Kindergarten: Chessboard
Previous lesson: Introductions, Expectations, What is Chess
Next lesson: How the Pawn Moves
Big ideas:
1. Chess is a game played on the chessboard: Anything we do
in chess happens on the board.
2. The chess board is made up of squares: Each of these
squares has its own name
3. There are two kinds of squares: Light squares and dark
squares
Objectives:
1. Students will know how to find the name of any square on
the chessboard
2. Students will know that the chess board is made up of separate
squares, and be able to identify the dividing lines between adjacent squares.
3. Students will be able to distinguish between light squares
and dark squares.
Language demands:
1. Chessboard: Students touch physical chessboard
2. Square: Define square; Students trace outline of a square
on the chessboard
3. Light and Dark: Day vs. Night; Students touch light and
dark squares; dark squares remind us of it being dark out
Procedure:
Sports analogy: What do we play soccer on? Do we play it on
a table? We play it on a soccer field. We play snakes and ladders on a snakes
and ladders board. Where do we play chess? On a chess board.
Who can tell me one thing they see about the chess board?
(Accept all responses; not looking for right or wrong)
1. Teacher has demonstration board set up. Teacher ASKS
students initial hook question
2. Teacher ASKS students what they see about the chess
board; not evaluating responses
3. Teacher tells students there are lots of little shapes on
the chessboard. ASK: What little shapes do you see? Squares
4. Each student traces a square on the board with his finger
**
5. Teacher tells students there are two kinds of squares on
the chessboard: Light and dark. ASK: What color is it outside at night? Dark.
ASK: Which squares look dark to you? (Call on individual students to come up
and touch a square).
6. Teacher tells students every square on the board has its
own special name all to itself: No two squares have the same name.
7. ASK: Who wants to guess how we can figure out the name of
a square? (Call on individual students; not evaluating responses). The numbers
and letters are on the sides of the board to give the squares names.
8. If no student volunteers correct answer: Just like
people, every square has a first name and a last name. My first name is Matan.
My last name is Prilleltensky. A square’s first name is a letter. Its last name
is a number. ASK: Which square do you think this letter’s first name is? We can
find a square’s first name by drawing a straight line with our finger from the
square down to where the letters are. Whichever square your finger gets to,
that’s the square’s first name. (Pick a couple students to come up to the board
and try this). ASK: How do you think we could find a square’s last name? Draw a
straight line with your finger from the square to where the numbers are.
Wherever your finger gets, that’s the square’s last name. Informal Assessment:
Ask students to name squares, either from their seats or by coming up to the
board and using their fingers.
Lesson closure:
Review lessons learned with questions: Where do we play
chess? (On a chessboard). What are the two kinds of squares on a chessboard?
(Light and dark). How do we find the name of a square on the chessboard? (Line
with our finger to the letters for the first name, line to the numbers for the
last name). Tell students that when you point to a square, they will call out
whether it is light or dark; point to some squares.
Assessment:
Students return to their desks. Teacher passes out
double-sided paper with diagrams of chessboards. Teacher says: After I teach
you something, I want to make sure you learned it. So now I’m going to ask you
some questions to make sure you understood the things we did today. If you didn’t
understand, or you don’t know the answers to the questions I ask you, that’s
fine! That tells me that I need to teach it again, that’s all.
Under where you see the number 1, there is a chessboard. I
want you to take your pencil, and color in a dark square on the chessboard.
Under number 2, color in a light square.
Under number 3, color in the square that has the name e4.
Remember, that means first name e, last name 4.
Under number 4, color in the square that has the name a5.
Remember, that means first name a, last name 5.
Collect papers – end of class.
Criteria for success:
Students who are asked (not just those who have raised their
hands) will be able to identify the colors and names of squares. Misunderstandings
will be exposed through students incorrectly lining up squares to letters or
numbers. Students answer 75% of assessment questions correctly on worksheets.
Materials:
Demonstration board/projector, physical chessboard,
assessment worksheets
