Educational Tools
Explore lesson plans and learn more about tides and sea level rise.
Lesson Plans
Motions of the Ocean
(4th and 5th Grades)
This three-part lesson plan provides information about weather, climate, tides, and changing sea levels.
Charting the Tides
(4th and 6th Grades)
This three-part lesson plan will provide information about tides, the relationships between tides and water levels, and the impacts that high water levels can have on coastal communities.
Climate Change, Tides, and Changing Seas
(High School)
This three part lesson plan will touch briefly on the mechanisms of how climate change can affect sea level and the mechanisms driving tides in coastal Carolina.
Tide Talk
Tide Talk is a collaboration between Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center, North Carolina State University, and East Carteret High School (ECHS) that fosters student-led inquiry and brings local science into the classroom in meaningful, engaging ways. As part of the program, Earth Science honors students at ECHS work with local experts to explore how tools like satellites, sensors, and computer models are used to understand and predict flooding in the Down East region.
Students create short, three-minute videos exploring a specific driver of flooding in the region—such as king tides—that combines information provided by local experts and their own research on the topic. The videos are designed to explain science to younger students (grades K–8) while helping high schoolers build a deeper understanding of what is causing flooding in their community. The students’ videos will be used in educational programs in the region starting in 2026.
Project Description and Rubrics
7th Grade Student Guides
5th Grade Student Guides
Other Resources
King Tides
Websites & Apps
- NOAA’s High Tide Flooding Viewer
- NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Facts
- NOAA’s Tides & Currents Education
- NOAA’s water level stations in North Carolina
- Coastal Observer App: report water levels and submit photos
- NASA’s Climate Page