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.”

 

Audience

Grade 3-5
Grade K-2

Subject

Arts
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Module/unit
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Entanglement
Ocean pollution and marine debris

NGSS DCI

ETS1: Engineering Design
PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
PS3: Energy
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ESS2: Earth’s Systems
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Special categories

Region
Pacific Islands region
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Collection name

NOAA Marine Debris Program

This curriculum introduces ocean circulation, marine ecology, and human impacts with a focus on marine debris for students in K-5th grade. Student activities meet the math and science benchmarks and "Common Core" standards for the State of Hawai'i Department of Education for each grade level. The curriculum includes presentations, lesson plans, hands-on activities, and vocab sheets.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Informal
Printable
Region
Pacific Islands region

Make magnets with marine debris messaging on them with this fun and easy craft activity.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Multimedia
Images

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Check out our photo gallery for images of marine debris types, sources, solutions, research, prevention, and impacts.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Collection
Poster/brochure

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Entanglement
Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Special categories

Region
Pacific Islands region

Collection name

Marine Debris Program posters

This poster collection is available to help spread awareness of marine debris and highlight some of the most important issues we're trying to address through prevention, removal, and research. All posters are available in PDF format to download and print.

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
Lesson plan
Module/unit
Collection

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Oil spills

Special categories

Citizen science
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Informal
Models
Uses data
Printable
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Explore an assortment of formal curricula for grades 1-12 from the NOAA Marine Debris Program. All curricula are available for download and print!

Audience

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

Subject

Arts
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Module/unit
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Invasive marine species
Entanglement
Seabirds
Marine mammals
Tsunamis
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean currents

NGSS DCI

ETS1: Engineering Design
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ESS2: Earth’s Systems
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Special categories

Informal
Citizen science
Outdoor education
Models
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Marine Debris STEAMSS

Marine Debris is a complex, real-world problem which can be addressed through the lenses of several different academic subjects. This curriculum integrates the subject areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, and Social Studies (STEAMSS), and focuses on experiential hands-on lessons and activities for students in grades 4 through 12.

Audience

Grade 3-5

Subject

Arts
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Module/unit
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

NGSS DCI

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

Special categories

Informal
Outdoor education
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Marine Debris STEAMSS

The collected teacher-tested resources enable educators to create in-depth, project based learning (PBL) units, work with teaching partners across disciplines, and find classroom and field experiences that will help students explore the issue and impacts of marine debris and engage in stewardship actions. Explore the four categories (Composition and Abundance, Sources and Transport, Impacts and Solutions) that follow a scaffolded understanding of marine debris.

Audience

Grade 6-8

Subject

Arts
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Module/unit
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Outdoor education
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Marine Debris STEAMSS

The collected teacher-tested resources enable educators to create in-depth, project based learning (PBL) units, work with teaching partners across disciplines, and find classroom and field experiences that will help students explore the issue and impacts of marine debris and engage in stewardship actions. Explore the four categories (Composition and Abundance, Sources and Transport, Impacts and Solutions) that follow a scaffolded understanding of marine debris.

Audience

Grade 9-12

Subject

Arts
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Module/unit
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Outdoor education
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Marine Debris STEAMSS

The collected teacher-tested resources enable educators to create in-depth, project based learning (PBL) units, work with teaching partners across disciplines, and find classroom and field experiences that will help students explore the issue and impacts of marine debris and engage in stewardship actions. Explore the four categories (Composition and Abundance, Sources and Transport, Impacts and Solutions) that follow a scaffolded understanding of marine debris.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Citizen science project
Multimedia
Mobile app

Topic

Freshwater
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Special categories

Citizen science
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Outdoor education

The Marine Debris Tracker mobile app allows you to help make a difference by checking in when you find trash along our coastlines and waterways. This tool is a great way to get involved in local and global data collection. This app pairs well with the Marine Debris Monitoring Toolkit for Educators. https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/curricula/marine-debris-monitoring-toolkit-educators