NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

⚠️ This page recently underwent an update. If you had bookmarked direct links to search results from this page prior to March 18, 2024, those links may no longer work and you may need to make a new bookmark. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at education@noaa.gov.

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.”

 

Topic

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Data product
Easy-to-use data product
Multimedia
Images

Topic

Freshwater
Great Lakes ecoregion
Technology and engineering
Satellites
Weather and atmosphere
Clouds
Weather observations

View real-time and recent satellite images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. Download high-resolution images in multiple formats.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Data product

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Great Lakes ecoregion
Weather observations

The National Weather Service Great Lakes Portal has an interactive map to explore real-time data and forecasted conditions, with a focus on hazards. View the data in the interactive map, in a data table, or in text.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Math
Earth science
Life science
Physical science

Resource type

Easy-to-use data product
Images
Data product
Collection
Multimedia

Topic

Freshwater
Weather and atmosphere
Great Lakes ecoregion
Weather observations

Collection name

Great Lakes Meteorological Real-Time Coastal Observation Network (ReCON)

View real-time images and data collected by Great Lakes buoy stations or explore the data collected by the stations over the past 15 years. This real-time Great Lakes observational data is collected over time by sensors on coastal buoys as part of NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory's Real-Time Coastal Observation Network (ReCON). Each of ReCON’s 16 buoy stations has a webcam, collects meteorological data, and provides sub-surface measurements of chemical, biological, and physical parameters (things like wave height, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, and water temperature).

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12

Subject

Social studies
Earth science
Life science

Resource type

Intermediate data product
Data product

Topic

Marine life
Weather and atmosphere
Ocean and coasts
Fish
Harmful algal blooms
Invertebrates
Sea turtles
Marine mammals
Coral reef ecosystems
Weather observations
Hurricanes
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Ocean floor features
Sharks, rays, and skates

Explore data on physical, biotic, living marine resources, socioeconomic conditions, environmental quality, and jurisdictions in the Gulf of Mexico.

Audience

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

Subject

Social studies
Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Climate
Weather and atmosphere
Changing seasons
Weather observations

Special categories

Printable
Safety/preparedness
Other languages
Spanish

Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. Everyone can be vulnerable to heat, but some more so than others. This resource is designed to prepare you for excessive heat events, describe what to do during a an excessive heat wave, and inform you about the health dangers of heat.

Audience

Adults
College+
Grade 9-12
Grade 6-8

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Citizen science project
Background information
Activity/demonstration
Activities, lessons, and units

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations

Special categories

Citizen science

In most years, thunderstorms, tornadoes and lightning cause hundreds of injuries and deaths and billions in property and crop damages. To obtain critical weather information, the National Weather Service (NWS) established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Game/online activity
Activities, lessons, and units
Multimedia

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations

Special categories

Instructional strategies

NSSL’s HotSeat Warning Simulator provides players with an appreciation of the meteorology of severe weather events and the decision-making process that goes into NWS warnings. It must be stressed, however, that the simulator only approximates the basic severe weather operations of the NWS. There is far more information in real-world warning operations than can be presented here. Still, we think you will learn a few things about severe weather and perhaps make yourself a better user of our warnings in the process. Good luck in the HotSeat! Remember, millions of people are depending on you!

Audience

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

Subject

Engineering and technology
Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Satellites
Weather observations

Special categories

Italian
Printable
Other languages
Spanish

Collection name

SciJinks

How does a satellite stay up in space without falling back to Earth? How is a weather satellite able to take pictures or measure surface temperatures from space? How does a satellite communicate with Earth? Learn with this booklet!

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service use information from ground stations and weather satellites to make forecast maps. What exactly do the symbols on a weather map tell you about the weather? Use our handy dandy guide to find out!

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Related story

Topic

Climate
Climate change impacts
Climate data monitoring
Weather and atmosphere
Drought
Weather observations

Research by NOAA and a visiting scientist from India shows that warming of the Indo-Pacific Ocean is altering rainfall patterns from the tropics to the United States, contributing to declines in rainfall on the United States west and east coasts.