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.” 

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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 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Background information
Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Marine life
Conservation
Sea turtles

Learn how NOAA uses science to improve the conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered sea turtles.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5

Subject

Arts
ELA (English Language Arts)
Life science
Math
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Module/unit

Topic

Marine life
Marine mammals

NGSS DCI

LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on

This curriculum introduces killer whale biology, research, and management through the story of Springer, the young killer whale who was found orphaned in the Puget Sound in 2002. NOAA, the community, and many other agencies in both the United States and Canada worked together to reunite Springer with her pod. Each of the seven lessons in the unit has a slide presentation on background information, hands-on activities, and stewardship information. The book "Springer's Journey" can also be incorporated for grades 2-3. Some of the activities in the younger grade band can also be adapted for preK-1 classes.

Audience

Grade 6-8

Subject

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

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan
Module/unit

Topic

Marine life
Conservation
Marine mammals

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ETS1: Engineering Design
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Models
Outdoor education
Project-based
Uses data

News headlines about the Southern Resident killer whales are often bleak. When students are flooded with media coverage of environmental destruction, they can experience chronic anxiety. So, how can we inspire young people to become environmental stewards when they are inheriting seemingly insurmountable problems — like saving a critically-endangered marine mammal from extinction? The unit contains nine fully planned activities that can be used as stand-alone activities or as a complete series. The activities can be scaled to different timelines and students’ interests. The unit provides many opportunities for students to create public products and share their learning beyond the classroom. The final activity provides scaffolding for a student-led stewardship project that embraces students’ talents and interests.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Marine life
Technology and engineering
Fisheries and seafood

Collection name

Ocean Today

These students work with fish every day, learning real-world skills that are not only fun, but allow them to learn a sustainable trade.

Audience

Grade 3-5

Subject

Earth science
ELA (English Language Arts)
Life science
Math
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan
Module/unit

Topic

Marine life
Ecosystems
Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

NGSS DCI

ESS2: Earth’s Systems
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions

Special categories

Citizen science
Instructional strategies
Uses data

This curriculum incorporates lessons on marine debris into a broader investigation that helps students make the connection between the various parts of an aquatic ecosystem, as well as understand how people can impact such environments. It is designed to be used by fifth-grade teachers that are participating in the Nature’s Academy hands-on educational program in Florida. It outlines the specific standards that are covered by the included lessons, provides background information meant to best prepare students and teachers for participation in the field trip activities, and includes comprehensive lesson plans that utilize the Nature’s Academy Citizen Science Database. Although this curriculum is aimed at students and teachers participating in the field trip program, the materials provided may prove to be a useful resource for many educators.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Climate
Coral reef ecosystems
Ocean acidification
Seaweed, algae, and aquatic plants
Climate change impacts
Endangered species
Adaptations

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today

Corals have been devastated by the past few years of intense ocean heat, but coral scientists are getting closer to understanding what makes a coral “super" - able to withstand high temperatures - and it may have to do with what’s inside a coral’s cells.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Webinar
Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Satellites
Climate data monitoring
Changing seasons

Collection name

Science On a Sphere catalog

A pocket-sized version of NOAA’s Science On a Sphere®, the SOS Explorer™ (SOSx) mobile app animates the world right on your smartphone. The NOAA Global Systems Laboratory education team demonstrates how easy it is to use SOSx to do mini-lessons.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Game/online activity
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
Tornadoes
Hurricanes

Collection name

SciJinks

This collection of weather games and online activities covers snow, hurricanes, tornadoes, precipitation, rainbows, lightning and more.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Arts and crafts

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Satellites
Weather systems and patterns
Hurricanes

Special categories

Printable

Collection name

SciJinks

Try out these four fun weather and satellite pumpkin carving templates!

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Space
Space weather
Technology and engineering
Satellites
Weather and atmosphere
Clouds
Hurricanes

Special categories

Printable

Collection name

SciJinks

Color and learn about weather with these printable coloring pages, brought to you by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites — R Series weather satellites.