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.”

 

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Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather systems and patterns
El Niño and La Niña

A NOAA-funded study shows that the 1918/1919 El Niño was one of the strongest of the 20th century, a finding counter to earlier analyses that viewed it as weak. This research could ultimately lead to a better understanding of how El Niño events impact weather in the United States and globally. It also suggests a possible link between El Niño and the 1918 flu pandemic. NOAA's Climate Program Office funded the study.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Climate data monitoring
Weather systems and patterns
El Niño and La Niña

Volcanic eruptions have had HUGE impacts on the global climate by cooling Earth. It’s only natural to wonder, if the planet is affected by volcanic eruptions, can ENSO be?

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Climate data monitoring
El Niño and La Niña

There’s no doubt ENSO is a major heavyweight in the battle to dominate the world’s climate, which is why we obsess over conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean. But there are other climate drivers that spend time in the ring and have their moments of glory. Here, we will cover some exciting new research that suggests that the land surface, and in particular soil moisture, can sometimes impact atmospheric flows across thousands of miles!

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Climate data monitoring
Weather systems and patterns
El Niño and La Niña

His name is Atlantic Niño, and he has an uncanny resemblance to his big brother: Like El Niño, Atlantic Niño is characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial basin and weaker-than-average trade winds throughout the east-central equatorial Atlantic.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Climate data monitoring
Tornadoes
El Niño and La Niña

In 2017, the U.S. severe weather season jumped out to a fast start with above-average numbers of tornado, hail and wind reports. (Check out NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center for severe weather reports and summaries.) Most of the tornadoes reported were in the southern U.S., relatively close to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, but several tornadoes touched down unusually far north for this time of year, including 2 EF-1 tornadoes in Massachusetts on Feb 25, 2017 and 3 EF-1 tornadoes in Minnesota on March 6, 2017.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information
Related story

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
El Niño and La Niña

Regularly updated blog posts from Climate.gov on the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The blog began in 2014.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Climate data monitoring
El Niño and La Niña

The hurricane impacts of El Niño and its counterpart La Niña are like a seesaw between the Pacific and Atlantic ocean basins, strengthening hurricane activity in one region while weakening it in the other.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story
Video
Background information
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
El Niño and La Niña

Collection name

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory El Niño theme page

News, research, background information, FAQs, videos, and more on El Niño from the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Cryosphere
El Niño and La Niña

In recent years, a popular debate has been occurring within the climate community. No, it’s not whether climate change is occurring and caused by humans. (It is.) Instead, it’s regarding how much of an effect, if any, the rapid warming of Earth’s frozen cake-topper we call the Arctic, and the corresponding reduction in Arctic sea ice, has been having on winter across the mid-latitudes where most of us live.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Climate data monitoring
El Niño and La Niña

How do El Niño and La Niña events form and increase in strength? The key is in the ocean-atmosphere coupling across the tropical Pacific Ocean.