Objective:

1) The student will sort and classify two and three dimensional figures according to shape.

2) The student will select their colour by a choice of hands.

3) The student will understand the correct starting position at the beginning of a chess game.

4) The students (in pairs) will move in sequence, taking turns.

Method:

1) In pairs, students will decide their colour by a choice of hands.

2) The teacher models the starting position by aligning the chess pieces correctly on a demonstration board.

3) Students reciprocate by placing their chess pieces in the correct order on their chess board in the starting position as shown (see: Starting Position).

4) Beginning with white, players alternate moving one piece at a time.

5) Observe student performance, assist in navigating the website where required.

Content:

1) In pairs, one student selects both a black and a white pawn. He/she then hides a different colour pawn in each hand.

2) The other student chooses a hand, thus selecting the colour they are to play with.

3) To begin the game, the pieces are placed on the chess board in two rows. Pawns occupy the entire second row while the other pieces are placed on the first row - i.e. rook on the outside, then the knights, then bishops, then king and queen in the middle.

Note: place the "queen on its own colour" - white queen is placed on the middle white square, black queen on the middle black square.

Mnemonic device: "queen on its own colour".

4) White moves first, followed by black. Players alternate making moves in turn, skipping moves is not allowed.

Follow up:

Guided exploration of the ChessMateOntario.com website.

Allow students to navigate the Student Resource Page with the mouse (point and click).

Click on the pawn at the top of the page and follow the link: "Chess Rules for Kids" and "How do you play the game?" by David Howe, for correct chess board setup and for taking turns moving.