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

Subject

Earth science
ELA (English Language Arts)
Engineering and technology
Life science
Math
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan
Module/unit
Collection

Topic

Climate
Carbon cycle
Climate change impacts
Freshwater
Water cycle
Marine life
Coral reef ecosystems
Life in an estuary
Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification
Weather and atmosphere
El Niño and La Niña

NGSS DCI

ESS2: Earth’s Systems
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Inquiry
Models
Uses data

Collection name

Data in the Classroom

Data in the Classroom has structured, student-directed lesson plans that use historical and real-time NOAA data. The five modules address research questions and include stepped levels of engagement with complex inquiry investigations with real-time and past data.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology
Life science
Math
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Collection
Multimedia
Game/online activity
Simulation

Topic

Climate
Carbon cycle
Changing seasons
Climate change impacts
Climate data monitoring
Cryosphere
Freshwater
Rivers
Water cycle
Ocean and coasts
Earth processes
Ocean acidification
Ocean currents
Ocean floor features
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Oil spills
Sea level rise
Tides
Space
Space weather
Weather and atmosphere
Clouds
Drought
El Niño and La Niña
Fires
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Citizen science
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Informal
Inquiry
Models
Outdoor education
Project-based
Uses data

Collection name

CLEAN climate and energy education resource collection

Accurate education about climate and energy topics has never been more important, and it can be challenging to locate reliable, vetted educational materials to use in your classroom. CLEAN is here to help you find the resources that you need, without wondering about their scientific credibility or educational value. Search for resources by NGSS Performance Expectations (PE) and Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI), grade level, keyword or resource type, or use CLEAN to design your own unit.

Audience

Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Module/unit
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Climate
Life in an estuary
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Inquiry
Models
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Data in the Classroom

Estuaries are critically important ecosystems, yet they are also some of the most impacted by human activities. In this module, students will use real data to investigate the water quality characteristics of an estuary (water temperature, salinity and oxygen), the relationship between these parameters, and the effect that water quality has on estuarine organisms.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Collection
Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Climate
Climate change impacts

NGSS DCI

PS3: Energy
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
ESS2: Earth’s Systems
ESS1: Earth’s Place in the Universe
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Special categories

Informal
Education at home
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Are you ready to discover your changing world? This free activity book will introduce you to The Essential Principles of Climate Science, help you learn about Earth's climate system, the factors that drive and change it, the impacts of those changes, and what you can do to explore, understand, and protect our Earth. Download the full activity book or individual activities. Have Fun!

Audience

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

Subject

Arts
Social studies
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Animation
Background information
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Climate
Ocean and coasts
Ecosystems
Freshwater
Life in an estuary
Aquatic food webs
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean acidification

Special categories

Informal
Project-based
Outdoor education
Education at home
Models
Hands-on
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Estuary Education website

Why teach about estuaries? This suite of estuary education resources help educators bring estuarine science into the classroom through hands-on learning, experiments, fieldwork, and data explorations. These specially designed lessons, activities, data explorations, animations and videos can be used independently or as a supplement to existing curricula and can be adapted to meet any grade level.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Math
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Collection

Topic

Climate
Carbon cycle
Climate change impacts
Climate data monitoring
Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification
Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Grantee resource
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Informal
Models
Uses data

Collection name

ELP grantee

The activities in this collection are based on the principle that real-time environmental data is a valuable tool for providing students with opportunities for self-directed exploration of the natural world. Students engaging in these activities will gain a deeper understanding of carbon cycling, ocean acidification, and other phenomena related to climate change. These activities are designed with the three-dimensional approach to teaching in mind (e.g. NGSS-aligned), and also use a data literacy framework to help guide students through data orientation, interpretation, and synthesis.

Audience

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

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Humanities/liberal arts
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Related story
Career profile
Images
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Freshwater
Marine life
Climate
Salmon
Fish
Ecosystems
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Life in an estuary
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Carbon cycle

Special categories

Outdoor education
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

To celebrate National Estuaries Week, September 15-22, 2018, we featured the stories of NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholars who got their feet wet interning at five different National Estuarine Research Reserves around the United States in summer 2018.

Audience

Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Arts
Social studies
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Module/unit
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Climate
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Satellites
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Ecosystems
Sea level rise
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean currents
Ocean acidification

Special categories

Informal
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Collection name

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer: Education materials collection

The Okeanos Explorer education materials collection was developed to encourage educators and students to become personally involved with the voyages and discoveries of the Okeanos Explorer – the only federal vessel dedicated to exploring our largely unknown ocean for the purpose of discovery and the advancement of knowledge about the deep ocean.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 3-5

Subject

Arts
ELA (English Language Arts)
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Climate
Climate change impacts

Special categories

Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Students learn about the role methane hydrates played in animal evolution during the Cambrian Explosion, 541 million years ago. Students also learn how methane hydrates may contribute to climate change.