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 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Marine life
Conservation
Sea turtles

The bones of sea turtles have annual rings like those found in trees, and chemical markers within them give scientists a detailed view of the animal's life history.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Advanced data product
Data product

Topic

Marine life
Sea turtles

The Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network collects data across the country and contributes to a centralized database. Explore their data. Some images may be graphic in nature.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Mobile app
Images
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Plankton
Invasive marine species
Seaweed, algae, and aquatic plants
Salmon
Sharks, rays, and skates
Seabirds
Fish
Ecosystems
Invertebrates
Sea turtles
Marine mammals

Use this mobile app to explore hundreds of photos of California marine life, many with detailed ecological information.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Podcast
Video
Collection
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Entanglement
Fish
Ecosystems
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Coral reef ecosystems
Aquatic food webs
Ocean currents

Collection name

ELP grantee
Signals of Spring ACES (Animals in Curriculum-based Ecosystem Studies)

A collection of lessons, videos, podcasts, and audio clips on sustainability, seafood, sea turtles, marine mammals, ecosystems and more, which use NOAA remote sensing data. Students use Earth imagery to explain the movement of animals that are tracked by satellite with NOAA's ARGOS monitoring system.

Audience

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Marine life
Sea turtles

Collection name

ELP grantee

Explore more about the different sea turtle species.

Audience

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

Subject

Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Marine life
Sharks, rays, and skates
Fish
Ecosystems
Sea turtles
Aquatic food webs

The Global Tagging of Pelagic Predators (GTOPP) program is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration among biologists, engineers, computer scientists, and educators, which allows users to view and interact with animal tracking data, oceanographic datasets, and marine life observation. By combining data from a diverse number of highly migratory species and overlaying them with oceanographic data, it is possible to glimpse the processes that influence how open ocean ecosystems work.

Audience

Adults
College+

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Marine life
Sea turtles

This textbook-level document goes into great detail of the anatomy of sea turtles, including all major body systems. Please note that this document has information about dissections and includes graphic images of dissected animals.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Podcast
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Sea turtles

Experts with very different backgrounds join forces to protect endangered sea turtles.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Sea turtles
Invasive species

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Marine life

Off Florida's coast, an invasive species threatened Loggerhead turtles. Fortunately, people took action to restore the ecosystem and help the turtles.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
Hurricanes
Oil spills

The Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) is an online mapping tool from the Office of Response and Restoration, which integrates data, like habitats, weather, and currents, into one location for experts responding to environmental disasters like hurricanes or oil spills. This tiny tutorial will help you get started using the ERMA tool®.