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 K-2
Grade 3-5

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Marine life
Conservation
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Special categories

Printable

This is an activity book for K-3 students to learn about the ocean, to understand their connection to the environment, and to take positive steps to conserve our ocean world.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

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

Resource type

Simulation
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Through role-playing, teamwork, and a little fate, this activity provides students with an opportunity to get an "insider's" view of what it takes to be an active stakeholder in a commercial fishery. Whether a boat owner, dockside buyer, processing plant owner, distributor, or retail seafood store operator, each student will get a deeper sense of the complex factors that determine the viability of a commercial fishery. Students will learn to understand the real costs that contribute to eventual market value, as well as experience some of the unanticipated gains or losses that can occur at any stage along the way.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Background information

Topic

Climate
Resiliency and mitigation
Marine life
Conservation
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
PS3: Energy

Special categories

Grantee resource
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Informal
Inquiry
Outdoor education
Printable

The Marine Debris Prevention Best Practices Manual is a comprehensive guide to help establish lasting change on school campuses. It covers tips and tricks for engaging students in assessing school waste, bringing student leaders together into “Green Teams,” and supporting the entire school community with marine debris prevention. Learn creative ways to minimize waste in the classroom, in the cafeteria, in school gardens, and on the playground. These strategies are accompanied by case studies, standards-aligned lesson plans, videos, and other resources. 

Audience

Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Marine life
Ecosystems
Ocean and coasts
Ocean exploration
Ocean floor features

NGSS DCI

ESS2: Earth’s Systems

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Models
Uses data
Printable

Seamounts represent some of Earth’s tallest peaks, unexplored territories, and critical habitats supporting important fisheries across the globe. Students will apply the phenomenon of upwelling and currents to determine why many seamounts sustain diverse ecological communities and support surprising levels of biological productivity in nearby waters. Students analyze data and various models to evaluate how well they represent patterns of ocean currents around seamounts and determine the effects these current flows have on productivity.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Marine life
Ecosystems
Fish
Invertebrates
Life in an estuary

Special categories

Printable

Enjoy this short coloring book from the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve. 

Audience

Grade 3-5

Subject

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

Resource type

Module/unit
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Freshwater
Marine life
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Fisheries and seafood
Aquatic food webs
Salmon

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Cultural heritage
Outdoor education
Models
Hands-on
Other languages
Spanish

An Incredible Journey is filled with 10 hands-on lesson plans that explore the salmon life cycle; the cultural, environmental, and economic importance of salmon; the major issues facing salmon today; and how individuals can get involved to protect these iconic species.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Marine life
Fish
Invertebrates
Ocean and coasts
Ocean exploration
Technology and engineering
Ships and planes

Special categories

Printable

This coloring book from NOAA Ocean Exploration and several partners inspires everyone to learn about and appreciate the ocean. Download individual coloring sheets or the whole book and visit the links to learn more about each featured animal.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Simulation
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Life in an estuary
Fisheries and seafood

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

In this activity, students will take part in a simulated fishery, harvesting California market squid that are common in Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Because of their quick response time to environmental conditions, market squid provide an interesting example of ecosystem-based management at work. Student groups will role-play in a simulated fishing community, making decisions while also facing a range of natural and human-made challenges. Students will attempt the challenging task of maintaining a balance that sustains both the squid population and the squid fishery, which relies on that population and then analyze the results of their decisions.

Audience

Grade 3-5
Grade K-2

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Life science

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Marine life
Ecosystems
Life in an estuary

Special categories

Printable

This activity book includes puzzles and coloring pages and information about the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Audience

Grade K-2

Subject

Arts

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Marine life
Coral reef ecosystems

Special categories

Printable

An activity book filled with facts, coloring pages and activities about coral reefs.