Today, February 2, 2010, I had 8 students (6 boys and 2 girls, all of whom had attended at least once before) for after-school chess club at Strickland Middle School. Here is what happened during the class (3:45-5p.m.)
Objectives: Students begin to learn notation. Students play a ladder game.
Barnes & Noble Chess in Education event: 1989 U.S. Women's Chess Champion Dr. Alexey Root and Denton High School Chess Club officers host an all-ages FREE chess event including a book signing, activities like "Pawn Game" and "Battleship Chess," and chess information for educators and parents. Saturday March 19, 2011 1:00 PM
Today students played ladder games. Officers also reported that chess club T shirt pre-orders will be available next Friday. Chess club officers want T shirts in time for their bookstore presentation with Alexey Root on March 19.
Seven boys and two girls showed up January 26 after school for chess club. Here was the lesson plan that we followed.
Objectives: Students will work in trainer-trainee groups on the rook section of the trainer-trainee worksheet. They may then go on to another section of the trainee worksheet of their choice, or go over a previously played chess game (post mortem).
This week I had five boys and two girls. Some students may have forgotten it was chess day because Monday was the MLKjr. holiday. So today was the first day of a school week and a Tuesday.
Here was my lesson plan for January 19:
For week two, I again had 11 students, with the same proportion of 9 boys and 2 girls. But one of the boys and one of the girls were new as compared to last week.
Objectives: Students will learn how to make a chess diagram and how to fill out a record for a ladder game. Students will play Simon Says with chess instructions. Students will play a ladder game.
On January 7, 2011, Denton High School chess club had its first meeting of 2011. Twelve students attended, as well as two Denton High School alumni. Ladder games were completed, followed by post mortems and chess for fun.
This is the lesson plan I wrote for the January 5, 2010 first meeting of the after-school chess club at Strickland MS. In reality, the plan was followed. Clarifications about what actually happened compared to the plan or additional helpful comments on resources are added in [brackets]. Supplies used are in CAPS. The day went well for the 11 students that attended. A teacher also dropped by for the second half of the class.
On Tuesday, January 5, 2010, I will begin my after-school chess club at Strickland Middle School. The club will be hosted by the Communities in Schools program. Chess club will be free and open to all Strickland Middle School students. For the previous five years, I volunteered teaching chess at Strickland during the school day from 1:15 to 1:55 p.m., known as advisory period.
My fifth chess book, The Living Chess Game: Fine Arts Activities for Kids 9-14, arrived on my doorstep on Christmas!
Follow the UTD GM Invitational by logging into the MonRoi Web site! For the morning rounds, I watch the games on MonRoi. I’ve been traveling in person to the evening rounds. My report on the tournament was just published on Chess Life Online.
At our Denton High School Chess Club meeting on December 10, 2010, three students turned in their forms to participate in the January 15, 2011 Region III chess tournament. Four more promised to get in forms soon. Then club members played a written ladder game. Since 16 attended, eight ladder games began and will finish at our next club meeting on January 7, 2011. More information can be found at the club Web site.
