Interested in engaging your students with real-time NOAA data? In this module, designed for 6-12th grade classrooms, students evaluate changes in sea surface temperature over space and time and investigate how El Niño affects phytoplankton & species distribution in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The module offers lessons at five different levels, beginning with basic graph interpretation (Levels 1 & 2) and building towards activities that challenge students to ask questions and develop their own data investigations (Levels 4 & 5).

Module resources

Teacher guide

This guide provides educators with lesson plans, background information and tips and strategies for using the data tools in the module.

Download teacher guide PDF (16.9 MB) 

Student worksheets (fillable PDF)

These worksheets support the online lessons. Fillable PDFs are digital documents that students can type in and submit to a learning management system.

Download fillable student worksheets (1.4 MB PDF)

Student worksheets (PowerPoint)

Worksheets in this format give educators flexibility to add (or edit) content for a specific grade level or course.

Editable student worksheets (2.1 MB PPTX)

Worksheet answer keys

Answer keys are available for checking and reviewing answers with students.

Download worksheet answer keys (1.4 MB PDF)

Science standards

A guide to understanding how this module supports the NGSS and three dimensional learning for middle and high school students.

Read NGSS Connections Science Standards (427 KB PDF)

Module integration

There are many ways to integrate some or all of the lessons in this module into a unit or course. One example, aimed at middle school teachers, is provided here.

Download module integration (51 KB PDF)