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

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

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Water cycle
Weather observations

These maps show daily and monthly evaporation data for the contiguous United States.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution

This map is an interactive way to explore NOAA habitat restoration projects from around the country — from wetlands and salt marsh projects to oyster and coral reef projects. Use the map filters and query tool to search approximately 3,000 projects by habitat type, location, congressional district, and more. Click on projects to learn more about them.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Water cycle
Weather observations

This interactive map show snow water equivalents forecasts for the continental United States.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Freshwater
Water cycle

The hydrologic cycle involves the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-Atmosphere system. At its core, the water cycle is the motion of the water from the ground to the atmosphere and back again.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Freshwater
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution

The duties of the River Forecast Centers are to 1) Provide river and flood forecasts and warnings for the protection of lives and property, and 2) Provide basic hydrologic forecast information for the nation's environmental and economic well-being. Learn more details about how River Forecast Centers make these predictions.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Arts
Earth science
ELA (English Language Arts)
Engineering and technology
Life science
Math
Physical science
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan
Module/unit
Background information

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Aquatic food webs
Entanglement
Invasive marine species
Marine mammals
Sea turtles
Seabirds
NOAA careers
Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Weather and atmosphere
Hazards and safety
Hurricanes
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ETS1: Engineering Design

Special categories

Citizen science
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Models
Outdoor education
Scientists in action

Collection name

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Marine debris is a pervasive, global problem and one that is felt locally in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Through a NOAA Marine Debris Program prevention grant, the University of the Virgin Islands(link is external) adapted and revised marine debris lessons for USVI, including Oregon Marine Debris STEAMSS, Turning the Tide on Trash, and Talking Trash and Taking Action. The curriculum was co-created with the input of educators from USVI who participated in workshops and provided input following in-class use. The curriculum also includes 15 spotlights, which highlight USVI-specific marine debris research, local researchers, community-led prevention efforts, and natural disaster impacts from marine debris.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution

In classrooms across Lake Charles, Louisiana, schools are cultivating bitter panicum, a native coastal grass, and Gulf killifish, a native coastal minnow, in their own aquaponics systems.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution

Special categories

Cultural heritage

In the Pacific Northwest, Lummi Nation has kept their ancient knowledge and schelangen (shuh-LANG-un; “way of life”) alive by transmitting their cultural knowledge, worldview, and traditions to the next generation. Watershed management is particularly important to the Lummi community because of the abundance of one of their most culturally important food sources, salmon, which depends on watershed health and quality.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Infographic

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Fisheries and seafood
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Special categories

Region
Pacific Islands region

Check out some of the NOAA Marine Debris Program infographics! These are useful tools for visualizing information related to marine debris.