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 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

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Fisheries and seafood
Fish
Invertebrates

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Go fish

U.S. commercial fishing generates billions of dollars and millions of jobs. While the U.S. is a world leader in sustainability, with NOAA Fisheries managing and improving fish habitats and stocks, our marine scientists are at the cutting edge of research that’s keeping our seafood supply safe.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean floor features

Three seamounts in the Pacific Ocean now bear names honoring the contributions to science made by NOAA and its partners in ocean exploration during a campaign led by the NOAA Ocean Exploration.

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

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion
Invasive species

Search invasive species in the Great Lakes and generate datasets using the Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information Systems (GLANSIS). You can generate custom lists of invasive species for your geographic area and access species profiles using the Species List Generator. Another tool, the Map Explorer allows users to view species distributions, download data, generate custom maps, and explore habitat relationships.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Space
Space weather

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Models

Collection name

Solar physics and terrestrial effects curriculum guide

One of the keys to learning about the Sun is to view it in different wavelengths of light. The views can be quite different, and so are views of objects on Earth in different wavelengths. This activity examines objects through a filter set of colored and specialized filters and illustrates how science uses different wavelengths to selectively study features of the Sun.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Changing seasons

Special categories

Models
Instructional strategies

View monthly severe storm data and models from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information
Collection

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
Tornadoes
Hurricanes

Collection name

Severe weather 101

What is a wall cloud? What's the difference between a watch and a warning? Is it ever “too cold to snow”? Learn all about thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, lightning, floods, damaging winds, and severe winter weather from the National Severe Storms Lab.

Audience

Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Collection
Data product
Intermediate data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Collection name

Severe weather event summaries

Designed for people with experience in meteorology, this site shows real time and historic severe weather data on an interactive map, focusing on tornadoes, thunderstorms, hail, and wind. Datasets include daily events, monthly summaries, annual trends, downloadable radar data, and event archives.