Back to School with NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

Explore free educational materials to bring the ocean into your classroom or facility.

Connecting You to America's Ocean and Great Lakes Treasures

L to R: Two students doing rocky intertidal monitoring; a young girl carrying a clipboard; two people pointing to a map; a young kayaker.

Back to School with

NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has some great educational material for teachers and students to incorporate ocean science, conservation, and stewardship throughout the upcoming school year.

Vibrant invertebrates and algae on a rocky reef at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Resource Collections

Explore each collection of NOAA videos, lessons, webinars, virtual reality, and more. Topics include changing ocean conditions, ocean acidification, coral reef and kelp forest ecosystems, whales, dolphins, ocean sound and the impact of noise, sharks, sea turtles, birds, marine debris, and shipwrecks.

Exploring Ocean Mysteries

Exploring Ocean Mysteries is a curriculum that makes it easy to teach the seven Ocean Literacy Principles while meeting NGSS, Common Core and Climate Literacy standards. Lessons are targeted to middle grades and adaptable for grades 4-12. They use the National Marine Sanctuary System as an engaging backdrop that helps students understand their importance for exploration, research, Indigenous cultures and more. All lessons and materials are also available in Spanish.

An underwater scene with a large coral head and a diver with a camera and tripod.

A young girl in an Adams Tiger T-shirt holding virtual reality goggles with an Earth is Blue sticker to her eyes.

Virtual Reality Videos

Dive in without getting wet! Your National Marine Sanctuary System protects a network of underwater parks that you can visit through VR. From the thriving kelp forests of Channel Islands to the treasured coral reefs of the Florida Keys, few places on the planet can compete with the wonders of these special places. Download these free VR videos to experience these spectacular underwater treasures.

Virtual Reality Lessons

Check out the NGSS lesson plans for grades 6-8 that complement the Virtual Reality videos to go deeper. The newest lesson introduces students to kelp forests as important carbon ecosystems within Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

For younger audiences, explore the VR activity, facts, and drawing sheets.

A sea lion in a kelp forest above a rocky reef with the words: VR Lesson Plans written over the image.

A collage of underwater photos including a whale shark, rocky reef, sea otters, and coastal scenes.

Earth is Blue Photos and Videos

Our planet is an ocean planet: Earth Is Blue. The National Marine Sanctuary System protects some of the most iconic underwater places throughout the United States, but we can't do it without you. No matter where you are, the ocean and Great Lakes are in your hands. We hope these images inspire you to help care for our ocean and to spread the word that Earth isn't green – it's blue.

Back to School Bundles: Digital NOAA resource kits for your classroom

Engage students with these resource kits that simplify lesson planning. Each bundle is organized by grade level and topic, and includes everything from background information and interactive activities to data visualization with SOS Explorer®. Topics include ecosystems, clouds, complex food webs, and climate change and trends.

A chalkboard drawing of a ship, satellite, clouds, buoy, and fish.

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