| Step |
Method
|
Notes
|
| 1 |
Introduce
and teach basics of chess. |
Use
traditional chess boards before using technology based
programs. |
| 2 |
Provide
adequate time for students to play and master the rules. |
|
| 3 |
Introduce
strategies for effective play. |
- Open
with knights or middle pawns.
- Control
middle of board.
- Castle
within first 10 moves.
- Establish
good pawn structure.
|
| 4 |
Individualize
chess through the use of technology. |
Use
software, stand alone chess computers, and web sites. |
| 5 |
Begin
encouraging metacognition. Students should be encouraged to think
about their thinking while playing. |
Why
did you choose that move? What did you consider or think about
before determining your choice? |
| 6 |
As
a class, begin listing steps of thinking needed to play successful
chess. |
|
| 7 |
As
a class, edit list to a general set of 5 or 6 steps needed to make
a good move. |
Begin
using vocabulary that is not only related to chess. (decision instead
of move) |
| 8 |
Post
final list in the classroom. |
This
is still a list of rules for chess decisions and should use chess
terms. |
| 9 |
As
a class, brainstorm ways to apply this list to other problem
solving situations in the classroom. |
|
| 10 |
Create
new list of problem solving steps . |
Should
use general terms related to all problem-solving situations for
the classroom. |
Classroom
Hints
- Overall
goals for this plan should include creating an atmosphere of fun and
excitement when chess is being implemented.
- Using
class time to “play a game” may be vital to the students feeling
that they are lucky to be involved.
- Continued
efforts to create excitement and confidence are important to
establishing confidence in the heuristic. If students feel they have
achieved some level of success when playing chess, they will more
likely employ the heuristic with an “I can” attitude.
The use of technology can be important for creating excitement as well
as confidence. The various software packages available offer common
chess playing components as well as individual ways of making chess fun.
Care must be taken to provide necessary scaffolding when introducing
chess through technology. Frustration with the technology can ultimately
become counter-productive, especially with a challenging game like
chess.
Follow Up Activities
Reinforcing
the enjoyment of chess and problem solving situations and applying these
in other areas of the curriculum should be a continued effort. Some
curricular ideas for this may include:
-
Heuristic
displayed and reinforced.
-
Create
bookmarks for student’s literature books that include heuristic or
individual steps for problem solving.
-
Encourage
chess outside of school time through web sites and software that can
be signed out and taken home.
-
Establish
a chess club for a group of students wishing to dedicate more study
to the game.
-
Establish
an ongoing chess game between class and teacher.
-
Provide
chess books for kids that can be taken home and shared with parents.
-
Encourage
study or provide unit on castles and medieval times.
-
View
movie “In Search of Bobby Fisher”, an excellent movie about
children, chess, and life.
-
Offer
various games with chess rules that are different from traditional
chess rules. Chess Four is one example that includes four players
playing against each other or two teams against each other.
-
Encourage
small groups to invent own game of chess with selected pieces and
creative rules.
Specific Lesson
Plans May Include:
-
Literature / Writing : What
chess piece could provide the most help to the character in the
story? What character(s) in the story would benefit most from
learning how to play chess? What lessons could the character(s)
learn from chess that would benefit them in the story? Compare and
contrast individual roles of chess pieces with characters from a
story in hierarchical order. (Mother is Queen, daughter is pawn,
etc.)
-
Social Studies
: Place historical figures into individual roles of
chess pieces and justify your choices.
-
Math
: Apply geometric concepts to chess board. These may include area,
perimeter, angle measurements, and squares & triangles. Have
students attempt to create a chess board using circles and half
circles.
-
Compare
and contrast chess and problem solving heuristic with scientific
process and five steps of writing.
