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 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Frequently asked questions about tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Career profile
Video
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations
Tornadoes

B-roll from inside the Forecast Office in Norman, Oklahoma.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

This website is designed to teach you how to stay safe when a tornado threatens. If you know what to do before, during and after a tornado, you will minimize your risk of injury and increase your chances of survival. You'll also find links to research, past events other topics of interest as well as downloadable safety handouts about thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Simulation
Multimedia

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Special categories

Education at home
Models
Instructional strategies

Adjust the tornado's diameter and core pressure difference in this simulation, then click the "go" button and observe the different types of wind damage tornadoes can produce.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Monthly and annual tornado summaries, data, and statistics.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

An overview of tornadoes from the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Climate
Ocean and coasts
Climate change impacts
Carbon cycle
Ocean acidification

Special categories

Scientists in action

How and why does NOAA measure carbon in the ocean? This video demonstrates how scientists at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory collect data on carbon and why those measurements are important. The video discusses links to climate change, ocean acidification, and their predicted effects.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Satellites
Weather observations

Lightning strikes, giant sparks of electricity in Earth’s atmosphere that are hotter than the surface of the sun , are a major hazard during thunderstorms. Knowing when and where lightning is occurring can tell us a lot about a storm - including its location, whether it’s intensifying, and if the storm is capable of producing severe weather.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Weather observations

A multi-agency project, Coastal and Inland Flood Observation and Warning Project (CI-FLOW), helps to improve the forecasts on total water level, which will tell communities how flooding will impact them. This video explains how these predictions are made and how communities can be prepared.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Technology and engineering
Buoys
Tsunamis

Special categories

Region
Pacific Islands region
Alaska region
Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Danger zone

Tsunamis can strike any coast at any time. NOAA has developed a real-time monitoring system, DART, to forecast tsunamis and give warning.