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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Fisheries and seafood
Seaweed, algae, and aquatic plants
Invertebrates
Fish

Collection name

Ocean Today

Ocean Today host Symone Johnson introduces the Future of Ocean Farming video collection, which highlights innovations in ocean farming, or aquaculture.

Audience

Grade 6-8

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood
Aquatic food webs

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

By the end of the interactive lesson, the students will be able to explain why overfishing has occurred in our ocean and describe the effects of overfishing on fish stocks.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Endangered species

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Marine life

Goliath grouper can grow to more than eight feet in length and 800 pounds. These giant groupers were once so overfished in the Southeastern United States, they were considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Thankfully, a vocal and dedicated group of fishers and marine scientists worked together to prompt NOAA to ban all harvest of goliath grouper. This action in the early 1990s gave the grouper time to recover and gave scientists time to learn more about this fish in hopes of sustaining its rebound.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Life science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Ecosystems
Fisheries and seafood
Aquatic food webs

So exactly how does seafood get from ocean to plate? This video shows the journey U.S. seafood makes to get to your table, as well as tips to get to know your seafood better.

Audience

Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8

Subject

Life science
Math

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Models
Uses data

Collection name

Teacher at Sea

The groundfish survey is part of SEAMAP — South East Area Monitoring and Assessment Program — a joint venture between NOAA and the states to better understand the populations of fish and shellfish along the coast of the Gulf and Atlantic. In this lesson, students will simulate the groundfish survey by classifying fish species and record their lengths. Students will then make graphs of their results and compare their findings. Finally, students will explore online maps to understand variations in habitat.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Life science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Marine life
Sharks, rays, and skates
Fisheries and seafood

Hear from a shark management expert about NOAA Fisheries requirement that fishermen bring sharks to shore with their fins naturally attached.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Fisheries and seafood
Fish
Salmon

Collection name

Ocean Today

From veggie fish food to underwater cameras, U.S. ocean farming is evolving. Watch to learn some of these sustainable innovations.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Advanced data product
Data product

Topic

Freshwater
Marine life
Climate
Ocean and coasts
Ecosystems
Harmful algal blooms
Sea level rise
Great Lakes ecoregion
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Fisheries and seafood
Coral reef ecosystems
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Tsunamis
Tides
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean currents
Ocean acidification

Special categories

Region
Pacific Islands region

IOOS is a major data repository that provides data about marine environments, including analyses of historical data, alerts based on current conditions, and forecasts of future conditions based on model predictions. IOOS links to hundreds of data sources operated by regional ocean observing systems across the United States and its territories. There are many datasets available including interactive maps, numerical data, and graphs and figures.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Job seeker resource

Topic

NOAA careers
Marine life
Fisheries and seafood

Learn about NOAA Fisheries on the West Coast and how to find federal and contract positions.

Audience

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Salmon
Fish
Fisheries and seafood

Special categories

Grantee resource

An animated overview of the life cycle of Pacific salmon species.