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.

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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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Uses data

Collection name

Teacher at Sea

Students examine actual data from a NOAA sea scallop survey in 2012, organize it, and make inferences about what type of story the data might tell.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Social studies
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Simulation
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Through role-playing, teamwork, and a little fate, this activity provides students with an opportunity to get an "insider's" view of what it takes to be an active stakeholder in a commercial fishery. Whether a boat owner, dockside buyer, processing plant owner, distributor, or retail seafood store operator, each student will get a deeper sense of the complex factors that determine the viability of a commercial fishery. Students will learn to understand the real costs that contribute to eventual market value, as well as experience some of the unanticipated gains or losses that can occur at any stage along the way.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Module/unit
Background information
Collection
Multimedia
Images
Video
Webinar
Poster/brochure
Related story

Topic

Climate
Marine life
Adaptations
Aquatic food webs
Conservation
Ecosystems
Endangered species
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Invasive marine species
Invertebrates
Seaweed, algae, and aquatic plants
Ocean and coasts

Special categories

Virtual reality/VR

Kelp forests are an important ecosystem that support a variety of species and grow predominantly along the Eastern Pacific Coast, from Alaska and Canada to the waters of Baja, California. Kelp forests can be found in four of our national marine sanctuaries along the West Coast of the United States. This collection has compiled wide-ranging resources from lesson plans, webinars, web stories, virtual reality videos, and more. You are invited to learn more about the importance of Kelp Forest Ecosystems, NOAA’s efforts to manage and conserve them, the species that call these forests home, and the threats kelp face.

Audience

Grade 3-5

Subject

Arts
Social studies
ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

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

Topic

Freshwater
Marine life
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Fisheries and seafood
Aquatic food webs
Salmon

NGSS DCI

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Cultural heritage
Outdoor education
Models
Hands-on
Other languages
Spanish

An Incredible Journey is filled with 10 hands-on lesson plans that explore the salmon life cycle; the cultural, environmental, and economic importance of salmon; the major issues facing salmon today; and how individuals can get involved to protect these iconic species.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Math
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Simulation
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Marine life
Life in an estuary
Fisheries and seafood

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

In this activity, students will take part in a simulated fishery, harvesting California market squid that are common in Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Because of their quick response time to environmental conditions, market squid provide an interesting example of ecosystem-based management at work. Student groups will role-play in a simulated fishing community, making decisions while also facing a range of natural and human-made challenges. Students will attempt the challenging task of maintaining a balance that sustains both the squid population and the squid fishery, which relies on that population and then analyze the results of their decisions.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Module/unit
Background information
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Tsunamis

Special categories

Informal
Instructional strategies

These materials help those with a role in the public tsunami warning system better understand tsunami science and increase their communication skills.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Images
Video
Game/online activity
Collection
Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Tsunamis

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Currículo de Tsunami, elaborados por la Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico y endosados por el Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico, cuentan con la guía para el educador que incluye las respuestas, los estándares de Ciencia y los objetivos que aplican a cada actividad. Además, encontrará presentaciones en power point, juegos, y las fotos y videos de sus estudiantes realizando las actividades del currículo, entre otros. This Tsunami Curriculum prepared by the Puerto Rico Seismic Network and endorsed by the Puerto Rico Department of Education includes an educator's guide and links to standards. You will also find PowerPoint presentations, games, photos, videos, and more.

Audience

Grade 9-12

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Models
Uses data

Collection name

Teacher at Sea

After selecting and analyzing fisheries data from NOAA, students develop research questions, analyze the data and draw conclusions, which are then represented visually in the form of a poster presentation and shared with the class.

Audience

Grade 6-8

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood
Aquatic food webs

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Informal
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

By the end of the interactive lesson, the students will be able to explain why overfishing has occurred in our ocean and describe the effects of overfishing on fish stocks.

Audience

Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8

Subject

Life science
Math

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Marine life
Fisheries and seafood

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Models
Uses data

Collection name

Teacher at Sea

The groundfish survey is part of SEAMAP — South East Area Monitoring and Assessment Program — a joint venture between NOAA and the states to better understand the populations of fish and shellfish along the coast of the Gulf and Atlantic. In this lesson, students will simulate the groundfish survey by classifying fish species and record their lengths. Students will then make graphs of their results and compare their findings. Finally, students will explore online maps to understand variations in habitat.