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 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Arts
Earth science
Engineering and technology
Life science
Physical science
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Module/unit
Background information
Collection
Multimedia
Images
Video

Topic

Marine life
Adaptations
Aquatic food webs
Coral reef ecosystems
Ecosystems
Invertebrates
Ocean and coasts
Earth processes
Maritime archaeology and history
Ocean chemistry
Ocean currents
Ocean exploration
Ocean floor features
Technology and engineering
Mapping and charting
ROVs, AUVs, and drones

NGSS DCI

ESS2: Earth’s Systems
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ETS1: Engineering Design
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
PS3: Energy
PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Informal

Collection name

Deep Ocean Education Project Website

The Deep Ocean Education Project is a collaboration among NOAA Ocean Exploration, Ocean Exploration Trust, and Schmidt Ocean Institute featuring high-quality ocean exploration and science education materials from the three organizations. The Deep Ocean Education Project website – launched in 2021 – is built around themes that are easily searchable, address key ocean-related phenomena, and encourage and support three-dimensional approaches to teaching and learning for K-12 education. The objective is to provide a one-stop resource hub for public, educators, and students looking for deep-sea educational materials. The website also includes information on how to connect with research vessels, including a list of upcoming events and opportunities, and live feeds of expeditions.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Images
Data product
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Satellites
Weather observations
Tornadoes
Hurricanes

Satellite images from some hurricanes and tornadoes, and limited other weather disasters like flooding and Nor'easters.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Images
Podcast
Video
Background information
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Ships and planes
Ocean exploration
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Ecosystems
Coral reef ecosystems
Ocean floor features

Collection name

Finding fish hotspots and mapping coral reefs

In 2015, NOAA scientists went on a research expedition in the U.S. Virgin Islands aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster to continue to map the Caribbean's sprawling coral reef ecosystem, home to an amazing variety of ocean life. The science team used multibeam sonar, scientific echosounder, underwater gliders, a remotely operated vehicle, and other high-tech tools to locate previously-unknown seafloor habitats; to map out coral reefs in fine detail; and to find 'hotspots' where many species of fish gather to spawn in rhythm with the lunar cycle. Explore their findings through videos, photos, podcasts, and other information.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Images
Data product
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Satellites
Clouds
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations

View real-time imagery of the entire North and South American continents, plus much of the Eastern Pacific Ocean from NOAA’s state-of-the-art GOES East and West satellites. High resolution images and animations are available in visible light, infrared, and “geocolor” to show clouds and atmospheric conditions.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Data product
Easy-to-use data product
Multimedia
Images

Topic

Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion
Technology and engineering
Satellites
Weather and atmosphere
Clouds
Weather observations

View real-time and recent satellite images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. Download high-resolution images in multiple formats.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Images
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Great Lakes ecoregion
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Scientists in action

Collection name

Great Lakes photo gallery

This expansive Great Lake photo collection includes a wide variety of photo galleries, including harmful algal blooms, fish, historical images, ice, environmental sampling, shipwrecks, restoration, and more. The collection is curated by the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Images
Simulation

Topic

Climate
Cryosphere
Ocean and coasts
Technology and engineering
Ships and planes

Special categories

Region
Alaska region
Virtual reality/VR

Collection name

MOSAiC: Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate virtual reality tours

In 2020, an international group of educators, photographers, cinematographers, and scientists are teamed together to bring the MOSAiC expedition to everyone and anyone fascinated by the Arctic, including K-16 students across the globe. Explore this voyage with 360-degree virtual experiences.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Images
Data product
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Ships and planes
Seabirds
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Hurricanes
Oil spills
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Image gallery of marine emergency response photographs. Some images may be graphic in nature.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Images
Data product
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Satellites
Clouds
Cryosphere
Fires
Sea level rise
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Changing seasons
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
Hurricanes

View and download real-time, full-resolution satellite imagery from NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service. Visualize the latest satellite observations on interactive maps; check out the image of the day; explore past storms, floods, fires, and other events; and more.

Audience

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

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Humanities/liberal arts
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Related story
Career profile
Images
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Freshwater
Marine life
Climate
Salmon
Fish
Ecosystems
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Life in an estuary
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Carbon cycle

Special categories

Outdoor education
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

To celebrate National Estuaries Week, September 15-22, 2018, we featured the stories of NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholars who got their feet wet interning at five different National Estuarine Research Reserves around the United States in summer 2018.