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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Barge from Chicago, IL is requesting a class trip through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Barge is requesting

Black Holes: Seeing the Invisible

My students need housing when they present their astronomy research at the American Astronomical Society's convention in Seattle, January 2015.

  • $5,479 goal

This project expired on December 4, 2014.

This project expired on December 4, 2014.

Classroom photo
Ms. Barge Walter Payton College Preparatory High School
Chicago, IL Grades 9-12

My Students

Black holes!! How can you tell if they are out there in space if you can't see them? This is the question my students are investigating. They are doing authentic scientific research by looking at light from galaxies and identifying if there are black holes at these galaxies' centers using spectra.

My students are 9 through 12 graders in a urban public school.

These students have a passion for astronomy. They want to learn about the Universe and how we know what we know. They have volunteered for this group and have been eager to learn about black holes. This group meets about every two weeks so the students have had to do a lot of work on their own between meetings, learning about spectroscopy and online astro databases. My students are part of a larger team of high school students from 2 other high schools in the Midwest. They have collaborated with each other using google+ and shared google docs. This convention will be the first time they will all meet in person. Besides meeting their collaborators, my students will be able to see scientists at work. They will attend plenary sessions and break out sessions where astronomers will be sharing new research. They will get first hand knowledge of scientists working together. My students are excited to network with real astronomers.

My Project

My students will go to the American Astronomical Society's convention in January 2015. This grant will pay for the housing that the students need for the week they will be in Seattle, Washington. At the convention students will present their original astronomical research on black holes in a poster session. At this session students will discuss their research in detail with professional astronomers in one on one conversations where they explain their research question and the data they used to answer it. They will share how they collaborated with team members at other schools across the Midwest using technology such as google+ hangouts and shared google docs. Throughout the week students will attend plenary sessions and breakout sessions to hear astronomers sharing their research. This grant will pay for the hotel they will stay in for the week and the free breakfast each morning that comes with the rooms. This will be the first time my students will be part of a scientific convention.

My students will be changed by this visit to Seattle because they will become the scientists sharing their research while being part of a scientific community.

Last year I took 4 students. This year I want to take 8 so more can have the experience David did - "I realized what it means to be a scientist and that the significance of these projects is so that they can share the knowledge that they have learned with other people and learn from others in order to better the knowledge of the world."

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More than half of students from low‑income households

8 students impacted
Ms. Barge Walter Payton College Preparatory High School Grades 9-12

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Chicago, IL View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

8 students impacted

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Component Company Total
Miscellaneous Marriott Springhill Suites $4,558.40

Trip cost

$4,558.40

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$68.38

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$4,656.78

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$821.78

Total project goal

$5,478.56

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Barge and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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