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
College+
Adults

Resource type

Video

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Tides

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Ocean Today

Join Ocean Today host Symone Barkley and safety expert Bruckner Chase as they survey hidden hazards in a bay or harbor where there are jetties and piers, strong currents and no lifeguards nearby. Watch to learn tips you can use to stay safe in the water and have fun.

Audience

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

Resource type

Webinar

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Tides

Special categories

Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Ocean Today

In this webinar, watch cool videos, visit the beach live, and learn everything you need to know to make your next trip to the shore your best and safest.

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

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Technology and engineering
Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Sea level rise
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
Hurricanes
Tides
Ocean currents
Rivers
Harmful algal blooms

Explore real-time coastal observations, forecasts, and warnings in an interactive map tool.

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

Adults
College+
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

Coloring/activity book
Collection
Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Clouds
Earth processes
Fish
Ecosystems
Fisheries and seafood
Coral reef ecosystems
Weather systems and patterns
Weather observations
Tornadoes
Hurricanes
El Niño and La Niña
Tsunamis
Tides
Oil spills
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean currents

Special categories

Informal
Inquiry
Project-based
Safety/preparedness
Outdoor education
Education at home
Models
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

An activity book for educators and students

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Podcast
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Marine life
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Satellites
GPS and geodesy
Ships and planes
Ecosystems
Harmful algal blooms
Life in an estuary
Coral reef ecosystems
Tsunamis
Tides
Oil spills
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Ocean currents

Special categories

Cultural heritage
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

Diving Deeper podcast

This archive presents a list of National Ocean Service Diving Deeper podcast titles, publication dates, audio (mp3) links, and transcripts for all episodes released between 2009-2016. This podcast was retired in 2016, replaced by the NOAA Ocean Podcast.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Technology and engineering
Climate
Ocean and coasts
Buoys
Climate data monitoring
Ocean currents

An army of approximately 1,000 small drifter buoys patrols the world's ocean and records key data for climate monitoring and research. "Because the drifters provide a ground-truth of currents, they are great for combining with satellite observations to study climate-scale problems," said Rick Lumpkin, director of NOAA's Global Drifter Program, which maintains the fleet of buoys and manages the processing and distribution of the data they collect.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology
Physical science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Technology and engineering
Buoys
Weather and atmosphere
Hurricanes

On October 8, 2018, 10 drifting buoys were thrown from the hatch of a U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunter into the Gulf of Mexico so they could be in front of Hurricane Michael to help with hurricane forecasting.

Audience

Grade 3-5

Subject

ELA (English Language Arts)
Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents

NGSS DCI

PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
ESS2: Earth’s Systems

Special categories

Models
Uses data
Instructional strategies

Students use scientific inquiry and data gathering skills to learn about force, motion, and ocean currents using the true story of toys that fell off a ship during a storm and drifted to various places.