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.”

 

Filters:

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Fisheries and seafood
Seaweed, algae, and aquatic plants
Invertebrates
Fish

Collection name

Ocean Today

Ocean Today host Symone Johnson introduces the Future of Ocean Farming video collection, which highlights innovations in ocean farming, or aquaculture.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Endangered species

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Marine life

Goliath grouper can grow to more than eight feet in length and 800 pounds. These giant groupers were once so overfished in the Southeastern United States, they were considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Thankfully, a vocal and dedicated group of fishers and marine scientists worked together to prompt NOAA to ban all harvest of goliath grouper. This action in the early 1990s gave the grouper time to recover and gave scientists time to learn more about this fish in hopes of sustaining its rebound.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Social studies
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Marine life
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Fish
Harmful algal blooms
Invertebrates
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Coral reef ecosystems
Weather observations
Hurricanes
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Sharks, rays, and skates

Explore data on physical, biotic, living marine resources, socioeconomic conditions, environmental quality, and jurisdictions in the Gulf of Mexico.

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
Marine mammals
Sea turtles
Ocean and coasts

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Other languages
Hawaiian
Printable
Region
Pacific Islands region

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has several different activity books, coloring pages, and puzzles to enjoy. Some resources are available in Hawaiian.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Fisheries and seafood
Fish
Salmon

Collection name

Ocean Today

From veggie fish food to underwater cameras, U.S. ocean farming is evolving. Watch to learn some of these sustainable innovations.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Fish
Oil spills

Vessel traffic and oil development have increased in the Arctic in response to warming ocean water and declining sea ice. Anywhere oil is collected, transported, or refined there is a risk of oil spills. As ship traffic and oil development increase in the Arctic, the risk of oil spills also increases.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5
Grade K-2

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Salmon
Fish
Fisheries and seafood

Special categories

Grantee resource

An animated overview of the life cycle of Pacific salmon species.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Fish
Invasive marine species
Aquatic food webs

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Go fish

Lurking in the waters of the western Atlantic is an unwelcome predator. A predator that is beautiful – yet deadly. A stealthy, ambush predator with venomous spines, potential prey fall easy victim to the invasive Red Lionfish.

Audience

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Webinar
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Fish
Ecosystems
Invertebrates
Marine mammals
Aquatic food webs

Collection name

National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: Archived webinars

Male and female northern elephant seals exhibit dramatic differences in size, shape and behavior. My research compares the feeding behavior of male and female seals to understand how the sexes use marine resources throughout the North Pacific Ocean.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Job seeker resource
Career profile
Collection

Topic

NOAA careers
Technology and engineering
Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Ships and planes
Ocean exploration
Sharks, rays, and skates
Fish
Ecosystems
Invertebrates
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Ocean floor features

Collection name

Marine Careers: A Sea Grant guide to ocean opportunities

Explore a wide range of marine career fields and hear from the people working in those fields. This website, hosted by Sea Grant, gives people a chance to say what they like and dislike about their careers, what they see for the future in their fields, and much more.