1. **Problem Statement:** Explain why we have seasons and illustrate the June Solstice and September Equinox with labeled Earth diagrams including the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Earth's axis, North Pole, South Pole, and Sun's rays. 2. **Key Concepts:** The Earth's axis is tilted at about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. This tilt causes different parts of Earth to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year, creating seasons. 3. **June Solstice:** During the June Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. The Sun's rays hit the Tropic of Cancer directly at 23.5°N latitude. This results in longer daylight hours and more direct sunlight in places like Wisconsin, making it warmer. 4. **September Equinox:** During the September Equinox, the Earth's axis is not tilted toward or away from the Sun. The Sun's rays strike the Equator directly. Day and night are approximately equal in length worldwide, and sunlight is less direct in Wisconsin compared to June, so it is cooler. 5. **Diagram Explanation:** - The Earth's axis is shown tilted 23.5° in both diagrams. - The Equator is the central horizontal line. - The Tropic of Cancer is labeled at 23.5°N above the Equator. - The Tropic of Capricorn is labeled at 23.5°S below the Equator. - The North Pole and South Pole are at the top and bottom of the Earth circle. - Sun's rays are drawn as parallel lines hitting the Earth, directly on the Tropic of Cancer in June and on the Equator in September. 6. **Why Wisconsin is warmer in June:** Because during the June Solstice, Wisconsin is tilted toward the Sun, receiving more direct sunlight and longer days, increasing temperature. In September, the tilt is neutral, so sunlight is less direct and days are shorter, making it cooler. **Final answer:** The tilt of Earth's axis causes the Sun's rays to hit different latitudes more directly at different times of the year, creating seasons. Wisconsin is warmer in June because it receives more direct sunlight during the June Solstice than during the September Equinox.