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.”

 

Filters:

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Ocean sounds
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Marine mammals

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

There is increasing concern that human-made noises may affect marine animals, especially whales. An international team of scientists and underwater sound experts conducted a study at a U.S. Navy listening range to study the impact.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Background information
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Space
Space weather
Technology and engineering
Satellites

This website from the Space Weather Prediction Center shares space weather information and resources for a broad audience.

Audience

Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Space
Space weather
Technology and engineering
Satellites

Collection name

Space weather videos

Watch videos from the Space Weather Prediction Center on what space weather is, what its impacts are, and how NOAA monitors it.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Career profile
Video
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations

Pam Heinselman, a research meteorologist with the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, is being featured in "STEM Stories," a project to highlight the lives and work of women involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video
Background information
Poster/brochure
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Special categories

Printable
Safety/preparedness
Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Storm surge videos and brochures

Brochures and videos on a major hazard of hurricanes: storm surge. Most resources are also available in Spanish.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Technology and engineering
Tsunamis

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Tsunami science and safety

The first tsunami vertical evacuation center in North America is at an elementary school in Greys Harbor County, WA. Watch to learn about tsunamis, and how the evacuation center could save hundreds of lives.

Audience

Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Multimedia
Video

Topic

Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Ella M. White Elementary fifth-grade students visited Thunder Bay River in the northeast Michigan watershed, where they used nets to trawl for plastics and were shocked to find microplastics in the water. After analyzing samples from the river, fifth-grader Tucker Bright said, “If there are this many microplastics in this little sample, just imagine how many there are in the Great Lakes!” To raise awareness about finding plastics in the river and finding solutions to this problem, these Alpena Public Schools students developed a film, “Plastics 101.”

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ecosystems

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Fix the ocean

At Florida A&M University’s Environmental Sciences Institute, students now have the opportunity to join a program that gives them access to the biggest science lab in the world … the ocean.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Data product
Easy-to-use data product
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Space
Space weather
Technology and engineering
Satellites

Collection name

Science On a Sphere catalog

This x-ray movie of the sun, produced by Dr. Steven Hill of NOAA’s Space Environment Center, is from October 19, 2003 through November 4, 2003. The data for it is from GOES Solar X-Ray Imager, SXI, which is an instrument attached to the GOES 12 satellite. The Space Environment Center receives a stream of the data which it then uses to make space weather alerts and forecast services. The SXI collects one image per minute and varies the exposure settings to allow for three different views to see coronal structures, active regions and solar flares.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Life science

Resource type

Career profile
Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Salmon
Sharks, rays, and skates
Fish
Invertebrates
Fisheries and seafood

Special categories

Region
Pacific Islands region

Collection name

Sustainable fisheries video gallery

Explore this collection of videos from NOAA Fisheries on sustainable fisheries.