NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

This guide includes eight elementary-level lessons, inspired by topics from the IMAX film Ocean Odyssey. Watching the film is not required for these lessons, but may enhance students’ learning experience of the topics presented in the activities. Educators can view a special extended preview offsite link of the film. Understanding the ocean and its ecosystems is essential to comprehending and protecting this planet. We must all be stewards for a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable ocean. The activities in this guide will help lead you and your students to learn more about our ocean planet, its myriad of wonders beneath the waves, and work to maintain healthy ecosystems that are resilient in the face of change.

Wow your neighbors with our eerie-sistibly fa-boo-lous ocean-inspired jack-o’-lantern stencils! Get ahead of the carve this fall and wow your neighbors with these jack-o’-lantern stencils inspired by the ocean, our research, and NOAA Fisheries celebrations

Students distinguish observations from inferences. In studying the behaviors of humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding and nursery grounds, as well as the Alaskan feeding grounds, students will be able to use inquiry to interpret these humpback behaviors. Students will then match fluke photographs like whale researchers to practice their observation skills, and make their own whale fluke designs.

This guide is designed for educators in both formal and informal education situations. It is a regional introduction to three main categories of marine debris: litter; derelict or abandoned boats; and lost or abandoned commercial and recreational fishing gear.

Marine debris is a pervasive, global problem and one that is felt locally in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Through a NOAA Marine Debris Program prevention grant, the University of the Virgin Islands(link is external) adapted and revised marine debris lessons for USVI, including Oregon Marine Debris STEAMSS, Turning the Tide on Trash, and Talking Trash and Taking Action. The curriculum was co-created with the input of educators from USVI who participated in workshops and provided input following in-class use. The curriculum also includes 15 spotlights, which highlight USVI-specific marine debris research, local researchers, community-led prevention efforts, and natural disaster impacts from marine debris.

Marine Debris is a complex, real-world problem which can be addressed through the lenses of several different academic subjects. This curriculum integrates the subject areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, and Social Studies (STEAMSS), and focuses on experiential hands-on lessons and activities for students in grades 4 through 12.

Dive in without getting wet! Your National Marine Sanctuary System protects a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters, and now you can visit these amazing places in the blink of an eye. From the thriving kelp forests of Channel Islands to the treasured coral reefs of the Florida Keys, few places on the planet can compete with the wonders of the National Marine Sanctuary System. Come along as we experience these underwater treasures through eight virtual reality videos. Check out the Next Generation Science Standard lesson plans that complement the VR videos to go deeper.

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has launched Sanctuaries 360°—a collection of immersive underwater experiences to bring these exceptional underwater treasures to viewers all over the world. These underwater parks are destinations for many who want to visit the ocean and experience immense beauty, biodiversity and have the chance to encounter marine life. For many, reaching and experiencing these special ocean areas—like a diver—can be a challenge. This collection includes seven lessons and accompanying 360° videos which can be implemented in classrooms.

This curriculum introduces killer whale biology, research, and management through the story of Springer, the young killer whale who was found orphaned in the Puget Sound in 2002. NOAA, the community, and many other agencies in both the United States and Canada worked together to reunite Springer with her pod. Each of the seven lessons in the unit has a slide presentation on background information, hands-on activities, and stewardship information. The book "Springer's Journey" can also be incorporated for grades 2-3. Some of the activities in the younger grade band can also be adapted for preK-1 classes.