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Lesson 2 Climate

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Course: Science 10 [5 cr] - AB Ed copy 1
Book: Lesson 2 Climate
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Sunday, 7 September 2025, 11:12 PM

Table of contents

  Introduction

What is climate?



D2.1 Canada is cold due to our climate
Climate is a word that is used very often in media, but do you really understand what it means? In this lesson, you will learn exactly what a climate is and how it affects humans as well as other species. We will also go through what a biome is and how biomes exchange energy and matter with their surroundings.

This lesson will help prepare you for learning how climate, seasons, and biomes are created.

  Targets

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

  • explain how climate affects the lives of people and other species
  • describe a biome as an open system in terms of energy and matter exchanges at its boundaries

  Watch This

Weather vs. Climate: Crash Course Kids #28.1 © YouTube Crash Course Kids 


Watch this video for an introduction to the difference between weather and climate. This video does a great job of explaining what each of those terms mean and how they are different.

  Climate

How is climate different from weather?


D2.2 Common weather icons
Weather is the conditions found at a certain place at a specific time. This includes the temperature, air pressure, cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed, and humidity. For example, a description of the weather on a winter’s day in Edmonton might be snowing (this describes the cloud cover and the precipitation) with a temperature of –10 ˚C, an air pressure of 102.7 kPa, and 85% humidity. This tells us what the conditions are like at an exact time in an exact place

  Did You Know?

D2.4 Sunny day at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park

Environment Canada has ranked Alberta as having the most comfortable weather overall in Canada.

Climate, on the other hand, is the average weather conditions that occur in a region over a long period of time. Scientists usually look at a minimum of 30 years’ worth of weather conditions when determining climate. When describing climate, you are describing the average range for a season for a region of land. For example, we could talk about a province’s climate. According to Travel Alberta, Alberta has an average summer temperature of 20 ˚C to 25 ˚C and an average winter temperature of –5 ˚C to –15 ˚C. Alberta has an average of 312 sunny days annually (the highest in Canada) and an average annual precipitation of 30 to 60 cm (this includes rain and snow). The temperature, amount of sunlight, and annual precipitation are climatic factors.
D2.3 Albertans are used to cold winters due to our climate

  Climate and People


But how does climate affect us?


You can probably think of many different ways that our climate affects us. It dictates what crops we grow, what sports we play, how much energy we use, and how we build our houses.

Climate plays a large role in where we choose to live. Areas with more extreme climates tend to have a smaller population than areas with a milder climate. For example, as you travel farther north to Alberta’s northern border or into the Northwest Territories, the population drops to 0.04 people per square kilometre (according to 2016 data from Statistics Canada). Compare that to 6.35 people per square kilometer in the Calgary–Edmonton region (according to 2016 data from Statistics Canada). As you travel south, you will see this trend continue. According to the World Bank, in 2016, the United States had 35 people per square kilometre.

D2.7 Children dressed warm while tobogganing
D2.5 Hot vs. cold drink

People tend to move toward milder climates because it is easier to live in those climates. When living in extreme climates, people have to make sure that they are dressed for the weather and that they have appropriate shelter. Albertans have to make sure they are dressed warm enough in the winter to avoid frostbite and cool enough in the summer to avoid heat stroke. We also have to make sure we have a warm place to go in the winter to escape the weather and a cool place in the summer. People living in the extremely warm climate of Arizona are more concerned with not burning their hands on their steering wheels than not freezing their hands. They may have a remote starter on their car to cool it down before getting in, rather than warming it up.

  Did You Know?

D2.6 Crowded crosswalk

The highest population per square kilometre in 2016 was Macao SAR, China, with a population of 20 204 people per square kilometre.



  Digging Deeper

D2.8 Graph on computer screen
The population density (the number of people per square kilometre) changes drastically depending on the country you look at. We have talked about Canada’s and the United States’ population densities, but what do other countries’ population densities look like? Click on the following link to find out. When you open the link, you will see the world’s population density. By hovering over any point on the graph, you can see the population density of the world during that specific year. If you scroll down, you will see a list of all countries and their current population densities. You should also notice how those population densities have changed over the years presented on this site. By clicking on the country, you will see a graph and be able to hover over it, just like the world graph. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST

Learn More 

People living in a milder climate than Alberta do not have to think about the same problems. A person living in Victoria, British Columbia, may not see any need for a remote car starter or a block heater. They may not need winter clothes and summer clothes; they may be able to wear generally the same clothes all year round.

D2.9 Different house styles depend on climate
When living in a region with a more extreme climate, people also need to make sure their houses and buildings are built to withstand the climate. Houses in Alberta need to be built to support the heavy load of snow in the winter. They also need to be well insulated, doors have to be thick and tightly sealed, and windows need to be at least double-paned to avoid heat loss. In other parts of the world, houses need to be built to withstand hurricanes, large amounts of rain, or extreme heat. Albertans need to use more energy to run our furnaces to stay warm in the winter. Since our climate does not allow for the growing of food all year round, we must pay higher prices for fresh produce, as it must be transported here from warmer climates, such as California or Florida. Next time you are at your local grocery store, take a look at the stickers on the produce. Where is that produce coming from?

Weather in other parts of the world can affect our daily life as well. If California faces a drought and cannot produce as much fruits and vegetables, there are fewer of those fruits and vegetables. This causes the prices to go up. A drought in California causes Albertans to pay more for food. The same thing can happen with gas prices. If a hurricane in Texas affects gas production, there is less gas. This causes the prices to go up, even here in Alberta.
D2.10 Woman shops for fresh produce

  Digging Deeper

D2.11 Inuit woman with adaptations for the cold
Humans have a few adaptations based on the climate our ancestors lived in. People from cold regions tend to have a thicker layer of fat on their body to keep warm as well as a smaller nose, ears, arms, and legs to reduce the rate at which they lose heat. This is known as Allen’s rule. Go to the following link for more information on this topic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen%27s_rule#In_humans

Learn More
Hurricanes and other forms of severe weather have impacts worldwide. The year 2017 saw a busier than average year for hurricanes. Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico and caused significant damage to this island. It is home to many warehouses in charge of the production of medical supplies and pain killers, creating a shortage of these supplies. Go to the following link for more information on this topic.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/health/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-drug-shortage.html ;     

Learn More
D2.12 Damage from Hurricane Maria

  Climate and Other Organisms

Climate does not just affect us and our daily lives; it also affects every other organism on Earth.


D2.13 Desert cottontail with large ears
Each organism has to have adaptations that allow it to survive in the climate it calls home. For example, polar bears have a double fur coat: a short thick coat close to the skin and a longer, coarser coat. The long hairs absorb the heat released by the bear’s body, keeping the heat near the bear and keeping the bear warm. On the other hand, rabbits or hares that live in a hot climate have long ears with thin skin and fur. The rabbits will pump more blood through their ears in hot weather and position their ears to catch any breeze that they can. Doing this helps the heat from the rabbit’s body escape into the environment, cooling the rabbit down. Many other desert animals have a similar adaptation.

Plants also adapt to the climate they call home. Many plants in Alberta go through a dormant stage during the winter months. This helps the plant survive the freezing temperatures and lack of water (plants cannot use frozen water). Many plants also rely on the snow cover in the winter to help keep their roots warm. The snow acts as a blanket, protecting the roots from the extreme cold.

Many of an organism’s characteristics and behaviours are a direct result of the climate that they live in. Since other organisms do not have the technology that people do, their lives revolve around surviving the environment that they live in. Climate is one of the driving factors in natural selection, which you have learned about in previous science courses.
D2.14 Trees going into dormancy

  Digging Deeper

D2.15 Polar bear staying warm

Why do we use 60 cm of insulation to insulate our houses when polar bears can insulate themselves with a few centimetres of fur? New research into how fur, such as polar bear fur, keeps the animal warm may have positive impacts on we insulate our houses. Go to the following link for more information on this topic. https://newatlas.com/polar-bear-fur-building-insulation/30578/

Learn More

  Read This

Please read pages 342 and 349 to 351 in your Science 10 textbook. Make sure you take notes on your readings to study from later. You should focus on the difference between weather and climate as well as how climate affects organisms. Remember, if you have any questions or you do not understand something, ask your teacher!
 

  Practice Questions

Complete the following practice questions to check your understanding of the concept you just learned. Make sure you write complete answers to the practice questions in your notes. After you have checked your answers, make corrections to your responses (where necessary) to study from.

  1. What is the difference between weather and climate?

    Weather is the temperature, humidity, cloud cover, and precipitation for a specific day or time. Climate is the average weather over 30 or more years.
  1. Give one example of how climate affects your daily life.

    Your answer can include any of the examples from this lesson or your textbook or a different example that you thought of. Some of these examples include the cost of produce, the cost to heat your house, how we build houses, how we dress during different seasons, the sports or outdoor activities that we are involved in, or the jobs available.

  Climate Creates Biomes

Not every region on Earth has the same climatic factors.

D2.16 The different biomes of the world


Each region on Earth has a different climate. Some regions are hot and dry, others are wet and warm, and still others are any combination of climatic factors. A biome is a large area with a common climate and the plants and animals that are adapted to that climate. For example, Canada is mostly one biome. Small parts of Canada do fall into three other biomes as well.

Even regions that are the same biome may be different. Since a biome is defined as a region with a common climate and the plants and animals adapted to that climate, it does not take into account the type of soil, if the region is mountainous or flat, or human activity. This means that other factors affect each region, and biomes can vary within themselves. Some scientists will divide the land into more biomes because of this. Scientists still try to classify each region as a biome, as it helps them study the interactions between the living and non-living components of a region. It also helps them understand how groups of organisms will be affected by changes to the climate or other factors in that region.

Earth has six main land biomes, which we will study in more detail in the next lesson.

  • tundra
  • taiga
  • deciduous forest
  • grassland
  • desert
  • rain forest

A biome is an open system. Recall from Unit A that an open system is a group of connected parts that exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings. Just like the cells we studied in Unit A, a biome exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings. Plants and animals are not forced to stay within the boundaries of their biome. This means that animals crisscross the boundaries of biomes regularly, especially if they are adapted to live in an environment where two biomes meet. The energy, food, and waste created or used by these plants and animals travel with them, creating the open system. The atmosphere is part of all biomes, so all biomes share the materials found in that part of the biosphere. The sun is also part of all biomes and is the main source of energy within each biome. Remember, some of the sun’s energy is reflected back into space or into other parts of the biosphere. This shows the exchange of energy between a biome and its surroundings.
D2.17 Canada geese migrate through multiple biomes

  Read This

Please read pages 391 to 393 and 400 in your Science 10 textbook. Make sure you take notes on your readings to study from later. You should focus on what makes a biome and how they interact. Remember, if you have any questions or you do not understand something, ask your teacher!
 

  Practice Questions

Complete the following practice questions to check your understanding of the concept you just learned. Make sure you write complete answers to the practice questions in your notes. After you have checked your answers, make corrections to your responses (where necessary) to study from.

  1. What is a biome?

    A biome is a region on Earth with a common climate and the organisms that are adapted to living in that climate.

  2. Why do specific organisms live in specific biomes?

    Organisms are adapted to live in specific climates. For example, a polar bear is adapted to live in a very cold climate. Since biomes are defined by the climate found within them, each biome has specific animals and plants that live within it that are adapted to that climate.

  3. Explain how a biome is an open system.

    A biome is an open system because it exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings. A biome will absorb energy from the sun, but it will also reflect that energy back into space or into surrounding biomes. The plants and animals within a biome can move into surrounding biomes and back again, taking the energy, material, and waste that they use and produce with them. Since the atmosphere is shared by all biomes, the materials found in the atmosphere are also exchanged between biomes.

  Climate is Important to Our Daily Lives

When you think about it, the climate we live in really affects how we live our lives each day.


D2.18 Developing thunderstorm over the prairies
Climate makes us think about what clothes we need for each season, how we are getting from place to place, and the cost of our food. It dictates how we live our lives and how plants and animals survive.

Climate is different than the weather that we see each day. The weather is those conditions that we see each day, and the weather each day will be different. The average weather seen over a minimum of 30 years is used to determine the climate of that region.

Climate is also used to classify regions of Earth into biomes. These biomes are then used by scientists to study the interactions of living and non-living components and how changing a climate may affect the plants and animals that are adapted to live there.

In the next lesson, we will look at the causes of the different climates and we will study the six biomes found on Earth in detail.


  Interactive Activity

Rainfall and Bird Beaks © Explore Learning

Background Information:

This simulation will help you to understand how adaptations occur in animals as a result of climate. The finches shown in this simulation eat small, delicate seeds. During large amounts of rainfall, lots of seeds are formed, while during droughts, no new seeds are formed. The small, delicate seeds get eaten quickly, leaving tougher seeds behind. A finch’s beak is adapted to the type of seeds it eats. A smaller beak depth means the beak is more delicate and is adapted to eating small, delicate seeds. Birds with a larger beak depth are adapted to eating larger, tougher seeds. The birds with the beak that is better adapted to the seeds available will survive to produce more offspring, passing that beak type to the next generation.


Please note: if you scroll down while in the Gizmo you will see a list of questions. You DO NOT need to complete these questions. You are able to complete them for extra practice if you would like.
  1. Click on the play button to open the Gizmo. Print students can access the Gizmo in the Online Resources for Print Student section.
  2. Check that the rainfall is set to average for all five years. This is the current climate.
  3. In your notes, create a chart similar to this one to write your observations in.

    Trial # of Finches at Start
    		# of Finches of finish
    		Average Beak Depth at Start (mm) Average Beak Depth Finish (mm)
    1 (average rainfall)
    2 (more rain)
    3 (less rain)

  1. Record your starting numbers, then press play to allow the simulation to run.
  2. Record your finishing numbers.
  3. Now, let’s say the climate is has changed so that there is more rainfall. Click on the reset button next to the pause button and move the amount of rainfall each year to 40 cm.
  4. Repeat steps 4 and 5.
  5. What happens if the climate changes so that there is less rainfall? Click the reset button next to the pause button and move the amount of rainfall each year to 5 cm.
  6. Repeat steps 4 and 5.
  7. Please return to the top of this page and click on analysis to complete the analysis questions.
Here is an example of a completed observation chart. Your chart may have slightly different numbers.

Trial # of Finches at Start
# of Finches of finish
Average Beak Depth at Start (mm) Average Beak Depth Finish (mm)
1 (average rainfall)
1 000
870 9.92 10.29
2 (more rain)
1 000
2 100
10.05 7.80
3 (less rain)
 1 000
270 9.69 12.58

  1. What happened to the beak depth during each of your trails? Why did this happen?

    The beak depth in trial 1 remained mostly the same. The beak depth in trial 2 decreased, and the beak depth in trial 3 increased. This happened because more rain meant more seeds that were small and delicate. The birds had plenty of seeds that were easy to crack open, so they didn’t need as large of beaks. With less rainfall, the seeds became tougher and the birds needed larger, stronger beaks to crack the seeds open. The birds with the beaks that were best suited to the conditions survived to produce more offspring, and more of those beaks were seen in the next generation.
  2. What happened to the number of finches during each of your trails? Why did this happen?

    In trial 1, the number of finches stayed mostly the same; in trial 2, the number of finches increased; and in trial 3, the number of finches decreased. This happened because there is more food available with more rainfall. When there is less rainfall, there is less food and finches are less likely to survive.
  3. Finches have adapted to breed during the wet season. Why? How does this help to explain your results when the climate changed so that there was less rainfall?

    Finches have adapted to breed during the wet season because that is when there is the most food (remember the plants produce more seeds when there is more rainfall). This helps to explain the decrease in the number of birds in trial 3 because there was no wet season for five years. This means the birds would not have bred as much as if they were in a climate with more rainfall.
  4. How are the finch’s beak depth affected by their climate?

    You will use this answer in Assignment D1.

4.2 Assignment

Unit 4 Assignment Lessons 2-3


It is now time to complete the Lesson 2 portion of 4.2 Assignment. Click on the button below to go to the assignment page.

4.2 Assignment