the $900 in "play
money" she received. Instead of grades, Probe kids get "play
money" they'll use to buy items at a year-ending auction.
Jennifer's $900 was the top award for the World's Fair project.
She said she doesn't know what she'll buy at the auction.
"We won't know until the end of the semester what items Ms.
Clark will have available," she said.
Jennifer's workmanship on the board game was outstanding.
First, she located pictures of the original World's Fair
buildings and attractions on the Internet. She downloaded
them into a Powerpoint device. She added names and prices
before editing the picture-quality illustrations to fit in
property spaces on the board.
Of course, there were Community Chest and Chance cards to
be drawn when your game piece lands on those spaces. And,
there's a Go to Jail space and cards also.
She mounted the game in a 30" by 40" frame, with metal edges
and board backing.
After the game illustrations were in place, Jennifer put
a clear sheet of plastic over the game and clamped down the
metal edges.
"I wanted to keep from scratching the game when we were playing
it," she said.
Asked if she had any plans to develop the game commercially,
she said, "Oh, we couldn't do that on our own. We'd get in
trouble with Parker Games that has the copyright to Monopoly."
Jennifer doesn't have to go very far for legal advice; her
mother, Cindy, is a lawyer.
"But, we may call Parker Games to ask if they might want
the idea," she said.
She did say that several of her relatives have asked if she'd
make them a copy of her game for their families.
Jennifer said the original board development took her the
entire two weeks Ms. Clark allotted for the project.
"But, making copies would be easier. We saved all the World's
Fair illustrations in the Powerpoint," she said.
Jennifer is active in sports. She plays volleyball and softball.
She's also on a swim team.
At school, she's a member of the chess club and is in her
church's youth choir. She also played piano last month during
an all-school talent show at Our Lady of Fatima.
Jennifer said her favorite classes are math, science and
Spanish. "My dad is also teaching me some chemistry at home,"
she said. Father Ed Flynn is an engineer at Boeing.
Jennifer said she likes school but is a little sad this year.
She won't finish 8th grade there because Our Lady of Fatima
is being closed at year's end as enrollments drop.
"I've been here since kindergarten," she said.
