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Course Syllabus

Course Information
(course number, course title, term, any specific section title) ED 5344 Chess in the
Elementary School Curriculum

Professor Contact Information


(Professor’s name, phone number, email, office location, office hours, other information)
Dr. Alexey Root, 940-484-2265, aroot@utdallas.edu, GR2.240 (administrative assistant's
office)--her name is Debbie Buckner and her phone is 972-883-2057, office hours by
appointment.

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions


(including required prior knowledge or skills)
No prerequisites.

Course Description 3 semester hours. A consideration of methods for using chess to teach
problem solving, math, and reading skills in the elementary classroom, based upon the
curricular model developed by McNeil.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes The student will read and discuss with the
instructor and classmates theories of curriculum and the role of chess in K-12 schools.
The student will interact with a classmate through a chess game, exchanging chess moves
and information about the course either in person, by phone, or by email.
The student will create two lesson plans that combine educational goals and chess subject
matter. The student will teach those two lesson plans and then reflect on the teaching to
look for what went well and what could be improved.
In addition to the above objectives, which are shared with ED 4358, graduate students in
ED 5344 will complete two extra 100 point assignments not required of ED 4358
students: a paper and a project. The ED 5344 paper requires graduate students to analyze
and critique three chess curricula. The graduate student project is individualized. Students
propose a project for their own situations (for example an elective chess class for their
school) and develop a proposal for implementing that project. Thus the graduate students
are doing more work, and more advanced work, than the undergraduate 4358 students.

Required Textbooks and Materials

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Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry and Problem Solving by
Alexey W. Root. Publisher: Teacher Ideas Press (January 30, 2008); Paperback: 144
pages. ISBN: 1591585716.
Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators by Alexey W. Root. Paperback: 136 pages;
Publisher: Teacher Ideas Press, an imprint of Libraries Unlimited; 1st edition (March 30,
2006). ISBN: 1591583586.
Chess for Success by Maurice Ashley. Paperback: 288 pages. Publisher: Broadway
(August 9, 2005). ISBN-10: 0767915682. ISBN-13: 978-0767915687.
Check out or buy a literature book to read during Unit Six. Course texts are on reserve at
the UT-Dallas library. Course texts are available for sale at the UTD bookstore, Off
Campus books, and through online book retailers. Students also receive a First Lessons in
Chess© CD, available from UTD General Studies, Debbie Buckner
<dbuckner@utdallas.edu> or (972) 883-2057.

Suggested Course Materials for graduate students in ED 5344:


Students should choose three chess curricula to evaluate for their paper and to inform
their project. Check the library reserve for this course for ideas too. For the sites listed
below, students will be evaluating whether the claims are well-presented, convincing, and
logical. For software and books, the student will be playing through their chess examples
and deciding whether the chess content is presented clearly. The student will also be
deciding if educational claims made on the packaging or in the introductory sections of
the software and books are supported by their curricula.
The list which follows contains my current suggestions. I'm open to Web sites,
software, articles, and books that you bring to my attention as well.
Web sites:
Papers from the August 2007 Chess Conference in Scotland:
http://www.aberdeen.ac.uk/rowangroup/cisccon.shtml
The FIDE (World Chess Federation) site for chess in education:
http://www.cisenglish.com/
USCF's Chess in Education Committee
http://www.thechessacademy.org/USCF_Chess_Education_Committee.htm
Chess Kids Academy
http://www.chesskids.com/
America's Foundation for Chess
http://www.af4c.org/
Chess-in-the-Schools
http://www.chessintheschools.org/
UTD Chess Team
http://chessweb.utdallas.edu/index.html
Chess Education: Why Chess is Awesome
http://library.thinkquest.org/10746/reasons.html
National Scholastic Chess Foundation
http://www.nscfchess.org/nscfmiss.htm
Berkeley Chess School
http://www.berkeleychessschool.org/
Success Chess Schools

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http://www.successchess.com/
Software:
Think Like A King®
http://www.schoolchess.com/
Chess School for Beginners
http://products.convekta.com/197/2/
Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess

Assignments & Academic Calendar


(Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates)
Each Unit takes around 2 weeks if the students take ED 5344 on the 16-week schedule.
Each unit takes one week if the students take ED 5344 on the 8-week schedule. There are
no exams in the course. Please note that in weeks where there are not reading
assignments that there are other types of assignments: playing chess with a classmate,
teaching a chess lesson, etc. And since this course is online, every week the students read
my "lecture" for the Unit online. Most lectures are about 8 Word pages long.
All assignments must be completed by Monday midnight at the end of the Unit.
Unit One: Meeting classmates, learning chess, and buying course texts.
Reading Assignment: Play through the entire Your First Lessons in Chess© CD.
Unit Two: Playing chess and selecting your chess students.
Reading Assignment: None.
Unit Three: Lesson Plan One (rough draft), Science, Math, Checkmate and Ashley
Discussion postings, graduate student work assigned.
Reading Assignment: Chapters 1 and 8 of Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators.
One activity from Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry and
Problem Solving. Chess for Success up to page 54.
Unit Four: Lesson Plan One (final draft), flow Discussion posting.
Reading Assignment: Chess for Success (pages 55-106) and Children and Chess: A
Guide for Educators (Chapter 2).
Unit Five: Reflection One, competition and chess game Discussion postings.
Reading Assignment: Ashley (pages 107-186) and Children and Chess (Chapter 3).
Unit Six: Lesson Plan Two (rough draft), chess in literature and teaching styles
Reading Assignment: Read Chapters 4 and 5 of Children and Chess: A Guide for
Educators. Read a literary work (or a small portion of a literary work) in which chess is
featured.
Unit Seven: Lesson Plan Two (final draft), life lessons/planning and MI Discussion
postings.
Reading Assignment: Read Ashley (page 187-203) and Children and Chess (Chapter 7)
Read Children and Chess (chapter 6) and two multiple intelligences (MI) Web sites.
Unit Eight: Reflection Two, Course Evaluation, graduate paper and project due.
Reading Assignment: None.

Grading Policy
(including percentages for assignments, grade scale, etc.)

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Each Unit is worth 100 points. Thus, for graduates, 1000 points is the highest possible
grade.
Here are the points broken down by Unit, and then the grading scale for the entire course.
Unit One: Meeting classmates, learning chess, and buying course texts.
This unit is comprised of six assignments, listed below with their point values. The pages
in the online module provide greater detail for each of the assignments.
1. Within three days of course access, you must establish a UTD email account, and
notify the instructor of your UTD email. (10 points)
2. Within five days of course access, your UTD email must also be the email you list
with the UT TeleCampus. (10 points)
3. Post on the Discussion Board: Self-introduction (30 Points)
4. Play through the entire Your First Lessons in Chess© CD, available when you
register from UTD General Studies. (20 points)
5. Email me a summary of what you learned from the CD, and what you liked and
didn't like about it. (30 points)
6. Buy the course texts, Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry
and Problem Solving by Alexey Root, Chess for Success by Maurice Ashley, and
Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators by Alexey Root. Check out or buy a literature
book to read during Unit Six.
Unit Two: Playing chess and selecting your chess students
This unit is comprised of three assignments, listed below with their point values. The
pages in the online module provide greater detail for each of the assignments.
1. Play at least 5 moves of chess with a classmate.
2. Post on the Discussion Board: The game score with your classmate for moves 1-5
in algebraic notation. (50 points)
3. Email the instructor from your UTD email account to whom you will teach two
lessons of chess. (50 points)
Unit Three: Lesson Plan One (rough draft); Science, Math, Checkmate and Ashley
Discussion postings; graduate student work assigned
This unit is comprised of three assignments, listed below with their point values. The
pages in the online module provide greater detail for each of the assignments.
1. Email the instructor a rough draft of your Lesson Plan One. (40 points)
2. Post on the Discussion Board: How teaching of an activity from Science, Math,
Checkmate went; Thoughts on Ashley's life history. (30 points; 30 points)
3. Graduate Students only: Email instructor topics for research paper and project.
(10 points; 20 points)
Unit Four: Lesson Plan One (final draft), chess rules, flow Discussion posting
This unit is comprised of two assignments, listed below with their point values. The
pages in the online module provide greater detail for each of the assignments.
1. Email the instructor the final draft of your Lesson Plan One. (60 points)
2. Post on the Discussion Board: Compare readings on the topic of flow. (40 points)
Unit Five: Reflection One, competition and chess game Discussion postings.
This unit is comprised of three assignments, listed below with their point values. The
pages in the online module provide greater detail for each of the assignments.
1. Email the instructor your Reflection One of how the teaching of Lesson Plan One
went. (40 points)

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2. Post on the Discussion Board: Post the notation of your chess game with your in-
class opponent. If your opponent has already posted the game score notation, then you
should post your post-mortem comments and/or game annotations. (20 points)
3. Compare what you learned about competition and tournament chess from Ashley
(pages 107-186) and Children and Chess. (40 points)
Unit Six: Lesson Plan Two (rough draft), chess in literature and teaching styles
Discussion postings, graduate student work rough drafts.
This unit is comprised of four assignments, listed below with their point values. There is
a fifth assignment for graduate students. The pages in the online module provide greater
detail for each of the assignments.
1. Email the instructor a rough draft of your Lesson Plan Two (40 points).
2. Read Chapters 4 and 5 of Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators (0 points).
3. Post on the Discussion Board: Read a literary work (or a small portion of a
literary work) in which chess is featured. Explain how you would meet one or more
reading objectives using excerpts from this work. (30 points)
4. Post on the Discussion Board: What do Sunil Weeramantry and Stephen Shutt
show us about teaching chess in the classroom? Make analogies to your subject matter
field (college major) and how it is taught in K-12 schools. (30 points)
5. Graduate Students only: Submit either a rough draft or an outline of your paper
(20 points). Your final draft will be a maximum of 8 double spaced pages long, so the
rough draft should be roughly that same length. Submit a summary of the steps you've
taken so far in your project, and email me. (10 points)
Unit Seven: Lesson Plan Two (final draft), life lessons/planning and MI Discussion
postings
This unit is comprised of two assignments, listed below with their point values. The
pages in the online module provide greater detail for each of the assignments.
1. Email the instructor the final draft of your Lesson Plan Two. (60 points)
2. Post on the Discussion Board: Three topics (40 points, total)
3. Read Ashley (page 187-203) and Children and Chess (Chapter 7) and post
regarding what chess can teach people about life. (15 points)
4. Post your own story (or that of your chess student or students) about how life
skills have improved because of chess. (10 points)
5. Read Children and Chess (chapter 6), visit two multiple intelligences (MI) Web
sites, and comment on multiple intelligences. (15 points)
Unit Eight: Reflection Two, Course Evaluation, graduate paper and project due
This unit is comprised of three assignments, plus a fourth lesson for graduate students,
listed below with their point values. The pages in the online module provide greater detail
for each of the assignments.
1. Email the instructor your Reflection Two of how the teaching of Lesson Plan Two
went. (50 points)
2. All students email the instructor what they liked and didn't like about ED 4358 or
ED 5344. Be specific in your suggestions for what to keep and what to change. (50
points)
3. All students submit the online evaluations of the course via UT TeleCampus.
4. Graduate Students only: Submit your final drafts of your paper and your project
(70 points; 70 points).

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5. Graduate Students only: Submit your final drafts of your paper and your project
(70 points; 70 points).
Grading Scale:
Graduate Students (ED 5344):
900-1000=A
800-899=B
700-799=C
600-699=D
Below 599=F

Course & Instructor Policies


(make-up exams, extra credit, late work, special assignments, class attendance, classroom
citizenship, etc.)
Each unit is valued at 100 points. Because the course is 8 units long, and there are two
extra 100 point assignments for graduate students, the highest possible score for unit
completion is 1000 points. Most assignments within each 100 point unit are worth 10-60
points. Late assignments are penalized 5 points per day late. Deadlines are indicated by
the Course Calendar. You must finish all assignments listed within a unit by midnight of
the last day of that unit. The two extra 100 point assignments for ED 5344 are broken
down into 30 points for preliminary planning/drafts and 70 points for final drafts.
The undergraduate ED 4358 grading scale is based on 800 points, and the
graduate ED 5344 grading scale is based on 1000 points.

Field Trip Policies


Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law
and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities.
Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any
travel and/or risk-related activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility
of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and
regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student

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conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is
provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the
Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1,
Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations
are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-
6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to
discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work
done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related
to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s
own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty
involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication
between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises
some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange.
The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a
student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual
corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each

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student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university
personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle
withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other


fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a
serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be
submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If
the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student
may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the
School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate
or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An
incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is
changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

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The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational
opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:


The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example,
it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals
(in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation
for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility
impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or
university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

Religious Holy Days


The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.
The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible
regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused,
will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time
after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one
week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or
assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the
exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that
exam or assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose
of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the
student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or
examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief
executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or

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designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student
and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.
These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

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