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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Aquatic food webs

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Collection name

Deep-sea dialogues

Deep-ocean predators come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have limited amounts of available food. Learn more about techniques predators use to catch their prey in this video, which also features a discussion with Dr. Scott France, a marine biologist from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology

Resource type

Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
ROVs, AUVs, and drones

NGSS DCI

ETS1: Engineering Design

Collection name

Deep-sea dialogues

Underwater robots play a big part in deep sea exploration. This video features interviews with experts in underwater robot engineering and operations, providing a window into who builds and operates them, the engineering design process, and what the future of ocean exploration may look like. Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Career profile
Video
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Oil spills

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest accidental offshore oil spill in history. In this video, Lisa DiPinto, a Senior Scientist at NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, shares how NOAA went about the massive task of assessing the damage to the entire northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem—finding more than 1,300 miles of shoreline were oiled.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Simulation
Multimedia

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean floor features

This web site lets you dive with a remotely operated vehicle to the seafloor and back at Axial Seamount, an active submarine volcano. Dive! is an interactive experience using video and computer animation that allows you explore black smoker vents, unusual life forms, and newly erupted lava flows.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Podcast
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Satellites
GPS and geodesy
Ships and planes
Ecosystems
Harmful algal blooms
Life in an estuary
Coral reef ecosystems
Tsunamis
Tides
Oil spills
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean currents

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Diving Deeper podcast

This archive presents a list of National Ocean Service Diving Deeper podcast titles, publication dates, audio (mp3) links, and transcripts for all episodes released between 2009-2016. This podcast was retired in 2016, replaced by the NOAA Ocean Podcast.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology
Physical science

Resource type

Background information
Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Climate
Climate change impacts
Cryosphere
Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Ocean and coasts
Tsunamis
Space
Space weather
Technology and engineering
Mapping and charting
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Ships and planes
Weather and atmosphere
Drought
Fires
Weather systems and patterns

Collection name

Do you NOAA?

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to take a trip on a science plane, or what an incident meteorologist does? Come take a trip through our science and see what you already do, and do not, NOAA!

Audience

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Webinar
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Buoys
Ecosystems
Marine mammals
Aquatic food webs

Collection name

National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: Archived webinars

Dolphin species often play key roles in ecosystems and also use habitats that overlap with areas of human activity. Learn more about when and where dolphin species occur so that the research can inform ecosystem management and mitigate human impacts. This presentation will focus on the biology and ecology of dolphins, current threats, and how technology is helping us learn about their occurrence and distribution.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Marine mammals

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

When marine scientists come across a group of sick or dead dolphins, they need to find out why, so they can better protect them. But giving a dolphin a checkup in the wild isn't easy. It requires a large team of trained vets and scientists. They use specially designed nets and equipment in order to safely capture and gently restrain these large animals. And believe it or not, their checkups are a lot like ours.

Audience

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Marine mammals

Collection name

Ocean Today: Fix the ocean

Don't feed wild animals! Watch this video from the perspective of a wild dolphin.

Audience

College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Career profile
Video
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Ocean and coasts
Satellites
Ocean floor features

A short video about mapping the ocean using satellites.