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Do you have to be a K-12 teacher to enter?
If I don’t get selected can I revise and resubmit an entry?
What happens if my lesson is selected as a Top Star?
Can I submit more than one entry?
How many educators can collaborate on a single entry?
How will you announce the Top Stars?
How will you choose Top Stars?
Who judges the Top Stars entries?
I’ve created a Hubble-inspired website/lesson/activity through a NASA grant. Am I eligible?
Do I have to wait for the deadline to submit my entry and get feedback? (NEW)
If I submit a short lesson, do I still need to list assessments and extensions? (NEW)
WHAT IS HUBBLE?
Named after the trailblazing astronomer Edwin P. Hubble (1889-1953), the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a large, space-based observatory, which has revolutionized astronomy by providing unprecedented deep and clear views of the Universe, ranging from our own solar system to extremely remote fledgling galaxies forming not long after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. Visit http://hubble.nasa.gov for more information.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ENTER?
Top Stars is open to individuals, and teams of up to four people, who are U.S. citizens and are at least 21 years old. Employees of IGES and NASA, or their contractors, are not eligible.
DO YOU HAVE TO BE A K-12 TEACHER TO ENTER?
No. Top Stars is open to both informal and formal (elementary-college) educators of all age and grade levels across the U.S.
IF I DON'T GET SELECTED CAN I REVISE AND RESUBMIT AN ENTRY?
Yes, entries can be revised and re-submitted into 2010. Once you submit your entry, it will be locked and you may not edit it again until the current judging period is over. All entries that do not receive awards will be unlocked and available for editing and resubmission.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY LESSON IS SELECTED AS A TOP STAR?
Entries that meet the review criteria will be recognized as "Top Stars." These educators will receive the following recognition and awards:
- Their entry will be featured online in the Top Stars Showcase.
- High-quality photo print (48" x 24") of a Hubble image. Plans are to select one of the Early Release Observations after the Hubble Servicing Mission-4 for this print. For this reason it is anticipated that the prints will not be available before September 2009 (IGES reserves the right to substitute another appropriate HST image).
- Invitation to attend a special briefing by a Hubble scientist or engineer. The briefing will be held by group teleconference call. Two briefings will be scheduled between October 2009 and February 2010. Top Stars can pick one of the two briefings to attend.
- Recognition as Top Stars on NASA Websites.
In 2010 IGES will select the top 10 overall entries, which will be recognized as "Gold Stars." In addition to the Top Star rewards, these educators will also receive:
- an official letter of commendation from NASA,
- an interview for a feature article on nasa.gov
(individual articles are planned featuring each educator or team of educators),
- an invitation to present their entry to other educators nationwide over the NASA Digital Learning Network, and
- more TBA.
CAN I SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE ENTRY?
Absolutely! The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for nearly 20 years, and we expect many educators have developed many great ways to incorporate Hubble into their classes and programs. As long as the lesson uses Hubble in some form to teach a STEM concept, we encourage you to submit it.
WHAT IS AN "ENTRY"?
An example of successfully incorporating Hubble for STEM education (formal or informal education).
It could be an original educational resource or program that you’ve developed (e.g., lesson, course, exhibit, planetarium show, presentation, video, activity, and on and on).
It could be an innovative or effective use or adaptation of an existing NASA educational resource or program. In these cases, the original source must be credited – use of copyrighted materials is not acceptable, and the entry would need to go beyond just implementing an existing resource or program. The entry needs to demonstrate how it was innovative or effective.
Your Top Stars entry consists of five parts:
Part I. Descriptive Information (title, category, abstract and short description)
Part II. Entry Content (may be provided in any combination of the following)
- Enter text into a text box (unlimited amount of text)
- Upload files and/or documents (e.g. PDFs; Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents; Rich
Text documents; jpeg/gif/png images; or videos/animations (Quicktime)
*Note: There is a 4MB file size limit. Suggest providing external links to files over 4MB.
- Provide links to external URLs (e.g. linking to a YouTube video, a Flickr photo gallery or a web site)
Part III. Authors (up to four authors who contributed to this entry may be listed)
Part IV. Release Forms
If your entry is selected as a Top Star and includes photos or video of subjects under 18 years of age, you must include signed parental release forms (download PDF of Word version) or show only the backs of heads of subjects under 18 in order to be featured in the Top Stars Showcase. You may provide these forms now or upon selection.
Part V. Consent/Certification (Certifying the work submitted is your own, and confirming your consent for IGES and NASA to use any of the information provided)
Note: You may save your entry at any time and return to edit.
WHAT ARE STEM CONCEPTS?
STEM concepts are Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
HOW MANY EDUCATORS CAN COLLABORATE ON A SINGLE ENTRY?
You can submit solo entries or a team effort. Team entries are limited to 4 participants on an individual entry.
Note there can only be one login per entry. If submitting a team entry, you may have one author submit it on behalf of the team, or create/use a login and password for the team to create, edit and submit the entry.
WHEN CAN I SUBMIT AN ENTRY?
You may begin submitting entries on April 30, 2009. We will be selecting Top Stars every two to three months (see schedule below). Entries will be accepted through midnight, entrants' local time, on the due dates. Increase your chances of being selected by submitting early and often!
| Entries submitted by: | Awards announced: |
| May 29, 2009 | June 30, 2009 |
| August 30, 2009 |
September 30, 2009 |
| November 30, 2009 | December 18, 2009 |
| February 28, 2010 | March 28, 2010 |
HOW WILL YOU ANNOUNCE THE TOP STARS?
Educators will be notified via e-mail if they have been selected as a Top Star and will be announced on the Top Stars Website. Please make sure you provide current contact information (including home and work) when you register on the Website.
HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE THE TOP STARS?
IGES staff, as well as appropriate NASA scientists, engineers and educators, will review the entries and select those to be recognized based on the criteria listed under the Guidelines.
WHO JUDGES THE TOP STARS ENTRIES?
IGES staff, as well as appropriate NASA scientists, engineers and educators, will review the entries.
I'VE CREATED A HUBBLE-INSPIRED WEBSITE/LESSON/ACTIVITY THROUGH A NASA GRANT/FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. AM I ELIGIBLE TO BE A TOP STAR?
No, Top Stars is not intended for educational resources developed through NASA funding (whether a grant, cooperative agreement or contract). It is, however, open to educators who utilize and/or adapt NASA resources. Please work with educators who are using your website/lesson/activity and have them submit their best examples of using Hubble for STEM based upon your product. Their examples should demonstrate how they have effectively used the resource or an innovative adaptation of the resource for STEM learning. Educators can choose the presentation style they feel best presents their entry. One suggestion is to model the entry after an article written for a publication such as the NSTA teacher magazines.
DO I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT MY ENTRY AND GET FEEDBACK?
No, in fact we welcome educators to submit their entries early so that they may be reviewed and feedback returned so that they may be revised and re-submitted before the deadline.
SOME OF THE TOP STARS WINNERS HAVE PRODUCED VERY INVOLVED LESSONS, GAMES OR BLOGS. DO I HAVE TO SUBMIT SOMETHING LARGE LIKE A WHOLE UNIT PLAN TO BE CONSIDERED A TOP STAR? (new)
No, a Top Stars entry can be a single, short introductory lesson or a one-time application for formal or informal education of a concept related to the Hubble Space Telescope.
IF I SUBMIT A SHORT LESSON, DO I STILL NEED TO LIST THE NATIONAL STANDARDS THAT ARE MET BY THE LESSON? (new)
Yes, for lessons intended for K-12 classrooms. For these lessons to be useful to other educators, we ask that national standards for Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics be addressed.
IF I SUBMIT A SHORT LESSON, DO I STILL NEED TO LIST ASSESSMENTS AND EXTENSIONS? (new)
Yes, for the lessons to be useful to other educators, we ask that you include assessment and extension ideas.
