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.”

 

Filters:

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video
Background information
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Collection name

SciJinks

A video from SciJinks on how tornadoes form.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Infographic
Video
Multimedia

Topic

Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion

Interesting facts and statistics about the Great Lakes. Each piece of information is paired with a graphic that helps viewers visualize the statistic or fact.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Invertebrates

Special categories

Citizen science

Collection name

Ocean Today

During horseshoe crab spawning season, volunteers are dispatched along the Mid-Atlantic coast to help scientists track their populations. Learn how citizen scientists track the data and have fun on the "big crab count"!

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story
Video
Multimedia

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring

The extent to which our home planet changes in response to increases in man-made heat-trapping gases is one of the foremost questions for the scientific community, policy makers, and the general public alike. To help answer this question, NOAA’s Global Monitoring Division produces the Annual Greenhouse Gas Index—a yearly report on the combined influence of long-lived greenhouse gases on Earth’s surface temperature.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Ships and planes
Tornadoes

NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter P-3 Orion airplanes, known best for flying through tropical cyclones, can also take to the skies for a different research cause: The tracking of tornadoes in the southeastern United States. This short video shows what the pilots could see in the cockpit.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Technology and engineering
Ships and planes
Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Collection name

Hurricane Hunters video collection

Browse a collection of over 100 aircraft videos from the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. Most footage is of Hurricane Hunter flights, but some other flights are included.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Danger zone

Follow these steps NOW so you'll be ready for the next hurricane and keep yourself and your family safe. Know the difference between a Hurricane Watch and Warning and how to prepare in case of an evacuation order.

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
Salmon

Collection name

Ocean Today

From veggie fish food to underwater cameras, U.S. ocean farming is evolving. Watch to learn some of these sustainable innovations.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Images
Data product
Infographic
Video
Background information
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Tsunamis

The UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) coordinates the international tsunami warning and mitigation system. Background information, safety messaging, data, imagery, and more are available at this website.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Marine mammals
Ships and planes

Special categories

Citizen science

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Fix the ocean

Whales face threats from ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. YOU can help! All it takes is a smartphone.