NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

⚠️ This page recently underwent an update. If you had bookmarked direct links to search results from this page prior to March 18, 2024, those links may no longer work and you may need to make a new bookmark. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at education@noaa.gov.

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.”

 

No results match your search.

Audience

College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Multimedia
Webinar

Topic

Climate
Ocean and coasts
Earth processes
Technology and engineering
GPS and geodesy
Mapping and charting
Satellites
Weather and atmosphere
Hazards and safety
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Cultural heritage

Learn more about the many applications of environmental data from NOAA and our partners, including how data can be transformed into visualizations to tell a story.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Collection
Data product
Easy-to-use data product

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Oil spills
Space
Auroras
Technology and engineering
GPS and geodesy
Weather and atmosphere
Fires
Hazards and safety
Hurricanes
Weather observations

Special categories

Citizen science

These "tiny tutorials" are designed to break the ice and get you started. These simple animations walk you through our data visualizations step by step. From there, each data portal offers many variables and dimensions to explore. So roll up your sleeves, fire up your browser or phone, and start exploring the ocean and atmosphere. Explore tiny tutorials on auroras, historical climate, magnetic fields, environmental response, fire weather, and hurricane data products from NOAA.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Background information
Collection

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Coral reef ecosystems
Life in an estuary
Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Tides
Technology and engineering
GPS and geodesy

Dive into tutorials on corals, estuaries, global positioning, pollution, ocean currents, and tides. Learn the basics about these topics and how they are a part of NOAA's work.

Audience

Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Data product
Intermediate data product

Topic

Climate
Marine life
Ecosystems
Endangered species
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Invertebrates
Salmon

The geographic, or spatial extent, over which a species is found to occur, is its distribution. Understanding how species are distributed in space and time and the factors that drive spatial patterns in distribution and abundance are central questions in ecology and important for species conservation and management. The Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal (DisMAP) brings species distribution data into one user-friendly and interactive map with data models. Explore changes in marine fish and invertebrate distributions over time. Learn more with this introduction from the project's lead.

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
Lesson plan
Module/unit
Background information
Collection
Multimedia
Images
Video
Webinar
Poster/brochure
Related story

Topic

Climate
Marine life
Adaptations
Aquatic food webs
Conservation
Ecosystems
Endangered species
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Invasive marine species
Invertebrates
Seaweed, algae, and aquatic plants
Ocean and coasts

Special categories

Virtual reality/VR

Kelp forests are an important ecosystem that support a variety of species and grow predominantly along the Eastern Pacific Coast, from Alaska and Canada to the waters of Baja, California. Kelp forests can be found in four of our national marine sanctuaries along the West Coast of the United States. This collection has compiled wide-ranging resources from lesson plans, webinars, web stories, virtual reality videos, and more. You are invited to learn more about the importance of Kelp Forest Ecosystems, NOAA’s efforts to manage and conserve them, the species that call these forests home, and the threats kelp face.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+

Subject

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

Resource type

Career profile
Collection

Topic

Climate
Marine life
Coral reef ecosystems
Conservation
Ecosystems
Endangered species
Ocean and coasts
Ocean chemistry

What does it mean to be a woman in an ocean science career? What different career paths are available, and how does one get there? Perhaps you’ve thought about becoming a marine biologist, or you have an interest in marine policy, but aren’t sure which steps to take towards such a career. Maybe you’re passionate about ocean science and conservation, and want to use your communication skills to influence others. Hear from some of the inspiring women working throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Climate
Coral reef ecosystems
Climate change impacts
Ocean acidification
Endangered species
El Niño and La Niña

Collection name

Ocean Today

The growth of our civilization is changing the ocean in ways that are deadly for corals. If we don't act soon, it may be too late.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology

Resource type

Citizen science project
Mobile app
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
GPS and geodesy

Special categories

Citizen science

When you go outside and are moving around, use CrowdMag to measure the magnetic data along your path. Save, list, export or delete data to create a complete magnetic field map of your area. Share your data with a research group at NOAA. Multiple recordings along the same path are very helpful to reduce the noise and produce a more accurate magnetic field map. Get started with a tiny tutorial! https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/data/tiny-tutorials/crowdmag

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Podcast
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Satellites
GPS and geodesy
Ships and planes
Ecosystems
Harmful algal blooms
Life in an estuary
Coral reef ecosystems
Tsunamis
Tides
Oil spills
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean currents

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Diving Deeper podcast

This archive presents a list of National Ocean Service Diving Deeper podcast titles, publication dates, audio (mp3) links, and transcripts for all episodes released between 2009-2016. This podcast was retired in 2016, replaced by the NOAA Ocean Podcast.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Endangered species

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today

Ocean Today host Symone Johnson introduces the Endangered Ocean video collection, which looks at ocean species in trouble and what we can do to protect them.