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.
  • 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

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

Subject

Life science
Social studies

Resource type

Coloring/activity book

Topic

Marine life
Conservation
Sea turtles

Special categories

Other languages
Samoan
Printable

Collection name

National marine sanctuaries coloring pages and puzzles

This coloring book explains the seven species of sea turtles and how to conserve them. The book is bilingual in English and Samoan.

Audience

College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
Humanities/liberal arts

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Marine life
Marine mammals

Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 in response to increasing concerns among scientists and the public that significant declines in some species of marine mammals were caused by human activities. The MMPA established a national policy to prevent marine mammal species and population stocks from declining beyond the point where they ceased to be significant functioning elements of the ecosystems of which they are a part. This was the first legislation to mandate an ecosystem-based approach to marine resource management.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product
Background information

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Oil spills

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, scientists, economists, and restoration experts came together to collect data, determine the extent and magnitude of injuries, and plan and implement restoration projects.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Oil spills

Thousands of oil spills occur in U.S. waters each year, but most are small in size, spilling less than one barrel of oil. Yet since the iconic 1969 oil well blowout in Santa Barbara, California, there have been at least 44 oil spills, each over 10,000 barrels (420,000 gallons), affecting U.S. waters. The largest of which was the 2010 Deepwater Horizon well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Tides
Rip currents

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Danger zone

In the Ocean Today Wave Safe series, we have visited the country’s favorite shores to teach you about the unique waves and weather at each location.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Informal
Models
Uses data

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

In this lesson plan, the students will determine the location of cold and warm fronts on a map plotted with weather observations.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Models
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

We feel the wind every day. The air is almost always in motion. One day it may be from the north and the next day from the south. There are many sources for wind: mechanical sources such as fans and, in nature, falling rain as it drags air along. But what is the origin of wind on the earth? Using a toaster, the students will observe that wind is created by the heat that rises.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Models

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

Rain and hail will be suspended by the updraft inside a thunderstorm until the weight of the hail and water can no longer be supported. Usually, the stronger the updraft in a thunderstorm, the more intense the storm and the larger the size of hail that can be produced. Suspending a ping pong ball in the stream of air supplied by a hair dryer will demonstrates how hail is supported in thunderstorms.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Maritime archaeology and history
Ocean exploration
Ecosystems

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Exploration

Maritime archaeologist Jim Delgado explains the importance of preserving shipwrecks.

Audience

Adults
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Climate data monitoring
Weather observations

Special categories

Citizen science

Thousands of amateur meteorologists across the United States help the National Weather Service track weather patterns by performing a daily task — checking the temperature and precipitation amounts on their property. These citizen scientists record and report their findings to the agency, every day.