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

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Fish
Oil spills

Vessel traffic and oil development have increased in the Arctic in response to warming ocean water and declining sea ice. Anywhere oil is collected, transported, or refined there is a risk of oil spills. As ship traffic and oil development increase in the Arctic, the risk of oil spills also increases.

Audience

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

Subject

Humanities/liberal arts
Engineering and technology
Life science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Salmon
Ecosystems
Marine mammals
Aquatic food webs
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Learn what scientists have discovered studying the endangered Southern Resident killer whales. See the science behind recovering this charismatic creature, from collecting their poop to tracking them using satellite tags.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean floor features
Sea level rise

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

How well do you know the ocean? Check out these amazing ocean facts!

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product
Background information

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Oil spills

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, scientists, economists, and restoration experts came together to collect data, determine the extent and magnitude of injuries, and plan and implement restoration projects.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Oil spills

Thousands of oil spills occur in U.S. waters each year, but most are small in size, spilling less than one barrel of oil. Yet since the iconic 1969 oil well blowout in Santa Barbara, California, there have been at least 44 oil spills, each over 10,000 barrels (420,000 gallons), affecting U.S. waters. The largest of which was the 2010 Deepwater Horizon well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Tides
Rip currents

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Danger zone

In the Ocean Today Wave Safe series, we have visited the country’s favorite shores to teach you about the unique waves and weather at each location.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Maritime archaeology and history
Ocean exploration
Ecosystems

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Exploration

Maritime archaeologist Jim Delgado explains the importance of preserving shipwrecks.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Oil spills
Mapping and charting

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Fix the ocean

Learn what changes have been made in the decades since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and what NOAA is doing to prepare for future disasters.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Career profile

Topic

Technology and engineering
Ocean and coasts
Ships and planes
Oil spills

A life at sea, or a career conserving natural resources? Both!

Audience

Grade 9-12

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Ecosystems
Aquatic food webs
Ocean floor features

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Printable

Collection name

Ocean Exploration educational materials

Despite existing in the depths of the ocean, where sunlight cannot reach, hydrothermal vents are oases of life in the deep. In this investigation, students explore the phenomenon: How can ecosystems survive without sunlight? and develop their understanding of chemosynthetic communities through student-sensemaking.