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

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 3-5
Grade 6-8

Subject

Arts
Earth science
Engineering and technology
Life science
Math
Physical science
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan
Module/unit

Topic

Marine life
Aquatic food webs
Entanglement
Life in an estuary
Marine mammals
Seabirds
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ETS1: Engineering Design
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Models
Outdoor education
Printable

Collection name

NOAA Marine Debris Program

This guide is designed for educators in both formal and informal education situations. It is a regional introduction to three main categories of marine debris: litter; derelict or abandoned boats; and lost or abandoned commercial and recreational fishing gear.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Technology and engineering
Freshwater
Marine life
Weather and atmosphere
Buoys
Seabirds
Fish
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Ecosystems
Rivers
Invertebrates
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Water cycle
Great Lakes ecoregion
Life in an estuary
Aquatic food webs
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations

Special categories

Printable

Principles and concepts for estuaries 101: The big ideas and essential details students should learn about estuaries.

Audience

Grade 9-12

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Ecosystems
Aquatic food webs
Ocean floor features

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Printable

Collection name

Ocean Exploration educational materials

Despite existing in the depths of the ocean, where sunlight cannot reach, hydrothermal vents are oases of life in the deep. In this investigation, students explore the phenomenon: How can ecosystems survive without sunlight? and develop their understanding of chemosynthetic communities through student-sensemaking.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Life science

Resource type

Coloring/activity book
Collection

Topic

Marine life
Sharks, rays, and skates
Seabirds
Fish
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Coral reef ecosystems
Aquatic food webs

Special categories

Japanese
Samoan
Hawaiian
Printable
Other languages

Collection name

National marine sanctuaries coloring pages and puzzles

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has several coloring pages and puzzles featuring sanctuary ecosystems. Some coloring activities are available in Hawaiian, Japanese, or Samoan.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood
Aquatic food webs

Special categories

Printable
Education at home
Instructional strategies

Its size is tiny, but its significance is colossal. Krill – a shrimp-like crustacean – forms the basis of the marine food web for whales, seabirds, fish, squid, seals, and sharks throughout the world’s ocean. Along California’s coast, the California Current ecosystem’s unique springtime wind and circulation patterns generate upwelling of nutrient-rich, deep ocean waters to the sunlit upper layers, which results in an extraordinary explosion of biological productivity. And in this system, krill is king.