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.
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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

Grade K-2

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Marine life
Marine mammals

Special categories

Printable

An activity book with puzzles and coloring pages all about dolphins. We all love seeing dolphins in the wild! There are many ways we can enjoy seeing dolphins in the wild without disturbing them. Dolphin SMART is a program that helps boats viewing wild dolphins to view them responsibly, without harming them in any way. To learn more about the Dolphin SMART program, visit www.dolphinsmart.org.

Audience

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Webinar
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Buoys
Ecosystems
Marine mammals
Aquatic food webs

Collection name

National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series: Archived webinars

Dolphin species often play key roles in ecosystems and also use habitats that overlap with areas of human activity. Learn more about when and where dolphin species occur so that the research can inform ecosystem management and mitigate human impacts. This presentation will focus on the biology and ecology of dolphins, current threats, and how technology is helping us learn about their occurrence and distribution.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Marine mammals

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

When marine scientists come across a group of sick or dead dolphins, they need to find out why, so they can better protect them. But giving a dolphin a checkup in the wild isn't easy. It requires a large team of trained vets and scientists. They use specially designed nets and equipment in order to safely capture and gently restrain these large animals. And believe it or not, their checkups are a lot like ours.

Audience

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Marine mammals

Collection name

Ocean Today: Fix the ocean

Don't feed wild animals! Watch this video from the perspective of a wild dolphin.

Audience

College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Career profile
Video
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Ocean and coasts
Satellites
Ocean floor features

A short video about mapping the ocean using satellites.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Technology and engineering
Climate
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Climate data monitoring
Ocean currents

An army of approximately 1,000 small drifter buoys patrols the world's ocean and records key data for climate monitoring and research. "Because the drifters provide a ground-truth of currents, they are great for combining with satellite observations to study climate-scale problems," said Rick Lumpkin, director of NOAA's Global Drifter Program, which maintains the fleet of buoys and manages the processing and distribution of the data they collect.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology
Physical science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Technology and engineering
Buoys
Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

On October 8, 2018, 10 drifting buoys were thrown from the hatch of a U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunter into the Gulf of Mexico so they could be in front of Hurricane Michael to help with hurricane forecasting.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Drought
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts

See maps of drought data for the United States (2010–2018) and the world (2013–2018) as well as maps of U.S. drought risk projections until 2095. Use this resource to observe seasonal patterns and identify the drought risk for different areas.

Audience

Grade 3-5

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents

NGSS DCI

PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
ESS2: Earth’s Systems

Special categories

Models
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Students use scientific inquiry and data gathering skills to learn about force, motion, and ocean currents using the true story of toys that fell off a ship during a storm and drifted to various places.

Audience

Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Math
Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Background information
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Carbon cycle

NGSS DCI

PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ESS2: Earth’s Systems

Special categories

Informal
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Collection name

ESRL Global Monitoring Laboratory

On this page are links to five different earth science subject groups that relate to the Global Monitoring Division's research and mission. Within each subject group educators can easily access background information about the topics, student handouts, and classroom activities that can be incorporated into lesson plans. Information and activities are geared toward grades 7-12. Teachers should feel free to modify the activities to meet the needs of their students.