NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

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Welcome to our searchable database of education resources created by NOAA and our partners. If you have issues or feedback, please let us know by filling out our feedback form offsite link or sending us an email at education@noaa.gov.

Tips for using the database

Searching for terms that contain more than one word.

Use quotation marks around multiple-word phrases you want to search. For example, searching “climate change” will return resources about “climate change.” If you don’t include quotation marks, it will return resources that include either the word “climate” or “change.” 

Opening resources in a new tab.

 Follow the instructions below for the device you are using.

  • PC: Hold down the control (ctrl) key while clicking the link. Or, right-click the link and select “open in new tab.”
  • Mac: Hold down the command key while clicking the link.
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Expanding categories.

Each category has a plus sign (+) to expand the available filters within the category. Some categories have subcategories. Look for the plus sign (+) to see more filterable items.

Making the most of the filterable categories.

There are several categories you can use to filter through the resources. 

  • “Audience” filters by grade level, including postsecondary education, and also has a filter option for adult learners.
  • “Subject” filters by the general subject area, such as Arts, Earth science, Math, and more.
  • “Resource Type” filters allow you to look for resources ranging from activities, lessons, and units to videos or background information.
  • “Topic” filters are more specific than subject. They include filters such as climate, freshwater, and weather and atmosphere.
  • “NGSS DCI” filters by Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Core Ideas. Only activities, lessons, and units (and no other resource types) have NGSS DCI associated with them. Not all activities, lessons, and units have this alignment.
  • “Special categories” offers additional filters for specific types of resources and topics, such as printables, resources available in other languages, and safety/preparedness.

Exploring activities, lessons, and units.

Activities, lessons, and units are bundled together under resource type. You can expand to filter for only one type. Activity/demonstration refers to straightforward activities with little or no classroom strategy or pedagogy. Lesson refers to structured activities that are intended for a classroom audience. Module/unit refers to a collection of lessons that can build upon each other over multiple class periods or times of instruction; some people might call this a curriculum. 

Understanding instructional strategies.

Within special categories, there is an expandable filter called “instructional strategies.” This includes special filters that are applicable for some lessons, activities, and units, including things like “outdoor education” and “uses data.”

 

Audience

Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Resource type

Webinar

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Freshwater
Ocean exploration
Great Lakes ecoregion

Collection name

Ocean Today

Discover America’s underwater ocean parks as we “Get Into Your Sanctuary!" The archive of this live interaction will connect you with information on what national marine sanctuaries are and bring you below the surface to virtually interact with the sea life that call sanctuaries home. Join us at any time as we explore the NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System from wherever you live.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Multimedia
Podcast

Topic

Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion
Ocean and coasts
Ocean floor features
Technology and engineering
Ships and planes

Keeping our marine transportation system functioning in a way that is safe and efficient requires information about water depth; mapping the shape of the seafloor, lakebed, or coastline; pinpointing the location of possible obstructions; and understanding many other physical features of water bodies. Hydrography is the science behind this information, and surveying is a primary method of obtaining hydrographic data. In this episode, we learn about surveying and NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson's survey missions in the Great Lakes.

Audience

Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Social studies

Resource type

Multimedia
Story map

Topic

Climate
Climate change impacts
Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion

Millions of people rely on the Great Lakes for recreation, industry, and drinking water. Changing water levels can have positive or negative impacts on industries like tourism and transportation in the region. At present, anthropogenic climate change is affecting precipitation events and temperatures throughout the Basin and future predictions suggest this will continue. While it is presently unknown how water levels will change in the Great Lakes Basin, it is important to continue to monitor them as they are an integral part of life in the Great Lakes Basin.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Social studies

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion
Marine life
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Invertebrates
Marine mammals
Salmon
Sea turtles
Sharks, rays, and skates

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Region
Alaska region
Pacific Islands region

NOAA Fisheries video gallery has short videos organized by topic and region. Explore Fisheries videos from across the country!

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Background information
Collection
Coloring/activity book
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Marine life
Aquatic food webs
Ecosystems
Fish
Invertebrates
Life in an estuary
Seaweed, algae, and aquatic plants
Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents

Explore this collections of lessons, activities, videos, coloring pages, and field guides from the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve on life in that estuary.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Simulation
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Life in an estuary
Fisheries and seafood

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

In this activity, students will take part in a simulated fishery, harvesting California market squid that are common in Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Because of their quick response time to environmental conditions, market squid provide an interesting example of ecosystem-based management at work. Student groups will role-play in a simulated fishing community, making decisions while also facing a range of natural and human-made challenges. Students will attempt the challenging task of maintaining a balance that sustains both the squid population and the squid fishery, which relies on that population and then analyze the results of their decisions.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Podcast
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Satellites
GPS and geodesy
Ships and planes
Ecosystems
Harmful algal blooms
Life in an estuary
Coral reef ecosystems
Tsunamis
Tides
Oil spills
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean currents

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Diving Deeper podcast

This archive presents a list of National Ocean Service Diving Deeper podcast titles, publication dates, audio (mp3) links, and transcripts for all episodes released between 2009-2016. This podcast was retired in 2016, replaced by the NOAA Ocean Podcast.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5
Grade K-2

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Animation
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Ecosystems
Life in an estuary

Special categories

Models
Instructional strategies

Estuaries act as water filters between the land and the ocean. This animation helps us understand how estuaries effectively filter water through areas.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5
Grade K-2

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Buoys
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Ecosystems
Life in an estuary

Collection name

Estuary Education website

Browse this video gallery or connect to the following National Estuarine Research Reserve YouTube channels.

Audience

Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5
Grade K-2

Subject

Arts
Social studies
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Animation
Background information
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Climate
Ocean and coasts
Ecosystems
Freshwater
Life in an estuary
Aquatic food webs
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean acidification

Special categories

Informal
Project-based
Outdoor education
Education at home
Models
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Estuary Education website

Why teach about estuaries? This suite of estuary education resources help educators bring estuarine science into the classroom through hands-on learning, experiments, fieldwork, and data explorations. These specially designed lessons, activities, data explorations, animations and videos can be used independently or as a supplement to existing curricula and can be adapted to meet any grade level.