You might notice that the sun seems to be coming up earlier and setting much later each day. Do you ever wonder why this happens?
We all know that Earth revolves around the sun in a kind of lopsided circle or ellipse. Many people think that summer occurs because Earth is closer to the sun during those months, and winter occurs when Earth is farther away. However, that is incorrect! In fact, in the Northern Hemisphere (where the USA is), we experience winter when Earth is closer to the sun, and summer when it is farther away – exactly the opposite of what we’d expect!
The real reason we have seasons is because of Earth’s tilt on its axis. Imagine the North Pole at the top of the earth, and the South Pole at the bottom. Now, instead of those being directly up and down, they’re tilted about 23.5 degrees. That means that for about half of the year the South Pole (and the Southern Hemisphere) is facing the sun, which causes them to have longer days and warmer weather. During that same time, the North Pole is facing away from the sun, causing shorter days and colder weather. The two sides switch for the other half of the year. This explains why it is summer in the USA while it is winter in South America and Australia.
June is the first summer month in the USA, and every June 21 is the summer solstice – the day with the most sunlight for the whole year. In places closer to the equator, like Hawaii, there may be 13 hours of daylight. Meanwhile, in places farther from the equator, like Alaska, there might be 24 hours straight of sunlight!
June gets its name from the Roman goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage. While the Romans thought it was unlucky to get married from the middle of May until the middle of June, you may find yourself invited to quite a few weddings nowadays during this same time period. In fact, June and September are the most popular wedding months in the USA.
The flower of June is the rose, which makes a lot of sense because red roses are a symbol of romantic love. Did you know that roses come in other colors that also have different meanings? Pink roses represent happiness, white roses show purity, and orange roses demonstrate excitement.
June actually has three gemstones associated with it, which are the moonstone, pearl, and alexandrite. Moonstones are for wisdom, pearls represent a spiritual connection, and alexandrite is for good luck. With all the weddings going on this time of year, let us wish all of the happy couples a good helping of all three!
June FAQ
How many days are in June?
There are 30 days in June.
How many school days are in June?
This depends from district to district. Some schools are already on summer vacation, while others will conclude the year up to the last week of the month.
What are some month-long observances in June?
What are the holidays in June?
What are the major sporting events in June?
What are some good lesson plans for June?
Here are over 4,500 lesson plans for June.
How can I motivate my students in June?
Just because you may not have students in June does not mean you can’t still motivate them! A summer reading list is a great way to keep kids learning as they enjoy the summer months. While rewards and incentives for completing books over the summer is most likely a school-wide initiative, it does not hurt to have students share their favorite books from the year and recommend a list to their friends during the last few days of school. Kids will take this advice to heart more often from a peer than from a grown up – after all, they want to read the same books as their friends so that they can talk about them later. Just give them the forum and facilitation to share!
Can I download and print this June Calendar for my students?
Please do! Thank you for reading.
