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.
  • iPhone or iPad: Press and hold the link. Select “open in new tab” from the pop-up menu.
  • Android device: Press and hold the link. Select “open in new tab” from the pop-up menu

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Data product
Easy-to-use data product
Multimedia
Mobile app

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring
Technology and engineering
Buoys
Satellites
Weather and atmosphere
Clouds
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Models
Outdoor education
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Science On a Sphere catalog

SOS Explorer® (SOSx) is a flat screen version of the widely popular Science On a Sphere® (SOS). The revolutionary software takes SOS datasets, usually only seen on a 6-foot sphere in large museum spaces, and makes them more accessible. The visualizations show information provided by satellites, ground observations and computer models.

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

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Climate
Technology and engineering
Buoys
Ocean currents

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Argo is a global array of more than 3,500 free-drifting profiling floats that measure the upper two thousand meters of the ocean. Learn what these floats can tell us.

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Webinar
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Buoys
Ecosystems
Marine mammals
Aquatic food webs

Collection name

National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: Archived webinars

Dolphin species often play key roles in ecosystems and also use habitats that overlap with areas of human activity. Learn more about when and where dolphin species occur so that the research can inform ecosystem management and mitigate human impacts. This presentation will focus on the biology and ecology of dolphins, current threats, and how technology is helping us learn about their occurrence and distribution.

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.

Audience

Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Life science

Resource type

Game/online activity
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Life in an estuary
Aquatic food webs

Students will apply knowledge of estuary organisms to explore food webs and energy flow in an estuary ecosystem using a food pyramid. Students will then read and discuss a scientific article about marine plankton food webs and climate change.