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 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Job seeker resource

Topic

NOAA careers
Weather and atmosphere

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

Better understand the requirements to become a meteorologist with the National Weather Service on this website from the National Weather Service's JetStream: An online school for weather.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science
Engineering and technology

Resource type

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

Topic

Climate
Climate data monitoring
Ocean and coasts
Ocean currents
Tides
Technology and engineering
Weather and atmosphere
Clouds
El Niño and La Niña
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Informal
Printable
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

This site is designed to help educators, emergency managers, or anyone interested in learning about weather and weather safety. The information contained in JetStream is arranged by subject; beginning with global and large-scale weather patterns followed by lessons on air masses, wind patterns, cloud formations, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging winds, tornados, tropical storms, cyclones and flooding. Interspersed in JetStream are "Learning Lessons" which can be used to enhance the educational experience.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

Upper air charts are maps with wavy lines and numbers on them. These charts may look confusing if you're not a meteorologist, but they are critical in forecasting weather! Learn more about our upper atmosphere, how these charts are created, and how meteorologists use them to forecast the weather.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather systems and patterns

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

If you've ever been to the ocean, you might have noticed winds coming onshore from the sea. Learn more about this phenomenon and its counterpart, the land breeze.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12
College+
Adults

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Background information

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

This introduction to synoptic meteorology will help readers to better understand weather maps, data, and forecasting.

Audience

Grade 6-8
Grade 9-12

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Lesson plan

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Informal
Models
Uses data

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

In this lesson plan, the students will determine the location of cold and warm fronts on a map plotted with weather observations.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Models
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

We feel the wind every day. The air is almost always in motion. One day it may be from the north and the next day from the south. There are many sources for wind: mechanical sources such as fans and, in nature, falling rain as it drags air along. But what is the origin of wind on the earth? Using a toaster, the students will observe that wind is created by the heat that rises.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Tornadoes
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Models

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

Rain and hail will be suspended by the updraft inside a thunderstorm until the weight of the hail and water can no longer be supported. Usually, the stronger the updraft in a thunderstorm, the more intense the storm and the larger the size of hail that can be produced. Suspending a ping pong ball in the stream of air supplied by a hair dryer will demonstrates how hail is supported in thunderstorms.

Audience

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

Subject

Earth science
Physical science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration
Collection

Topic

Weather and atmosphere
Clouds
El Niño and La Niña
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Weather observations
Weather systems and patterns

Special categories

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

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

A collection of lessons and learning activities from the National Weather Service.

Audience

Grade K-2
Grade 3-5

Subject

Earth science

Resource type

Activities, lessons, and units
Activity/demonstration

Topic

Climate
Changing seasons

Special categories

Instructional strategies
Hands-on
Informal
Safety/preparedness

Collection name

JetStream: An online school for weather

The Earth is in constant motion. Each day the earth makes one complete rotation. Each year, the earth makes one orbit of the sun. The first motion is obvious. The second one, however, is much harder to notice except over a much longer period and can be made visible only by some time and some measuring. The students will discover the change in seasons as they measure the length of their shadow and compare it three to four months later.