August 2024
As the new school year approaches, it is time for teachers and students to explore the fantastic educational materials we have to offer from across the National Marine Sanctuary System! We have some new teacher resources in addition to the many existing lessons, activities, videos, and more, that will help you bring the ocean and Great Lakes into your classroom.
Ocean Literacy Lessons
Our new middle school ocean literacy curriculum, Exploring Ocean Mysteries, helps teachers learn and communicate about the ocean and Great Lakes. The lessons are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core for middle school. These 17 lessons featuring the National Marine Sanctuary System were created by Engaging Every Student with funding provided by National Geographic Society through the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
Why Ocean Literacy?
Ocean literacy helps students understand the ocean's role in climate regulation, biodiversity, and food security, and empowers students to comprehend human impacts like pollution and overfishing, prompting informed decision-making for the future. Integrating ocean education into K-12 classrooms enriches interdisciplinary learning, connecting students to science, geography, and culture all at once. The Ocean Literacy Principles are a comprehensive way to teach students how they can protect our ocean and Great Lakes. Using the National Marine Sanctuary System as the backdrop of these lessons results in students not only learning essential information about our ocean, but also about our network of ocean parks we call national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments.
These lessons teach middle school students about both the scientific and cultural importance of the ocean, with the hope that they feel a strong call to the ocean and conservation efforts near them.
Teacher Feedback
Teachers have great things to say about the Exploring Ocean Mysteries curriculum! Teachers have commented that these lessons are flexible and can be made to fit a variety of curriculums, making them perfect for a wide range of classrooms.
Cary Sneider, PhD who is a NGSS Writing Team leader and associate research professor at Portland State University says, “The curriculum is amazing! There is enough here for a full year of NGSS-aligned instruction for the middle school level. If I were still teaching middle school, I would certainly use these resources, at least for a full semester.”
These lessons are useful not only to teachers of marine science classes, but can be incorporated into curriculum for life science, biology, physical science, geology, and more. “I love how ocean study touches on all science disciplines,” exclaims Sneider.
Virtual Reality
Our Sanctuaries 360 virtual reality experiences bring your national marine sanctuaries to the classroom or anywhere you want to explore from! These videos are viewable via computer, tablet, screen, or VR headset. In addition to the VR videos, use the middle school level VR lesson plan that aligns to each video.
Ranging from an encounter with a sea lion to exploring underwater shipwrecks, there is something for every classroom to engage with. These VR lessons provide key facts about marine sanctuaries such as how they are designated as well as the life and marine artifacts they protect. Have younger students? Each VR video also has a coordinating fact and drawing sheets for elementary students.
Resource Collections
The topic-specific resource collections gather all of our material on a certain topic into one place. Find lessons, webinars, videos, posters, activities, and websites easily by topics such as shipwrecks, coral reef ecosystems, marine debris, climate change, ocean acidification, and more. It’s possible to use the materials on their own or in conjunction with other materials. These collections can be helpful for students who are interested in a specific topic, and for teachers pulling together a lesson plan on one topic.
Webinar Series
The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series utilizes various resources and topics for educators, students, and the public interested in improving their ocean and climate literacy. Webinar topics range from investigating a Ghost Fleet in Mallows Bay to exploring Hammerhead Sharks’ migratory patterns. Whatever it is you are hoping to expand your knowledge in, one of our webinars covers it! All previously recorded and upcoming webinars can be found on our website.
Climate Literacy
Educating young people about climate change ensures that future generations are equipped to continue addressing and managing the challenges they will face. Understanding climate science helps people make better decisions in their daily lives, such as reducing energy consumption, supporting sustainable practices, and advocating for climate-friendly policies that will support a healthy ocean.
Looking for ways to teach about climate in your classroom? Find materials and lessons that are aligned with the Climate Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts to help students understand our Earth’s climate system.
Wondering what all the talk about blue carbon is? “Blue carbon” is a term for carbon captured and stored by the world's ocean and coastal ecosystems and is an important concept for students to understand. Our new Blue Carbon Toolkit offers a lesson, infographic, and fact sheet about the importance of blue carbon for high school students.
We also offer a resource collection on ocean acidification, as well as our climate change resource collection. Still need more information? Visit NOAA’s climate.gov website for even more in depth information, resources, and tools for teaching about climate.
Location-Specific Resources
Are you looking for specific information about a particular national marine sanctuary? Each sanctuary’s website offers a list of educational materials and opportunities specific to their site. Take a look at the “learn” tab on any of our sanctuary webpages to learn more. NOAA also has dedicated offices and programs specializing in other ocean, weather, and atmospheric areas. Visit the NOAA education resource collection page to use the searchable database to find lessons from all NOAA educators on topics such as marine debris, endangered species, weather, coasts, currents and more.
We hope our free resources can help you create fun and exciting learning opportunities, and wish you and your students a happy and healthy return to school.
Gigi DuFour is an intern for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Rachel Plunkett is the content manager and senior writer/editor at NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries