NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

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.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Social studies

Resource type

Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Climate
Climate change
Climate change impacts
Cryosphere
Resiliency and mitigation
Marine life
Aquatic food webs
Coral reef ecosystems
Ecosystems
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Invertebrates
Marine mammals
Sea turtles
Seabirds
Sharks, rays, and skates
Ocean and coasts
Harmful algal blooms
Maritime archaeology and history
Ocean acidification
Ocean currents
Ocean exploration
Ocean floor features
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Oil spills
Rip currents
Sea level rise
Tsunamis
Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
El Niño and La Niña
Hazards and safety
Hurricanes
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Ocean Today

Watch. Explore. Discover. View the beauty and mystery of the ocean realm captured on video around the globe. Videos are organized into collections to help educators.

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

Lesson includes
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 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology
Life science
Physical science
Social studies

Resource type

Career profile
Collection

Topic

Climate
Climate change
Climate change impacts
Climate data monitoring
Cryosphere
Marine life
Ecosystems
Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification
Ocean chemistry
Ocean exploration
Ocean floor features
Technology and engineering
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Ships and planes
Weather and atmosphere

Learn all about the incredible staff who work for NOAA Research! This page provides dozens of career profiles from many fields within NOAA.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Collection
NOAA Education resource collection

Topic

Climate
Climate change impacts
Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification

This resource collection from NOAA Education explores the chemistry behind ocean acidification and how this impacts living things animals, algae, and ecosystems. In the 200-plus years since the industrial revolution began, the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has increased due to human actions. During this time, the pH of surface ocean waters has fallen by 0.1 pH units. This might not sound like much, but the pH scale is logarithmic, so this change represents approximately a 30 percent increase in acidity.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Lesson plan
Collection
Multimedia
Video
Webinar
Related story

Topic

Climate
Climate change
Climate change impacts
Climate data monitoring
Marine life
Adaptations
Coral reef ecosystems
Conservation
Ecosystems
Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification

A rapidly changing climate brings challenges to our underwater parks in ways we have never seen before. Climate-related impacts, like changing weather patterns and storm events, warming seas, ocean acidification, and sea level rise, are becoming more prevalent around the globe. Changes in climate will affect national marine sanctuaries and the overall health of the ocean, which is vital to our quality of life and, ultimately, our survival.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Multimedia
Video

Topic

Climate
Climate change
Climate change impacts
Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification

Special categories

Grantee resource
Other languages
Spanish

Una mirada al efecto directo e indirecto que ha causado la absorción de dióxido de carbono (CO2) en los ecosistemas marinos, corales y organismos marinos. Estudios de monitoreo realizados y cómo las comunidades pueden ayudar.

Audience

Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Module/unit
Multimedia
Game/online activity

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification

NGSS DCI

ESS2: Earth’s Systems
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
PS1: Matter and Its Interactions

Special categories

Lesson includes
Hands-on
Inquiry
Models
Uses data

Collection name

Data in the Classroom

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising, but what does this mean for the world's ocean? Using data from NOAA, students will explore relationships between carbon dioxide, ocean pH and aragonite saturation state. By examining these parameters using graphs and models, students can predict whether ocean conditions support the growth and survival of shell-building marine life, both now and in the future.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Career profile
Collection
Multimedia
Webinar

Topic

Climate
Carbon cycle
Cryosphere
Freshwater
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Aquatic food webs
Coral reef ecosystems
Ecosystems
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Invasive marine species
Invertebrates
Life in an estuary
Marine mammals
Plankton
Salmon
Sea turtles
Seabirds
Seaweed, algae, and aquatic plants
Sharks, rays, and skates
Ocean and coasts
Harmful algal blooms
Maritime archaeology and history
Ocean acidification
Ocean exploration
Ocean floor features
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Oil spills
Tsunamis
Technology and engineering
Buoys
ROVs, AUVs, and drones
Satellites
Ships and planes
Weather and atmosphere
Drought
Fires
Hazards and safety
Hurricanes
Space weather
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Other languages
American Sign Language
Spanish

Collection name

NOAA Live! 4 Kids

This webinar series was developed by NOAA's Regional Collaboration Network and Woods Hole Sea Grant at WHOI in response to the COVID school closures. With over 100 webinars featuring different NOAA experts/topics and a moderated question and answers session throughout so that students could get a peek at what our NOAA scientists do in all the various NOAA offices. They range in geography, content, and NOAA line office focus but are all designed to engage the students, answer their questions, and give them a glimpse of possible career options. Captions are available in English and Spanish. Many have ASL interpretation.

Audience

Grade 3-5
Grade 6-8

Subject

Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification

NGSS DCI

PS1: Matter and Its Interactions

Special categories

Lesson includes
Hands-on

In this lesson students will explore the effects of acidic ocean waters on certain marine organisms, in the ocean food web, and to humans. Students will conduct a science experiment using the scientific method to see the effects of increased acidity on certain species. They will also investigate the causes for increased ocean acidity and discuss ways to minimize the impact as an individual and as a society.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring
Marine life
Coral reef ecosystems
Ocean and coasts
Ocean acidification

How can scientists learn about climate from these beautiful and essential underwater ecosystems? Many coral reefs have been around for millions of years, yet they are extremely sensitive to changes in climate conditions. Corals are affected by ocean warming (sometimes bleaching when temperatures rise or fall), by pollution and runoff, and by changes in the pH of seawater, which decreases as more carbon dioxide enters the ocean—a trend known as ocean acidification.