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

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

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

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Freshwater
Marine life
Fish
Ecosystems
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Water cycle
Great Lakes ecoregion
Life in an estuary

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of 29 coastal sites designated to protect and study estuarine systems. Established through the Coastal Zone Management Act, the reserves represent a partnership program between NOAA and the coastal states. NOAA provides funding and national guidance, and each site is managed on a daily basis by a lead state agency or university with input from local partners.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Freshwater
Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Drought
Water cycle
Climate data monitoring
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations

View the U.S Drought Monitor's weekly interactive map and summary and the Climate Prediction Center's monthly drought outlook. Zoom in to see the regional, state, and county level and obtain historical comparisons. Explore numerical and graphical data.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Data product
Easy-to-use data product

Topic

Freshwater
Water cycle
Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations

Explore this interactive map with information on observed precipitation spanning from the past year through today. 

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Freshwater
Marine life
Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Satellites
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Harmful algal blooms
Cryosphere
Sea level rise
Water cycle
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Coral reef ecosystems
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Carbon cycle
El Niño and La Niña
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean acidification

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Questions and answers about how we study the ocean and what we've learned. Topics include harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico, climate recaps, climate change, ocean exploration, Arctic sea ice, and more

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Water cycle
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

To help people prepare for and manage the effects of coastal flooding, NOAA has brought together data from its over 200 coastal water level stations into one easy-to-use web tool.

Audience

Grade 3-5

Subject

Arts
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Module/unit
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Water cycle

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ESS2: Earth’s Systems
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Special categories

Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

This unit is designed for 3rd grade, but could be adapted to other grades. Students develop knowledge of watersheds and the water cycle, as well as knowledge of the life cycle of salmon and the needs of salmon as they relate to watersheds. Activities include stories, discussion, a “crumpled-paper” watershed activity, a water cycle simulation game, collaborative research, and a field trip to a local water body to assess its potential to support salmon. Finally, students create and demonstrate a model of a healthy watershed. Language arts and art are incorporated into the unit, as are science notebooks.

Audience

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

Subject

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

Resource type

Collection
Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Freshwater
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Water cycle
Great Lakes ecoregion

Special categories

Informal
Inquiry
Outdoor education
Education at home
Models
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Teaching Great Lakes science

Teaching Great Lakes Science is your source for science, technology, engineering and math! This website features a suite of lessons, activities and data sets focused on the Great Lakes. Any of these resources may be easily incorporated into formal and informal educational settings. All the lessons, activities, teacher tools and data sets are free and targeted for 4-12th grades.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Freshwater
Water cycle
Weather and atmosphere
Clouds

An airborne mission finds a global belt of particle formation is making clouds brighter.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Math

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Freshwater
Water cycle

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Models

Water is the most abundant and important substance on Earth. It is essential to life and is a major component of all living things. There are approximately 336,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of water on the earth, existing in three states; solid, liquid and gas. The sources for this water storage are the ocean, icecaps & glaciers, ground water, fresh-water lakes, inland seas, soil moisture, atmosphere, and rivers. The students will discover the different water ratios in the earth's total water supply through a quick demonstration activity.