NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

⚠️ This page recently underwent an update. If you had bookmarked direct links to search results from this page prior to March 18, 2024, those links may no longer work and you may need to make a new bookmark. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at education@noaa.gov.

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Climate
Cryosphere
Climate change impacts
Sea level rise

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today

After a record setting low in 2012, the 2013 summer sea ice extent rebounded – but only slightly. At 5.10 million square kilometers or 1.97 million square miles, 2013 comes in 6th place for the smallest summer sea ice minimum extent in recorded history.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Climate
Cryosphere
Climate change impacts
Sea level rise

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

After 2013's slight rebound from 2012's record-setting low, 2014 saw another dip in extent at 5.02 million square kilometers, or 1.94 million square miles, 2014 comes in 6th place for the smallest summer sea ice minimum extent in recorded history.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Climate
Cryosphere
Climate change impacts
Sea level rise

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

At 4.41 million square kilometers or 1.79 million square miles, 2015 was the fourth-smallest summer sea ice minimum extent in recorded history. This is 1.87 million square kilometers below the 1981 to 2010 average extent.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Climate
Technology and engineering
Climate change impacts
Cryosphere
Sea level rise
Resiliency and mitigation

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

The numbers are in. The American Meteorological Society’s State of the Climate in 2013 shows that the vast majority of worldwide climate indicators continued to reflect trends of a warmer planet.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Math
Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Sea level rise
Tides

NOAA documents changes in high-tide flooding patterns from the previous year at 97 NOAA tide gauges along the U.S. coast, and provides a flooding outlook for these locations for the coming year, as well as projections for the next several decades.

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

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean floor features
Sea level rise

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

How well do you know the ocean? Check out these amazing ocean facts!

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Webinar
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Climate
Ocean and coasts
Sea level rise
Climate change impacts
Ocean acidification

As a system of nationally significant places managed by NOAA, national marine sanctuaries are directly experiencing climate impacts, and serve as important assets for climate-informed management, science and education. Learn more about how the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is actively incorporating climate into site management plans, facilities management, science and assessment, and education and outreach. This presentation will discuss how sanctuaries work with partners to use NOAA climate information in management, our role as climate educators, building a network of sentinel sites, and challenges in managing sanctuaries in a changing ocean.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Climate
Technology and engineering
Cryosphere
Satellites
Ships and planes
Climate change impacts
Sea level rise

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today

There are three main ways that scientists measure Arctic ice: satellites, aircraft, and on-site, or “in situ” measuring. It is these multiple observations that provide a more complete picture and story of the ice.

Audience

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

Subject

Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Technology and engineering
Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Sea level rise
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Great Lakes ecoregion
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
Hurricanes
El Niño and La Niña
Tsunamis
Tides
Ocean currents
Ocean acidification

The National Data Buoy Center provides real-time environmental observations collected from buoys around the world. View both recent and historical information on ocean and weather conditions, as well as any current tsunami activity. Graphs and tables of data are available for water column height at each buoy location.