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

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Advanced data product
Data product

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification

The Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) Carbon Program data portal is an interactive map that has ocean chemistry data including pH, carbon dioxide, dissolved carbon, and alkalinity. Data is collected from moorings and ships.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story
Video
Background information
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
El Niño and La Niña

Collection name

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory El Niño theme page

News, research, background information, FAQs, videos, and more on El Niño from the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product
Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Tsunamis

Collection name

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center animations and short videos

This collection of videos and animations includes background information on tsunamis and earthquakes, as well as information about specific events.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Social studies

Resource type

Multimedia
Infographic

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Special categories

Region
Pacific Islands region

A map of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and the different names that have been used for the islands.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Career profile

Topic

Marine life
Fish

Six years after Kate Bemis walked into the NOAA National Systematics Lab for the first day of her Hollings summer internship, she returned to the office — only now she was starting the first day of her new career and adding a new label to the door that read "Katherine Bemis, Ph.D.”

Audience

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

Subject

Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Collection
Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Hazards and safety
Earth processes
Sea level rise
Coral reef ecosystems
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
El Niño and La Niña
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean acidification

Special categories

Informal
Inquiry
Education at home
Models
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Science On a Sphere catalog

Phenomenon-based learning is an educational approach that engages students in science. It starts with a “phenomenon,” or an attention-grabbing image or video clip that hooks students into the lesson. In these modules, we use datasets from NOAA’s Science On a Sphere® (SOS) to help explore and explain science phenomena. The modules are also aligned to NGSS.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story
Images
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

The tornado outbreaks of 2011 were unprecedented. Destruction to life and property occurred in more than a dozen states from the Central Plains and Missouri, throughout the Southeast and as far north as Massachusetts. In total, 1,691 tornadoes claimed 553 lives, making it the deadliest tornado year since 1936.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Scientists take measurements to unlock clues to the life cycle of a tornado.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Marine life
Sea turtles

Cold-stunned sea turtles get help from an unlikely place: the general aviation community.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Over the past few decades in American Samoa and the nation of Samoa, problems with solid waste management have been exacerbated by limited space and a steadily increasing amount of imported goods and materials. The increase of lightweight, but not durable, plastic items are visible across much of the region’s coastlines, where plastic debris, such as food and beverage containers, household goods, and synthetic clothing, litter the shores.