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.

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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 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
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

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 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Math
Physical science

Resource type

Data product
Easy-to-use data product

Topic

Freshwater
Rivers
Water cycle
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Ecosystems
Fish
Invertebrates
Life in an estuary

Special categories

Printable

The System-wide Monitoring Program, or SWMP (pronounced “swamp”), Graphing and Export System provides educators and students with access to SWMP data. These data mysteries will help students explore real events using the SWMP Graphing and Export System. Have them graph and then analyze each parameter to find out what happened, whether there was a significant change or spike in a parameter, why something occurred, who or what was impacted, and why. These mysteries are actual events tracked by reserve system researchers.

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

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Related story
Background information

Topic

Marine life
Climate
Ecosystems
Life in an estuary
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts

Special categories

Printable

The nation’s 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) are experiencing the negative effects of human and climate-related stressors according to a 2013 NOAA research report from the National Ocean Service. The national study, Climate Sensitivity of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, points to three East Coast reserves, Sapelo Island NERR in Georgia, ACE Basin NERR in South Carolina and Waquoit Bay NERR in Massachusetts, and the Tijuana River NERR on the California-Mexico border, as the most sensitive to climate change.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Marine life
Coral reef ecosystems
Ecosystems
Fish
Invertebrates
Marine mammals
Sea turtles
Seabirds

Special categories

Printable
Region
Pacific Islands region

These books feature coloring pages and activities about coastal ecosystems. Regions include Guam, Chesapeake Bay, Coastal North Carolina, Salish Sea, Mobile Bay, Hawaiʻi, Louisiana, and Arctic/Antarctic.

Audience

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

Subject

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

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Background information
Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Freshwater
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Ecosystems
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Life in an estuary

Special categories

Grantee resource
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Informal
Models
Outdoor education
Uses data
Other languages
Spanish
Printable

Collection name

B-WET grantee
Salmon Heroes

On this page you will find information and links for everything you need for your Virtual Salmon Heroes Experience. The Virtual Salmon Heroes program is divided into three parts, which include 1) Introductory lesson videos, 2) field lesson videos, and 3) synthesis lesson videos. A Salmon Heroes Field Journal accompanies the videos.

Audience

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

Subject

Math
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Marine life
Fish
Ecosystems
Invertebrates
Freshwater
Life in an estuary

Special categories

Printable
Education at home
Instructional strategies

Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are bodies of water usually found where rivers meet the sea. Use this estuaries tutorial to learn more.