Education At Home Resources

USC Sea Grant is pleased to provide this list of educational resources to assist educators, students, and families during the shutdown of schools in response to COVID-19.

Below is a selected set of educational resources intended to assist in finding connections to the ocean and coast both from home and beyond. Links vary in educational levels and some resources need more guidance than others. Recommended audience levels are provided when available. 

Please check back often as this list will be updated when new educational resources are made available. If you are looking for help with specific coastal resources, or have any additional questions, please contact Linda Chilton at lchilton@usc.edu.   

Resources for World Oceans Day: June 8, 2020

Click here to view resources on how to celebrate World Oceans Day!  

Webinars and Videos

Upcoming LIVE Webinars or Streaming Videos:

• Visit this link to view the various upcoming webinars and live streams

Recorded Webinars or Videos

• NOAA Ocean Today: Videos on all aspects of the ocean realm: from exploration and discoveries to marine life and science.
• Skype A Scientist: If you missed seeing your scientist talk in person, you can find the recorded talk here on YouTube!
• Heal the Bay: View past Knowledge Drops Webinars under their Resources section. (3rd-8th grade)
• Cabrillo Marine Aquarium: Check this site out for an archive of guest lectures at the aquarium. (Middle school-adult)
• Monterey Bay Research Institute (MBARI): Offers online video clips of deep-sea, geology, chemistry, climate, underwater vehicles, and marine technology. 
• Roundhouse Aquarium: Offers Facebook live chats (and recordings), activities, and projects to do at home.
• NOAA Live! Webinar Archive: Past NOAA Live! webinars are available to watch at this link on YouTube. All videos offer both English and Spanish subtitles. 

Lessons, Activities, and Additional Resources

• Sea Grant BRIDGE-Ocean Science Education: A variety of marine and aquatic activities and units arranged by grade level and content areas. This has some activities just for students as well as teacher-approved marine education materials.
• NOAA's Office of Education: Virtual dives with National Marine Sanctuaries, hands-on activities to do at home, and the online school for weather are just a few examples of what you can find here
• NOAA Teacher at Sea Activities: Need a quick activity for earth science education? This link provides nine hands-on activities that can be done in 15-30 minutes that get students thinking about how things really work.
• New England Aquarium: Fun activities for kids that are guided by a phenomena question (ex: Why do ponds freeze but the ocean doesn’t in the winter?).
• Aquarium of the Pacific: Their Online Academy features on-demand videos, live streaming, online story maps of whales, and a learning center filled with animal profiles. 
• Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies: Science learning at-home and outdoors. Includes an intertidal scavenger hunt, beach stewardship, graphing marine debris, and more. 
• Monterey Bay Aquarium-Critter Cards: Monterey Bay Aquarium provides printable marine mammal critter cards so that you can play concentration, go fish, guess who and more. (There are also coloring pages) 
• Monterey Bay Aquarium-Habitat Posters: Monterey Bay Aquarium has some great habitat posters that allow you to have students "I spy" as many animals as they can and are a great way to stimulate discussion.
  
• USC Sea Grant-Island Explorers: There are 4 lessons focused on learning about the ocean, what lives in the ocean, how organisms in the ocean interact, and human's impact on the sea. (2nd-8th grade) 
• USC Wrigley Institute: Check out their new coloring book of Catalina Island marine life. 
• California Academy of Sciences Learning Resources for Students at Home: Visit this page to view a variety of activities for ages ranging from Pre-K to High School 
• National Marine Sanctuaries: This page features a variety of resources to explore the National Marine Sanctuaries from home.  
• Shape of Life: Offering classroom media and resources about the animal kingdom. Their lessons are connected with NGSS on biodiversity, especially on ocean topics. (all ages) 
• Mapping Marine Ecosystems: A lesson plan from National Geographic. Students investigate types of marine ecosystems, identify examples of these ecosystems and their characteristics, and locate the ecosystems on a map of the world's oceans. (9-12th grade) 
• The Global Ocean Awareness Art Contest: Through art-making and creative communication, teens can explore their relationship to a changing world and become spokespeople for environmental action. Students ages 11-18 are invited to participate. Contest deadline is June 15, 2020.
• Marine Protected Area (MPA) Coastal Explorer Guide: Do you want to be an MPA Steward? Download and print the Spanish or English version of the MPA Coastal Explorer. This booklet features fun activities that educate its readers on MPAs, wildlife, ocean safety, recreational opportunities and more. Once done with the guide, get your MPA Steward Certificate by taking their MPA quiz! 
• Cabrillo Marine Aquarium At Home Learning: Videos and lessons offering in both Spanish and English, focusing on the coastal habitats of Los Angeles. (Pre K-12th grade)
• CA Marine Protected Area (MPA) Collaborative Education Resources: Their site offers videos, coloring books, and guides for the network of CA MPAs.
• Climate Kids: Free resources, activities, climate change "101", climate change communication tools, and climate data.   
• CA Science Center: Offering "Stuck at Home Science". Explore, investigate, and learn together. Resources are offered in both Spanish and English.  
• Project WET: Offering a suite of free and/or discounted resources for educators, parents, and children. Includes lesson plans and activities to learn more about water while meeting standards in math, language arts, science, and even fine arts. 
• Alta Sea Project Youth Contest: A weekly opportunity for youth to amplify their voice about Los Angeles’ Blue Economy. Learn more details about the contest here. Their website also provides additional resources from videos to afterschool lessons with ROVs, Aquaculture, and more. 

Resources Just for Educators

• Marine Careers: An introduction to a wide range of marine careers and the people working in those fields.
• National Science Teachers Association: Join NSTA free for 30 days. In addition to the normal resources provided, their website provides a compiled list of additional online teaching resources to assist in teaching online. 
• National Marine Sanctuaries: National Marine Sanctuaries provide educators with educational and scientific expertise, training, and resources to support ocean and science literacy. 
• 2020 STEM for All Video Showcase: Showcase is occurring from May 5th-12th. It will highlight 3-minute videos of projects advancing STEM education that are funded by the National Science Foundation and other federal funds. You can converse with presenters and vote for your favorites! Voting ends on May 12th at 8 pm Eastern.
• NESS Recycle Regatta: Join a virtual science and sailing regatta. Using only recycled materials, create a sea-worthy vessel, test and demonstrate its abilities, and enter it in one of the three fleets (Sailfish, Squid, or Shrimp).