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.

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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

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Scientists at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center conducted a detailed post-storm analysis on all the data available for Hurricane Michael and have determined that the storm’s estimated intensity at landfall was 140 knots (160 mph). Michael is the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States as a category 5 since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and only the fourth on record.

Audience

Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
ELA (English Language Arts)
Engineering and technology
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan
Module/unit

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ETS1: Engineering Design

Special categories

Grantee resource
Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Inquiry
Models
Uses data
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

ELP grantee

Hurricane Resilience is a high school environmental science curriculum for use in coastal locations where hurricanes are common. The curriculum unit aims to empower high school students to have a voice in resilience planning and help them understand the relationship between the science of hurricanes and the local impacts of these storms on people and places.

Audience

College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Infographic
Background information
Poster/brochure
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

The National Weather Service hurricane safety page includes information on general safety, watches and warnings, how to plan for a hurricane, and what to do during and after a hurricane.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Social studies

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

Hurricanes are powerful storms that bring life-threatening hazards to people living in both coastal and inland communities. Though you may first think of wind when envisioning a hurricane, water hazards are historically the most deadly. This explainer reviews the three major hazards of hurricanes — storm surge, heavy rainfall, and strong wind — and give you actions you can take before, during, and after tropical weather to protect your life and property.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Satellites
Hurricanes

Explore satellite imagery showing tropical cyclone activity.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Search archived tropical cyclone reports, advisories, tropical weather outlooks, and more data by type, year, or ocean basin.

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 6-8
Grade 3-5

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Webinar
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Ships and planes
Hazards and safety
Hurricanes

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

This webinar series from the National Hurricane Center features forecasters from local NWS Weather Forecast Offices, flight directors and other personnel from the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters, and international meteorological agencies. Some webinars are available in Spanish.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

This website, with input from a NOAA advisory panel, includes information on hurricanes, history, and society.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Webinar
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

The 2018 Hurricane Webinar for 4th through 6th grade classes are presented by the Hurricanes: Science and Society (HSS) team at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (URIO/GSO) in partnership with the NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (AOC). The purpose of the Hurricane Webinars is to raise awareness about hurricanes in advance of the North Atlantic hurricane season. Students will hear from NHC scientists as well as NOAA AOC personnel who fly into hurricanes. The webinar will cover hurricane hazards, forecasting, observing hurricanes with airplanes, and hurricane preparedness. Questions from the audience were answered during the webinar.