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

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

Subject

Social studies
Humanities/liberal arts
Life science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product
Background information
Collection

Topic

Marine life
Salmon
Sharks, rays, and skates
Fish
Invertebrates
Fisheries and seafood

Collection name

FishWatch sustainable seafood database

Get up-to-date information on the status of some of the nation’s most valuable marine fish harvested in U.S. federal waters as well as U.S. farmed fish that help meet our country’s growing seafood demand. Learn how to make smart seafood choices by knowing the facts about what makes U.S. seafood sustainable — from the ocean or farm to your plate. Search by species name or browse by region to learn more about the sustainability of over 100 seafood species.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Life science
Social studies

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Marine life
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Invertebrates
Salmon

Collection name

FishWatch sustainable seafood video gallery

This collection of videos from NOAA FishWatch cover a wide range of sustainable seafood topics.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Weather observations

Flash floods are a worldwide hazard, and are the number one hazardous weather related killer in the United States. They occur when heavy rainfall in a short period of time causes water to rapidly rise. The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) researchers include hydrologists and hydrometeorologists to address the complicated problem of forecasting and warning for these events. Learn more about their research projects.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Hazards and safety
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

Flooding is a coast-to-coast threat to some part of the United States and its territories nearly every day of the year. This site will teach you how to stay safe in a flood event. If you know what to do before, during, and after a flood you can increase your chances of survival and better protect your property.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies

Resource type

Webinar
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood

Collection name

Florida Seafood at Your Fingertips

Learn about smart seafood choices, sustainable fisheries, and the health benefits of eating a diet rich in seafood. Explore the seasonality of Florida seafood and what can be substituted if a certain product is not available at your local market.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Physical science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Weather systems and patterns
Ocean currents

Collection name

Science On a Sphere catalog

This video, originally created for Science On a Sphere, introduces viewers to oceanic thermohaline circulation — the system of global ocean currents that cycle warm and cold water across the planet.

Audience

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

Subject

Arts
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

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

Topic

Marine life
Coral reef ecosystems

Special categories

Education at home
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Bring ocean learning to life in your classroom through curriculum, lessons, activities, posters and more, all focused on Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. From science and math to geography and art, we've got something for every age level.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Informal
Uses data

Students will map a hurricane on the same type of chart used by the National Hurricane Center.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Pizza or PB&J? Apple or orange? School cafeterias offer students daily lunch choices, but school-provided meals can generate serious waste, including single-use plastic utensils and plastic foam trays. Lunchroom decisions affect students daily, and the waste from single-use items will affect them for years if they become marine debris. How can we reduce this waste? By empowering students to think critically about their trash and use creativity to design solutions.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Collection name

Science On a Sphere catalog

This Science On a Sphere movie takes viewers on a journey through time and technology, beginning with early storm observations from Caribbean shores and the decks of schooners through the modern age of computer modeling. Along the way, dynamic narration, visualized data, and animation explain how people came to observe and understand the patterns of hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones–collectively known as tropical cyclones. The movie also reveals the inner workings of these storms and deconstructs how computer models work to predict them.