| The whole class can make the figures/players with | | | | plague breaks out. Life has random events.4. Show |
| paper clay and chess boards with paper squares or | | | | them the moves of each class of warrior/player. |
| ink. Paper clay is cheap and dries in a few days and | | | | Often the best way to show the moves is to dive in |
| then kids can paint it.The game of chess is old and like | | | | and play. Kids catch on quickly especially when the |
| the deck of 52 playing cards goes back to feudal | | | | teacher starts killing/taking their main players. Stress |
| times and the competitive wars between | | | | helps them learn.5. Emphasize the power of each |
| monarchs.This game motivates the kids. I especially like | | | | player. Example: "The queen is very powerful. She can |
| four children playing (2 on each team) as the team | | | | go anywhere, in any direction and sweep across the |
| members talk strategy and bicker in English so much. | | | | board, but only the Knight can jump over others. The |
| They can be very ammusing. The teacher acts as | | | | pawn is a poor peasant/farmer, a foot soldier. He is |
| both English coach, peace and rule keeper and can be | | | | fed poorly, can't move quickly, has little of no armour, |
| the 4th player if only 3 children are present.KIDS | | | | poor weapons, no horse and is easily killed.6. I show |
| LEARN:1. Clay, modeling, drying, painting, etc. King, | | | | kids my own main strategy, which is to move a pawn |
| queen, bishop, knight (or horse), rook (castle is better) | | | | and get the queen out quickly across the board (with |
| and pawn (peasant foot-soldier). Kids also learn check, | | | | the bishops) and to attack, attach, attack. Kids soon |
| checkmate, strategy and many small sentences of | | | | see that this often works well.7. I show the kids that |
| direction (Take the castle. Ah, you killed by bishop! | | | | chess can be played solo, by changing seats, or by |
| etc.).2. Teach and ask the kids about the roles/duties | | | | turning the board around (no ESL learning in this, |
| of each segment of society. Where are the women | | | | however), and with an internet partner (little ESL value). |
| and children and grandparents?3. Tell them this is a | | | | I also show them some variations we sometimes play: |
| rigid rule-bound game. Real life is not played by rules. | | | | A. Lead with castles (not the queen). B. Lead with |
| Some people use poison or marriage, alliances and | | | | bishops. C. Remove both queens.Kids need to be |
| ninja and traps to reach their goals. Some flee their | | | | monitored so they use English and not their native |
| kingdoms or get help from overseas. Sometimes | | | | language. Enjoy! |