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

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Animation
Data product
Multimedia

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring
Carbon cycle

This data animation shows atmospheric carbon dioxide from 1979 through 2021. Following that time series, the animation compares the levels to preindustrial levels and the ice ages. The animation is downloadable.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Climate
Carbon cycle
Climate change

Read about the basics of the carbon cycle and greenhouse effect, including types of greenhouse gases and the role of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in carbon storage and exchange. The text is accompanied by informational graphics.

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

Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Simulation
Game/online activity
Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Climate
Carbon cycle

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Education at home
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Here are three hands-on games you can use to simulate the Carbon Cycle. This includes instructions and printable game pieces.

Audience

College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information
Collection

Topic

Climate
Carbon cycle

Collection name

Carbon educational tools

A brief background about the carbon cycle and links to a few other resources, including the global carbon budget, more carbon cycle information and diagrams, carbon data, and more.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Math
Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Climate
Climate change
Climate data monitoring
Carbon cycle

Special categories

Models
Instructional strategies

CarbonTracker is a CO2 measurement and modeling system developed by NOAA to keep track of sources (emissions to the atmosphere) and sinks (removal from the atmosphere) of carbon dioxide around the world. CarbonTracker uses atmospheric CO2 observations from a host of collaborators and simulated atmospheric transport to estimate these surface fluxes of CO2. The current release of CarbonTracker, CT2019B, provides global estimates of surface-atmosphere fluxes of CO2 from January 2000 through December 2018. This data resource includes an FAQ and tutorial to help with use.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Climate
Changing seasons

Understand the daylight, darkness and changing of the seasons at the North Pole.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Climate change impacts

As future leaders who will make decisions about the issues they face in their communities, the Museum of Science and Industry positioned high school-aged teens to act as advocates for building the city’s resilience to the impacts and consequences of global climate change.

Audience

Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Webinar
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Satellites
Drought
Cryosphere
Fires
Carbon cycle
Weather systems and patterns
Hurricanes

Collection name

CIRES/NOAA Science@Home webinar

The CIRES/NOAA Science-at-Home webinars connected middle and high school classrooms in the virtual/remote learning landscape with Earth scientists. Topics include sea ice, glaciers, hurricanes, wildfires, remote sensing, climate change, and more.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Webinar

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

CIRES/NOAA Serie La Ciencia-en-Casa

Cada webinar (seminario virtual) cuenta con una presentación de unos 10 o 15 minutos, a cargo de científicos/as, donde nos cuentan cómo se metieron en el mundo de la ciencia, qué hacen en su labor de científicos/as y qué están investigando actualmente. Cada presentación va seguida de unos 10 o 15 minutos para preguntas y respuestas en directo.