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

Subject

Math
Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Sea level rise
Tides

NOAA documents changes in high-tide flooding patterns from the previous year at 97 NOAA tide gauges along the U.S. coast, and provides a flooding outlook for these locations for the coming year, as well as projections for the next several decades.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring
Changing seasons

Special categories

Printable

Few real-world signs of climate change are easier to read than changes in the growing season of familiar vegetation. From lilacs — which are flowering earlier — to allergy-causing ragweed, which is producing pollen longer into the fall, vegetation is reacting to Earth’s rising surface temperature.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video
Multimedia

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Oil spills

Hindsight and Foresight was written and directed by marine biologist, Gary Shigenaka, of the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration Emergency Response Division (formerly the Hazardous Materials Response Branch). The movie received two awards: a bronze Telly Award and Honorable Mention at the Blue Ocean Film Festival in Savannah, Georgia. It was also selected as a featured film at the Paris International Environmental Film Festival.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product
Collection

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Tsunamis

Search historical tsunami events, Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART®) buoy data, and tide gauge records.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product
Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Information on some of the notable hurricanes and tropical storms going back to 1900.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

Visualize historical hurricane tracks on a global interactive map. Search for specific hurricanes by name or year or view hurricane activity by region. Data is available in graphs and tables. Get started with our tiny tutorial: https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/data/tiny-tutorials/historical-hurricane-tracks!

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Invertebrates

Special categories

Citizen science
Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Marine life

See footage from Delaware Bay, the site of horseshoe crab spawning.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Game/online activity
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations

Special categories

Instructional strategies

NSSL’s HotSeat Warning Simulator provides players with an appreciation of the meteorology of severe weather events and the decision-making process that goes into NWS warnings. It must be stressed, however, that the simulator only approximates the basic severe weather operations of the NWS. There is far more information in real-world warning operations than can be presented here. Still, we think you will learn a few things about severe weather and perhaps make yourself a better user of our warnings in the process. Good luck in the HotSeat! Remember, millions of people are depending on you!

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes

Preparation and resiliency cannot be achieved with accurate or timely forecasts alone.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean pollution and marine debris

These days plastic seems to be everywhere; unfortunately, that includes many parts of the ocean, from the garbage patches to Arctic sea ice. With this pollution increasingly in the form of tiny plastic bits, picking up a few bottles left on the beach can feel far removed from the massive problem of miniscule plastics floating out at sea. However, these two issues are more closely connected than you may think.