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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Oil spills
Mapping and charting

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Fix the ocean

Learn what changes have been made in the decades since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and what NOAA is doing to prepare for future disasters.

Audience

Grade K-2

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Life science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Marine life
Marine mammals

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Collection name

Teacher at Sea

Students will choose a whale to research. They will research their whale and then work with a partner who has researched a different whale to compare and contrast the whales using a Venn diagram. After completing the Venn diagram, students will create an informational poster using their research. Students will share their work with peers from another class.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Career profile

Topic

Technology and engineering
Ocean and coasts
Ships and planes
Oil spills

A life at sea, or a career conserving natural resources? Both!

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
Salmon
Fish
Fisheries and seafood

Special categories

Grantee resource

An animated overview of the life cycle of Pacific salmon species.

Audience

Grade 9-12

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Ecosystems
Aquatic food webs
Ocean floor features

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Printable

Collection name

Ocean Exploration educational materials

Despite existing in the depths of the ocean, where sunlight cannot reach, hydrothermal vents are oases of life in the deep. In this investigation, students explore the phenomenon: How can ecosystems survive without sunlight? and develop their understanding of chemosynthetic communities through student-sensemaking.

Audience

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

Subject

Physical science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Marine life
Adaptations

Collection name

Ocean Today

What exactly is light and how is it created? Follow along with this hands-on activity involving glow sticks!

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Fish
Invasive marine species
Aquatic food webs

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Go fish

Lurking in the waters of the western Atlantic is an unwelcome predator. A predator that is beautiful – yet deadly. A stealthy, ambush predator with venomous spines, potential prey fall easy victim to the invasive Red Lionfish.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology
Social studies

Resource type

Multimedia
Webinar

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean sounds
Technology and engineering

National marine sanctuaries are a source of many sounds from humans and animals, as well as abiotic sounds coming from weather and water. Researchers need special tools to "see" beneath the waves to better understand and protect sanctuaries. Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary has been a hot spot for passive acoustic monitoring for years, and this webinar explores various ways in which the Channel Islands sanctuary and partners are characterizing the sanctuary soundscape, what we've been able to learn so far, and what we are still seeking to understand.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Climate data monitoring
Weather observations

Part of the National Centers for Environmental Information, Local Climatological Data hosts common past weather data including temperature, precipitation, wind, pressure, and more. Search by state/territory, county, or zip code to download information. Some international data are available. Note: Though you may need to click "Add to cart" to obtain data, all information is free unless you require a certified copy.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Marine life
Weather and atmosphere
Sea turtles
Hurricanes

Caught in an Atlantic hurricane, satellite-tagged loggerhead turtles changed their dive behavior and movement patterns as the storm passed.