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.”

 

No results match your search.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Coral reef ecosystems

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Located in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Aquarius Reef Base supports one of the longest running and detailed coral reef monitoring programs in the world.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Technology and engineering
Mapping and charting
Ships and planes
ROVs, AUVs, and drones

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Learn how NOAA maps the ocean floor.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Climate
Technology and engineering
Buoys
Ocean currents

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Argo is a global array of more than 3,500 free-drifting profiling floats that measure the upper two thousand meters of the ocean. Learn what these floats can tell us.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Climate
Technology and engineering
Sea level rise
Climate change impacts
Buoys
Resiliency and mitigation

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Why does seal level change and how might rising sea levels affect people living on the coasts?

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Climate
Technology and engineering
Climate change impacts
Cryosphere
Sea level rise
Resiliency and mitigation

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

The numbers are in. The American Meteorological Society’s State of the Climate in 2013 shows that the vast majority of worldwide climate indicators continued to reflect trends of a warmer planet.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Sea turtles

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

The U.S. Government has charged NOAA with enforcing the laws and treaties related to the conservation and protection of marine resources. See how marine criminals have been brought to justice.

Audience

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

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Marine life
Technology and engineering
Coral reef ecosystems
Ocean exploration

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Most drugs come from flowers and plants on land, but the ocean, with its amazing biodiversity, offers many more organisms for scientist to discover and develop new medicines.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Video

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Climate
Freshwater
Technology and engineering
El Niño and La Niña
Weather systems and patterns
Climate change impacts
Satellites
Buoys
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Drought

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

El Niño and La Niña are periodic weather patterns resulting from interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere in the tropical Pacific Ocean. With so much at stake, it’s critical to be able to monitor and forecast when El Niño or La Niña is developing so governments, businesses, and private citizens can prepare.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Climate
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Carbon cycle

Special categories

Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Learn about "black carbon," which is a fancy name for soot, and its role in climate change. Black carbon comes from sources like burning fossil fuels, forest fires, and cookstoves. The video transcript is available in English and Spanish.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Video
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Freshwater
Marine life
Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Satellites
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Harmful algal blooms
Cryosphere
Sea level rise
Water cycle
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Coral reef ecosystems
Climate data monitoring
Climate change impacts
Carbon cycle
El Niño and La Niña
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean acidification

Collection name

Ocean Today
Ocean Today: Research

Questions and answers about how we study the ocean and what we've learned. Topics include harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico, climate recaps, climate change, ocean exploration, Arctic sea ice, and more