Go back to school with NOAA
NOAA Education
Are you a teacher or educator looking for science resources for the new school year ahead? Our educational resources from across NOAA cover topics from the bottom of the ocean to the surface of the sun. Consider the resources below must-haves for a successful year of teaching about the ocean and atmosphere!
Featured resources
Engage students with these resource kits that simplify lesson planning. Each bundle is organized by grade level and topic, and includes everything from background information and interactive activities to data visualization with SOS Explorer®. Topics include ecosystems, clouds, complex food webs, and climate change and trends.
Have you ever wondered why the ocean ebbs and flows like clockwork? Understanding the tides and predicting their timing is important for many marine activities. This knowledge helps us navigate through coastal waterways, construct bridges, and even decide when it’s the best time to go fishing, surfing, or tidepooling.
Dive into the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program's curated collection of background, classroom ready, regional, and species-specific educational resources. This website hosts resources for educators, students, and anyone interested in ocean acidification.
The Arctic Report Card Educational Resource Kit is a curated collection of resources for anyone interested in the Arctic Report Card, especially educators and students, and designed to be used with all editions of the Arctic Report Card.
Watch this playlist of educational videos on a variety of common weather topics like weather basics, the water cycle, space weather, and more! These videos range in length from under one minute to 20 minutes.
Dive into data
Inspired by strategies developed to discuss and interpret art, Data Lens activities bring a new angle to teaching data literacy. Each exercise includes a timely global map that can prompt an open-ended discussion in which there are no right or wrong answers. When used regularly in the classroom, these deep reflections can help prepare your students to interpret any data visualization they encounter.
This NOAA data-driven module connects students with the latest local and national datasets on heat, linking science directly to their daily lives. Through five scaffolded lessons, they work with interactive maps and graphs, analyze heat-mapping data from across the United States, and watch videos featuring student experiences, citizen scientists, and researchers.
Data Mysteries transform real-world environmental data into captivating lessons for educators and students. Unravel phenomena like "Mud or Flood: Hurricanes Picking Sides" or investigate "The Sunlight Veil" to explore how human activities and natural events impact coastal habitats. This resource allows students to analyze authentic scientific data and uncover the secrets of our estuaries.
This video shows teachers and educators a brief overview of weather.gov, which is a great entry point for introducing students to data. The video includes prompting questions to get students thinking about maps, graphs, trends, and more.
Our resource database, NOAA Sea to Sky, can help you quickly find lesson plans, videos, data resources, activities, and more created by NOAA and our partners.
Hands-on science activities with video tutorials
Students simulate the techniques oceanographers use to explore and map the sea floor.
Students observe the formation of a cloud inside a plastic bottle by increasing the pressure and then rapidly releasing it.
Students will observe the formation of a water vortex by swirling water from one bottle into another.
Students design and build a boat out of aluminum foil to test how well it floats and how much weight it can carry.
Connect with NOAA
Did you know that the National Weather Service (NWS) can virtually visit your classroom and talk with your students? There are outreach teams dedicated to weather and climate, space weather, hydrology (rivers), and tsunamis. Some programs are available in Spanish.
NOAA has hundreds of facilities and professional communicators across the globe. Get connected to NOAA guest speakers, field trips, and professional development in your area.
Looking for field experience, conferences, or teacher development events? Find information about educational opportunities that are available to educators through NOAA.
NOAA has opportunities for students of any level — from kindergarten through high school, undergraduate and graduate, and even recent graduates.
Tour NOAA Boulder virtually or in-person, explore teacher resources, and even be a scientist for a day through videos, activities, and more!
This webinar series provides educators, students, and the interested public with educational and scientific expertise, resources, and training to support ocean and climate literacy. Check out their huge collection of archived webinars!
Get your students involved with NOAA
By getting involved with citizen science projects, you can help NOAA collect data that can help preserve and protect our planet. NOAA offers a broad range of projects you can participate in, ranging from counting whales to reporting your local weather. You can join an in-person project or choose one that you can participate in virtually from your computer or smartphone.
A new level of engagement for enthusiastic youth aged 13-18, students can apply to the Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program and become part of a nationwide network of young people who share ideas, experiences, and support for ocean conservation and stewardship efforts. Application opens November 13, 2026.
Get students outside and onto the shoreline! With the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, students can monitor the health of our ocean and coasts by recording the amount and types of debris in their local environment.
Open to all K-8 students, the Kids Club offers opportunities for young minds to express their insights, observations, and understanding of their natural environment by connecting to their local watersheds through storytelling, poetry, and visual art.