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

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Images
Data product
Background information
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Special categories

Citizen science

The Cyclone Center project was launched in September 2012 with the goal of studying global tropical cyclones in order to better understand and predict their behavior. The project ran for seven successful years on the Zooniverse platform, during which 18,000 users contributed 1 million image classifications. Explore the archives of this hurricane citizen science project.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Explore the May seasonal outlooks for the Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Harmful algal blooms
Coral reef ecosystems
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Ecological forecasts, commonly referred to as "ecoforecasts," detail how interactions between organisms and their environment may affect economies and communities that depend on ecosystem services, human health, and the health of bodies of water. Ecoforecasts bring together wide-ranging research and observations to allow coastal resource managers to answer "What if?" questions about the numerous factors that affect coastal resources.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Math
Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
El Niño and La Niña

Monthly seasonal updates on sea surface temperature going back to 1950.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather systems and patterns
El Niño and La Niña

The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) produces maps of the United States that show probability of precipitation and temperature being above or below normal based on data from previous El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product
Background information
Collection

Topic

Technology and engineering
Satellites
Mapping and charting
Ships and planes

Collection name

Explore remote sensing

Learn more about remote sensing with this collection of resources from the National Ocean service. Remote sensing is the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, typically from aircraft or spacecraft. NOAA scientists collect and use remotely sensed data for a range of activities, from mapping coastlines, to supporting military and disaster response personnel, to monitoring hurricane activity.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Technology and engineering
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Ocean currents

Explore drifter buoy data in several formats, including an interactive map.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Images
Data product
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Satellites
Clouds
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations

View real-time imagery of the entire North and South American continents, plus much of the Eastern Pacific Ocean from NOAA’s state-of-the-art GOES East and West satellites. High resolution images and animations are available in visible light, infrared, and “geocolor” to show clouds and atmospheric conditions.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Fires
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
Tornadoes
Hurricanes

This forecast data product from the National Weather Service provides an interactive map, which can be customized to feature data on temperature, precipitation, hazard, humidity, wind, cloud cover, snow and ice, fire, wave, tornado, hurricane, and more. Once users select a chosen region and data type, they can generate a bookmarkable URL, so they can return to the same forecast at later dates.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Images
Data product
Poster/brochure
Multimedia

Topic

Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion

These detailed bathymetry maps of the Great Lakes can be viewed digitally or printed as color posters (full-size and mini). You can also download bathymetry contours as Esri Shapefiles.