Hot Fun in the Summertime!

Dear Educator,

With Memorial Day weekend in the rearview mirror, the school year has ended or will end shortly, ushering in summer break. Summer brings heat (making it not the most popular season—fall and spring both top summer), vacations, and, hopefully, downtime. This week, we are looking at how to beat the heat with our latest GNN article, myth-busting the cause of summer break, summer-themed maps, and sandcastles!

Also, check out our Summer of Where landing page to discover even more content to inspire you as you plan how to bridge the learning gap that comes with the inevitable summer slide.

Memorial Day weekend is a common indicator that summer is upon us. And with summer comes heat in most parts of the U.S. This week, we take a look at heat-related health concerns and how to stay cool this summer. Air conditioning is of course the number one way to beat the heat. And fortunately, 90 percent of the U.S. population report having air conditioning. Did you know that the average air conditioning temperature is 72 degrees? 

Here is a fun map that highlights places with summer-themed names. This would be a fun map to start the school year with and have students fill out more examples.

Our well-loved, weekly articles from Geography News Network also feature junior versions for elementary readers. This GNN Junior article is all about summer sandcastles. The article helps kids think about how to build one using their imagination. It also names some sandcastle-building events. Perhaps you or your students will build sandcastles this summer!

Speaking of beaches and sand, the East Coast in particular is known for its boardwalks along the shore, but Santa Cruz, California, has one as well. These pedestrian passageways help avoid walking in the sand or rocks and typically feature shops and food. This map shows the top boardwalks in the U.S. Will you be visiting one of these this summer? We hope so!

Why do we have summer vacation? A common thought is that it relates to agriculture, but is this accurate? Find out in this GNN article that explores the reasons for the summer break.

As a final note, we also thank you for protecting students and dealing with the tragedy of school shootings. The latest massacre in Uvalde, Texas, is a terrifying reminder of the dangers you and your students face, and we sincerely thank you.

This is a small sample of the kind of content available to you with your Maps101 subscription. Every week, the editors at Maps101 will provide you with highlights from our extensive collection in this GeoJournal newsletter. We suggest you make a folder to store them for future reference. Expand your students’ world with Maps101!

Don’t forget to visit our Summer of Where landing page to discover even more content to inspire you this summer, and frankly, anytime!