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.”

 

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Tsunamis

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

People are often unaware of the threat that tsunamis pose along the coast, as well as inland. If you live, work, or play on the coast, be prepared and stay safe! This engaging video provides compelling messages in an easy-to-understand format.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

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

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Module/unit

Topic

Freshwater
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Entanglement
Marine mammals
Seabirds
Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Ocean pollution and marine debris

NGSS DCI

ESS2: Earth’s Systems
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ETS1: Engineering Design
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Special categories

Citizen science
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Informal
Inquiry
Models
Outdoor education

Turning the Tide on Trash is a learning guide on marine debris. This set of lesson plans and background information introduces educators, students and researchers to the topic of marine debris. The interdisciplinary education guide is designed to provide maximum flexibility in the classroom: it can be used as a stand-alone teaching tool or to supplement work in other subject areas. Appropriate for grades K-12.

Audience

Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Multimedia
Game/online activity
Video

Topic

Marine life
Sea turtles
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Education at home

These materials are to be used along with an interactive video. In the video, students can virtually participate in a simulated sea turtle necropsy, or animal dissection, learn how trash can get to the ocean and impact sea turtles, and learn how we can all help stop marine debris. In the program activities guide, parents and teachers will find resources for the interactive video, information on marine debris, additional activities, and lesson extensions.

Audience

College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Technology and engineering
GPS and geodesy
Mapping and charting

The tutorial explains an overview of the history, essential elements, and modern methods of geodesy.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

Special categories

Informal
Outdoor education
Education at home
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Make cordage (rope) from fiber and begin exploring the development of technology as it relates to ropes and suspension bridge components.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations

Learn about the eight different types of fog and why they form.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring

Explore historical temperature and precipitation graphs from cities across the U.S. from the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
El Niño and La Niña

Extremes of temperature and precipitation can occur at any time. However, it can be shown that the El Niño/Southern Oscillation has a relationship to the relative frequency of these seasonal climate extremes in the United States. To see which regions of the U.S. have an increased or decreased risk of extreme warm/cold (or dry/wet) seasons during an ENSO event, select from the options below. Note that these changes in ENSO-related climate risk vary not only by region, but also by season.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product
Background information

Topic

Climate
Climate change impacts

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit is an inter-agency website designed to help people find and use tools, information, data, and subject matter expertise to build climate resilience. The goal is to improve people’s ability to understand and manage their climate-related risks and opportunities, and to help them make their communities and businesses more resilient to extreme events. Case studies from across the United States show examples of ways communities are building resilience.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information
Data product
Easy-to-use data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Search through monthly and yearly tornado statistics and compare to a 30 year average. The data is presented in a bar graph and is downloadable in a spreadsheet.