Weekly Themes
The Deskercise series includes 35 weeks of daily exercises built around 35 different themes chosen to parallel the typical elementary classroom calendar. Teachers will find these themes rich in instructional content and follow-up possibilities.
Cross-curricular Themes
Some themes are tied to holidays such as Thanksgiving and Memorial Day; some to health education such as National Nutrition Month and Red Ribbon Week; some to science such as the Vernal Equinox and Earth Day; some to citizenship such as Election Day and Flag Day; some to language arts such as Children’s Book Week and National Library Month; some to American heroes such as Martin Luther King and Johnny Appleseed, some to history such as Mayflower Day and the First Olympics; and some to cultural events such as the Iditarod and Cinco de Mayo.
Fun & Educational Excercise
Each weekly theme features a different series of in-class exercises. For example, if the theme is Explorer’s Day – the exercises include rowing an imaginary boat, hoisting imaginary sails, lifting and stack imaginary provisions on board ship, and many others. If the theme President’s Day, the exercises include marching in a parade around the desk, jumping jacks for each President, elephant and donkey kicks, chopping an imaginary cherry tree, and many more.
