Objective:

1) The student will understand the forward movement of a pawn on a grid.

2) The student student will understand the concept of diagonals.

Method:

1) The teacher demonstrates the movement of a pawn - forward one space at a time.

2) A pawn can also advance two squares, however only on it's first move.

3) A pawn cannot move backwards, nor jump over an opponent's piece.

4) A pawn is blocked if an opponent's piece is directly in front of it.

5) The pawn is capable of attacking an opponent's piece on the diagonal directly in front of it.

6) A pawn may be promoted to any choice of piece if it is able to proceed to the eighth rank square (ie. queen).

Content:

Using the demonstration board, the teacher models the straight line movement of a pawn.

In pairs, students observe and immitate the pawn's movement on their board.

Students practise moving the pawn in a straight line, first move one or two squares.

The pawn advances one square at a time thereafter.

The teacher demonstrates how a pawn captures another piece.

Other chess pieces are placed on the board on the diagonal directly in front of the pawn.

The attacking pawn moves to either diagonal toward an opponent's piece.

It occupies the square on which the opponent's piece is standing.

The opponent's piece is then removed from the chess board.

Note: In chess, no one can capture one of his/her own pieces

Also, for advanced players, the move "en passant" may be developed (see: En passant).

Follow up:

Students then place all eight pawns on the chess board as in the normal starting position on the second row.

Students may play a game similar to checkers, using pawns only.

The challenge: students are to move their pawns, in turn, capturing opponent's pawns.

If a pawn reaches the eighth rank it may be promoted to a queen or other piece of their choice.

Players may have more than one similar piece on the board at the same time.

Players proceed until only one piece remains. The player with the final piece, or most queens, wins the game.