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

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Climate
Climate change impacts
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Citizen science
Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

By studying ships’ logs dating back to the 19th century, we can find all sorts of weather data that we can plug into computer models and improve our climate projections. Find out how you can help.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Social studies

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Climate
Changing seasons
Climate data monitoring
Marine life
Marine mammals
Plankton
Ocean and coasts
Earth processes
Ocean chemistry
Rip currents
Weather and atmosphere
Hazards and safety
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Celebrate the season of spring with NOAA! From new graphics to educational resources, spring into science with us and check out our content.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Webinar

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

CIRES/NOAA Serie La Ciencia-en-Casa

Cada webinar (seminario virtual) cuenta con una presentación de unos 10 o 15 minutos, a cargo de científicos/as, donde nos cuentan cómo se metieron en el mundo de la ciencia, qué hacen en su labor de científicos/as y qué están investigando actualmente. Cada presentación va seguida de unos 10 o 15 minutos para preguntas y respuestas en directo.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Changing seasons
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre clima y tiempo? Este breve video ayuda a explicar la diferencia.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Weather and atmosphere
Climate
El Niño and La Niña
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Learn the difference between El Niño and La Niña and how they influence weather around the world.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Weather and atmosphere
Climate
Hurricanes
Satellites
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Danger zone

We’ve all heard that hurricanes are one of the most powerful and destructive forces on Earth. But did you ever wonder where they get their strength?

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Technology and engineering
Ships and planes
Hurricanes

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Marine life

For the last five years, NOAA has teamed up with NASA to fly NASA’s Global Hawk unmanned aircraft to get an inside look at how hurricanes form and intensify over the Atlantic.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Changing seasons
Weather observations

Special categories

Printable
Safety/preparedness
Other languages
Spanish

Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. Everyone can be vulnerable to heat, but some more so than others. This resource is designed to prepare you for excessive heat events, describe what to do during a an excessive heat wave, and inform you about the health dangers of heat.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5
Grade K-2

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Satellites
Weather observations

Special categories

Italian
Printable
Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

SciJinks

How does a satellite stay up in space without falling back to Earth? How is a weather satellite able to take pictures or measure surface temperatures from space? How does a satellite communicate with Earth? Learn with this booklet!

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Hurricanes
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

A hurricane, according to NOAA, is an active low-pressure system that forms over tropical or subtropical waters that rotates at more than 74 miles per hour. They are known for the destruction they cause due to wind, rain, and one particularly dangerous threat, storm surge. In Puerto Rico, we have witnessed the impacts of these storms, the most recent being Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017. These hurricanes were devastating, not only because of the loss of human life and damage to infrastructure, but also the amount of marine debris they left in their wake.