Chesskid Chess Course! - (Middle School)
This 10-week course teaches students to play Chess from level zero to an advanced beginner. I use the curriculum provided by ChessKid. We will watch animated video lessons and solve chess puzzles while making new friends.
Mr. Jeff
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(66)
Rising Star
What's included
20 live meetings
15 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. 1-2 throughout the classCertificate of Completion
1 after class completionClass Experience
ChessKid Chess Course! is a weekly live group class where learners are taught the fundamentals of Chess. We use ChessKid's kid-friendly platform to conduct live lessons and instruction, using ChessKid's newest feature, Live Classroom. The course is highly interactive. Learners can take control of the virtual chessboard to complete puzzles. During each lesson, we will watch animated videos and solve chess puzzles. Course content is aimed at students of middle school age, from grades seven through nine. Parents are expected to enroll their learners in ChessKid's membership. A three-month gold membership is included in the course cost. In addition, learners should have a Roblox account and will be asked to provide their usernames in a private message. Our live online games will be played using ChessKid and Roblox. This is an ongoing weekly class that is welcoming to learners of all skill levels. In-class sharing will include books, articles, game analysis of PGN files, chess puzzles, discussion of chess openings, and chess formats. The course syllabus outlines the content and topics for each week. Our goal is to have fun and get better at Chess!
Learning Goals
Chess can help students improve their concentration, pattern recognition, decision-making, and critical thinking. It also enables you to develop logical thinking and spatial reasoning.Learners will develop problem-solving skills. A chess match is like solving a giant puzzle on the fly, as your opponent constantly changes the parameters.
Syllabus
20 Lessons
over 10 WeeksLesson 1:
Starting Out: The Basics of Chess
Introduction to Chesskid and Roblox Chess. Meet the King, Knight, Pawn, Rook, Bishop, and Queen. What is the goal of a Chess game? Basic Checkmates and Stalemate. 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
What is the goal of a Chess game?
Check, Checkmate, and Stalemate. How to Read a Chessboard 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Basic Checkmates and Stalemate
King and Queen vs. Lone King, "Rook Roller" - Two Rooks vs Lone King. Stalemate (no legal moves) 45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
The Basics of Playing Chess. The Three "Phases" of a Game.
How to Win a Chess Game, "En Passant," and Planning and Your Opponent. 45 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
The objective of chess is to checkmate your opponent's king. Checkmate occurs when the king is threatened with capture and has no escape. You achieve this by moving your pieces one at a time, putting the opponent's king under attack, and preventing them from making legal moves.
We will meet in the Live Classroom environment on ChessKid. My teaching style is friendly, informal, and casual. Students can discuss the game and ask questions by speaking out loud or typing in chat. No prior knowledge of chess is required.
Roblox Chess is rated All Ages by the game developer. Roblox is an approved third-party website. A Roblox account is required to access the game's private servers. Gamer tags are needed to access Roblox private servers. Gamer tags are personal information and should never be shared in the classroom. Parents or learners should give me their gamer tags or Roblox usernames through a private message. Roblox private servers are limited to live class hours and cannot be accessed outside of that time.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from University of California, Berkeley
Roblox enthusiast and no-commentary YouTuber.
Chess enthusiast
California Substitute Teacher since 2003
I taught ESL in Barcelona, Spain, in 2012-2013.
I've taught ESL online since 2016
BA in Philosophy from UC BerkeleyReviews
Live Group Course
$36
weekly or $360 for 20 classes2x per week, 10 weeks
45 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
1-12 learners per class
