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.” 

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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 6-8
Grade 3-5

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Lesson plan
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Marine life
Fish

Special categories

Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Collection name

Teacher at Sea

Taxonomic keys are tools that scientists use in the field to identify organisms based on physical characteristics. By designing one, students will understand how to properly use a taxonomic key. This activity also requires students to make observations and apply knowledge of external fish anatomy. Students will observe pictures of ten different Alaskan fish species and design a taxonomic (dichotomous) key that can be used to identify them.

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

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

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Freshwater
Marine life
Invasive species
Fish
Great Lakes ecoregion

Special categories

Informal
Printable
Education at home
Hands-on
Instructional strategies

Working with a set of illustrated Great Lakes fish cards, students identify distinguishing characteristics of fish and use a dichotomous key to identify 10 common fish families.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5

Subject

Life science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Marine life
Fish
Life in an estuary

NGSS DCI

LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Informal

In this activity, students build their own fish and describe how it lives in its habitat. Students choose which type of body shape, mouth, and tail will aid in the survival of their fish in their habitat. Students can draw in scales and sensory organs if they choose.

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 6-8

Subject

Life science
Math
Social studies

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Marine life
Ecosystems
Fish
Ocean and coasts
Maritime archaeology and history

NGSS DCI

LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Models

This lesson highlights the use of shipwrecks as artificial reefs. Students conduct a mock biological survey of fish populations using practiced methods of visual census transects and stationary quadrats. Students will apply and practice data sampling, collection, and analysis techniques. Students will make observations of similarities and differences between surveys and then make informed conclusions based on the data.

Audience

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

Subject

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

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Background information
Collection
Multimedia
Video

Topic

Freshwater
Rivers
Watersheds, flooding, and pollution
Marine life
Ecosystems
Fish
Fisheries and seafood
Life in an estuary

Special categories

Grantee resource
Instructional strategies
Education at home
Hands-on
Informal
Models
Outdoor education
Uses data
Other languages
Spanish
Printable

Collection name

B-WET grantee
Salmon Heroes

On this page you will find information and links for everything you need for your Virtual Salmon Heroes Experience. The Virtual Salmon Heroes program is divided into three parts, which include 1) Introductory lesson videos, 2) field lesson videos, and 3) synthesis lesson videos. A Salmon Heroes Field Journal accompanies the videos.