MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS FORENSIC SCIENCE

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MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

FORENSIC SCIENCE

Authored by: Sue Monkemeier

Reviewed by:

Mr. Lee S. Nittel

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Mr. Tom Paterson

K12 Supervisor of Science and Technology

Approval Date:

Fall 2012

Members of the Board of Education:

Lisa Ellis, President

Patrick Rowe, Vice-President

Kevin Blair

Thomas Haralampoudis

Linda Gilbert

James Novotny

David Arthur

Shade Grahling

Superintendent:

Dr. Michael Rossi

Madison Public Schools

359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940

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I. OVERVIEW

Forensic Science is a very broad term which refers to the use and infusion of science and technology to law. It can include the examples such as determining the acceptable bacterial content in drinking water for enforcing standards within communities or examining air quality within public buildings for public safety. Forensic Science is a field which is forever expanding as knowledge in science and technological advances continue to grow.

This course will focus on the integration of science and technology for the purpose of solving crimes and enforcing criminal and civil law. The course will narrow the scope of Forensic Science to this definition: “Forensic Science is the application of science and technology into criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system.”

II. RATIONALE

Forensic Science allows students to integrate and apply their knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics to solve crimes analyze crime scenes. Forensic Science is exciting. The application of science and technology motivates the student to learn concepts to an even greater depth than this introductory course allows.

Forensic science stresses the importance of science and technology to everyday life. This course introduces students to careers in science that support and relate to forensic science. Many of the careers relating to forensic science encourage students to continue their education to the doctorate level; however, there are some related careers that allow students to pursue directly out of high school.

III. STUDENT OUTCOMES (New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards)

5.1 Science Practices:All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science.

5.2 Physical Science:All students will understand that physical science principles, including fundamental ideas about matter, energy, and motion, are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of phenomena in physical, living, and Earth systems science.

5.3 Life Science:All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.

Common Core State Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects (Grades 11-12)

1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.

2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms.

3. Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking

measurements, or performing technical tasks; analyze the specific results based on explanations in the text.

4. Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 11–12 texts and topics.

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5. Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.

6. Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, identifying important issues that remain unresolved.

7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

8. Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information. 9. Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent

understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible. 10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 11–12 text

complexity band independently and proficiently.

IV. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT

Introduction to Forensic Science Essential Questions:

a. What is forensic science?

b. Who are the major contributors to the development of forensic science? c. What is a crime laboratory and what services do they provide?

d. Are there any important court decisions that define forensic science? e. What are expert witnesses?

Students should be able to:

 Define forensic science or criminalistics.

 List areas of forensic science that require an expertise in specific realms of science and technology.  List major scientists who contributed to the development of forensic science.

 Give examples of typical crime laboratories as they exist at the different government levels: local, county, state, national within the United States.

 Explain the admissibility of scientific evidence in the courtroom with respect to recent court and judicial decisions.

 Explain the roles and responsibilities of the expert witness. The Crime Scene

Essential Questions:

a. What is physical evidence and what are the proper techniques for collecting physical evidence? b. What are the responsibilities of the different members of law enforcement who arrive at crime

scenes?

c. What are the steps taken for thoroughly recording crime scenes? Students should be able to:

 Define physical evidence.

 Discuss the responsibilities of the first police officer who is the first to arrive on a crime scene.  Discuss the roles an responsibilities of the forensic scientists in utilizing physical evidence.  Define “chain of custody”.

 Describe the roles of the forensic pathologists, entomologists, and anthropologists at crime scenes involving homicide.

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 Describe proper procedures for conducting a systematic search or crime scenes for physical evidence.

 Describe proper techniques for packaging common types of physical evidence.  Describe the forensic importance of physical evidence found at a crime scene.  Draw and label a crime scene correctly.

 Correctly analyze physical evidence found at a crime scene using proper laboratory technique and equipment.

Physical Evidence Essential Questions:

a. What are the common types of physical evidence encountered at crime scenes? b. Is there a difference between identification and comparison of physical evidence? c. How is physical evidence analyzed?

d. How valuable is physical evidence to criminal investigation? Students should be able to:

 List and describe some common types of physical evidence found at crime scenes.  Explain the difference between the identification and comparison of physical evidence.

 Define individual vs. class characteristics and give examples of physical evidence possessing these characteristics.

 List and describe ways in which physical evidence supports and contributes to criminal investigation.

 List the number and types of computerized databases relating to physical evidence that are currently in existence.

 Explain the purpose physical evidence plays in reconstructing the events surrounding the commission of a crime.

Properties of Matter and the Analysis of Glass Essential Questions:

a. How are the chemical and physical properties of matter related to the study of forensic science?

b. What is the system of measurement used when conducting crime scene analysis? c. How does knowledge from a high school chemistry course relate to forensic science? d. How does knowledge from a high school physics course relate to forensic science? Students should be able to:

 Distinguish between chemical and physical properties of matter.  List and define the metric system’s basic units and prefixes.

 Compare and convert between the metric system and English units of length, volume and mass.  Define elements and compounds and give examples of each.

 List and describe the different phases of matter.  Explain the wave vs. particle theory of light.

 Describe the energies contained within the electromagnetic spectrum.

 Explain the relationship between color and the selective absorption of light by molecules.  Distinguish between Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature scales.

 Distinguish between mass and weight.

 Define density and state how this property relates to the analysis of glass.  Define refractive index.

 Distinguish between amorphous and crystalline solids.  Define double refraction and birefringence.

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 Define the flotation and immersion methods for comparing glass specimens.

 State how to examine glass fractures to determine the direction of impact for a projectile.  Describe the proper collection of glass evidence.

Drugs

a. Are drugs related to forensic science?

b. How are the principles within chemistry used to analyze and detect drugs? c. How does the Controlled Substances Act relate to drugs?

 Define psychological and physical dependence.  Name and classify commonly abused drugs.

 Describe the tendency to develop psychological and physical dependency for the more commonly abused drugs.

 Describe the schedules of the Controlled Substances Act.

 Describe the laboratory tests that forensic chemists normally rely upon to comprise a routine drug identification scheme.

 Explain how a liquid reaches equilibrium with its gaseous phase as defined by Henry’s Law.  Describe the process of chromatography.

 Describe the parts of a gas chromatograph.  Define retention time.

 Explain the difference between thin-layer and gas chromatography.  Define Rf value.

 Define Beer’s Law

 Name the parts of a simple absorption spectrophotometer.

 Describe the utility of an ultraviolet and infrared absorption spectrum for the identification of organic compounds.

 Define the concept of mass spectrometry.  Describe the significance of a mass spectrum.

 Discuss the proper collection and preservation of drug evidence. Forensic Toxicology

a. How does alcohol affect the human body?

b. Which criminal case studies contributed to alcohol-related traffic enforcement? c. What are the roles of a toxicologist?

 Explain how alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream, transported though out the body, and finally eliminated by oxidation and excretion.

 Name the important parts of the human circulatory system.

 Describe the process by which alcohol is excreted in the breath via the alveoli.  Describe the design of the Breathalyzer.

 Explain the significance of a chemical equation.

 Explain the concept of infrared and fuel-cell breath-testing devices.  Demonstrate some common field sobriety tests.

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 Describe the precautions to be taken to properly preserve blood for analysis for its alcohol content.  What is the presumptive impairment level for blood alcohol in New Jersey?

 Explain the significance of implied consent law and the Schmerber v. California case to traffic enforcement.

 Define acid and base.

 State the roles of the toxicologist in the criminal justice system.

 Describe the techniques that forensic toxicologists use for isolating and identifying drugs and poisons.

 Explain the significance of finding a drug in human tissues and organs. The Microscope

a. How does a microscope contribute to forensic science? b. Are there different types of microscopes?

 List and state the functions of the parts of a compound microscope.

 Define the terms: magnification, field of view, working distance, and depth of focus.  Describe the comparison microscope.

 List the advantages of the stereoscope microscope.  Define plane-polarized light.

 Describe how a polarizing microscope is designed to detect polarized light.

 Explain the advantages of linking a microscope to a spectrophotometer from the forensic scientist’s point of view.

 Give examples of how a microspectrophotometer can be utilized to examine trace-physical evidence.

 Compare the mechanism for image formation of a light microscope to that of the scanning electron microscope.

 List the advantages and some forensic applications of the scanning electron microscope. Forensic Serology

a. How does the study of blood contribute to forensic science? b. Which bodily fluids can be detected and analyzed to solve crimes? c. How are bodily fluids identified at crime scenes?

 List the A-B-O antigens and antibodies found in the blood for each of the four blood types: A, B, AB and O.

 Explain why agglutination occurs.  Explain how whole blood is typed.

 Describe tests used to characterize a stain as blood.

 Explain the significance of the precipitin test to forensic serology.  Explain the differences between monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.  Define chromosome and gene.

 How is the Punnett square used to determine the genotypes and phenotypes of offspring?  List the laboratory tests necessary to characterize seminal stains.

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DNA: The Indispensable Forensic Science Tool Essential Questions:

a. Are there different types of DNA? b. How is DNA related to forensic science? Students should be able to:

 State the parts of a nucleotide and how nucleotides are related to the structure of a DNA molecule.

 Explain the base-pairing rules and how they relate to DNA replication.  State the relationship between DNA and proteins.

 State the steps of DNA replication.

 Explain how DNA can be cut and spliced into a foreign DNA strand.  Describe some commercial applications of recombinant DNA technology.  Explain the differences between introns and exons.

 Explain what is meant by a restriction fragment length polymorphism .

 Describe the process of typing DNA by RFLP technique and explain how DNA band patterns are interpreted.

 Explain the latest DNA typing technique, Short Tandem Repeat analysis.

 Explain the difference between a traditional STR analysis and a Y-chromosome STR determination.

 Explain the difference between nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA.

 Discuss the application of DNA computerized database to criminal investigation.

 List the necessary procedures to be taken for the proper preservation of bloodstained evidence for laboratory DNA analysis.

Trace Evidence I: Hairs and Fibers Essential Questions:

a. How does hair relate to forensic science? b. How do fibers relate to forensic science? Students should be able to:

 Describe the structure of a hair using the following terms: cuticle, cortex and medulla.  Describe the three phases of hair growth.

 Explain the distinction between animal and human hairs.

 List hair features that are useful for the microscopic comparison of human hairs.  Explain the proper collection of hair evidence.

 Describe the role of DNA typing in hair comparisons.  Classify fibers.

 Describe the structure of a polymer.

 List the properties of fibers that are most useful for forensic comparisons.  Describe the proper collection of fiber evidence.

Trace Evidence II: Metals, Paint, and Soil Essential Questions:

a. How are trace elements important to forensic science? b. How are trace elements detected?

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 Describe the usefulness of trace elements for the forensic comparison of various types of physical evidence.

 Distinguish between a continuous and line emission spectrum.  Describe the parts of a simple emission spectrograph.

 Define protons, neutrons, and electrons, including their mass and chare relationships.  Define atomic number and atomic mass number.

 Describe the orbital energy levels that are occupied by electrons.

 State what happens when an atom absorbs a definite amount of energy.  Explain the phenomenon of an atom releasing energy in the form of light.  Define the term isotope.

 Define radioactivity.

 Explain how elements can be made radioactive.  Describe the components of paint.

 Classify automobile paints.

 List the examinations most useful for performing a forensic comparison of paint.  Describe the proper collection and preservation of paint evidence.

 List the important forensic properties of soil.  Describe the density-gradient tube technique.  Describe the proper collection of soil evidence. Forensic Aspects of Fire Investigation

a. How does combustion relate to forensic science?

b. How do chemical reactions relate to fire and combustion? c. What is arson?

Students should be able to:  Define oxidation.

 Define energy and give examples of its different forms.  Describe the role of heat energy in chemical reactions.  Define heat of combustion and ignition temperature.

 Describe the difference between an exothermic and endothermic chemical reaction.  Explain why the oxidation of iron to rust is not accompanied by a flaming fire.  List the requirements necessary to initiate and sustain combustion.

 Explain the three mechanisms of heat transfer.

 Describe how physical evidence must be collected at the scene of a suspected arson.

 Describe the laboratory procedure used for the detection and identification of hydrocarbon residues.

Forensic Investigation of Explosions Essential Questions:

a. How are explosives classified

b. How are explosives related to forensic science? c. Are there tests to detect explosives?

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 Explain the differences between an initiating and non-initiating explosive.  Identify some common commercial, homemade, and military explosives.

 Describe how physical evidence must be collected at the scene of a suspected arson or explosion.  List some laboratory tests employed for the detection of explosives.

Fingerprints

a. How do fingerprints differ from individual to individual?

b. Which scientists contributed to our knowledge of finger printing? c. How are fingerprints related to the study of forensic science? Students should be able to:

 Name the individuals who have made significant contributions to the acceptance and development of fingerprint technology.

 Define ridge characteristics.

 Explain why a fingerprint is a permanent feature of the human anatomy.  List the three major fingerprint patterns and their respective subclasses.  Classify a set of fingerprints by the primary classification of the Henry system.  Describe the concept of an automated fingerprint identification system.  Explain what is meant by visible, plastic, and latent fingerprints.

 List the techniques for developing latent fingerprints on nonporous objects.  Describe chemical techniques for developing prints on porous objects.  Describe the proper procedures for preserving a developed latent fingerprint.  Explain how a latent fingerprint image can be enhanced by digital imaging. Firearms, Tool Marks, and Other Impressions

a. What is NIBIN?

b. What are firearms and how do they relate to criminal investigations? c. Are there techniques for relating the weapon to the bullet?

 Describe techniques for rifling a barrel.

 List the class and individual characteristics of bullets and cartridge cases.

 Explain the utilization of the comparison microscope for the comparison o f bullets and cartridge cases.

 Distinguish between caliber and gauge.  Explain the NIBIN data test system.

 Explain the procedure for determining at what distance from a target a weapon was fired.

 Describe the laboratory tests utilized for determining whether an individual has fired a weapon. State the limitations of the present techniques.

 Explain why it may be possible to restore an obliterated serial number.

 List procedures for the proper collection and preservation of firearm evidence.  Explain how a suspect tool is compared to a tool mark.

 Explain the forensic significance of class and individual characteristics to the comparison of impressions.

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Document Examination Essential Questions:

a. How does handwriting relate to document analysis? b. Are there different types of documents?

c. What are “questioned documents”?

d. How are documents analyzed for use in criminal investigation? Students should be able to:

 Define “questioned document”.

 List some common individual characteristics associated with handwriting.

 List some important guidelines to be followed for the collection of known writings for comparison to a questioned document.

 Describe the precautions to be taken to minimize deception when a suspect is requested to write exemplars for comparison to a questioned document.

 List some of the class and individual characteristics of a typewriter.  Describe the proper collection of typewritten exemplars.

 List some of the techniques utilized by document examiners for uncovering alterations, erasures, obliterations, and variations in pen inks.

Computer Forensics Essential Questions:

a. How are computers related to forensic science? b. Are all computers the same?

 List and describe the hardware and software components of a computer.

 Explain the differences between Read-Only Memory and Random Access Memory.  Describe how a hard disc drive is partitioned.

 Describe the proper procedure for preserving computer evidence at a crime scene.  Explain the difference between location of visible and latent computerized data.  List the areas of the computer that will be examined for the retrieval of forensic data. Forensic Science and the Internet

a. What is the Internet and how is it related to forensic science? b. What is a hacker?

c. Can all Internet activities be traced and analyzed? Students should be able to:

 Explain the Internet and how it is structured.

 Explain the functions of search engines along with the mechanisms used to search for information on the Internet.

 Describe the other types of information retrieval, such as mailing lists and news groups, available through the Internet.

 Explain how information about forensic science can be retrieved off the Internet.

 State how a computer can be analyzed to find the Internet activities performed on that computer.  Describe how e-mails, chat and instant messages on the Internet can be traced and recovered.

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 List and describe three locations where investigators may pinpoint the origin of a computer hacker.

V. STRATEGIES

Strategies may include: a. Guest Speakers b. Field Trips

c. Crime Scene Analysis / Reenactment d. Smart Board

e. Power Point Presentations f. Student Presentations

g. Actual Case Studies from News Media h. Overhead transparencies

i. Demonstrations j. Web Quests

k. Laboratory Activities: Group and Individual l. Small Group Discussions

m. Debate

n. Student Research/ Letter Writing, Interviews, Library Research o. Unsolved Crime Scene Analysis from Actual Local Case Studies p. Games: Jeopardy, Bingo, Tell the Truth, Who Did It, Clue q. Movies

VI. EVALUATION

Evaluations may include: ▪ Case Study Analysis

▪ Crime Scene Analysis: Lab Practical ▪ Final Exam ▪ Tests ▪ Quizzes ▪ Debate ▪ Student Presentations ▪ Lab Reports ▪ Research Papers

VII. REQUIRED RESOURCES

A. Recommended Text:

Saferstein, Richard, Forensic Science: An Introduction, Pearson Prentice Hall, NJ 2008 Saferstein, Richard, Basic Laboratory Exercises for Forensic Science, Pearson Prentice Hall, NJ, 2008

Hurley, James R., Forensics and Applied Science Experiments, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 2007

On line tutorials and self evaluations, study guides and other associated materials. B. Additional Resources

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Saferstein, Richard, Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science, Eighth Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2004

Saferstein, Richard, Forensic Science: An Introduction, Test Item File, Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2008

VIII. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE

Number of Weeks

Introduction to Forensic Science 1

Definition of forensic science

Contributions of Scientists to forensic science Crime Laboratories

Expert Witnesses

The Crime Scene 1

Physical Evidence Securing Crime Scenes

Proper Procedure for recording the crime scene

Physical Evidence 1

Types of physical evidence found at a crime scene. Identification vs. comparison of physical evidence Individual vs. class characteristics

Properties of Matter and the Analysis of Glass 1 Physical vs. chemical properties of matter

Metric System – Prefixes, basic units

Conversions between Metric System and English System Elements vs. Compounds

Phases of Matter

Wave vs. Particle Theory of Light Dispersion of Light through a spectrum Electromagnetic Spectrum

Color and selective absorption of light by molecules Celsius vs. Fahrenheit

Mass vs. weight Density

Refractive Index

Types of solids – crystalline vs. amorphous Double refraction vs. birefringence

Flotation and immersion methods for comparing glass specimens Using glass fractures to determine impact for projectile

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Drugs 1 Psychological and physical dependence.

Examples and classifications of commonly abused drugs Tendency to develop psychological and physical dependency Controlled Substances Act

Laboratory tests to identify drugs Henry’s Law and equilibrium Chromatography

Retention Time

Thin layer vs. gas chromatography Rf value

Forensic Toxicology 1

The absorption of alcohol and its affects on the human body Human Circulatory System

Breathalyzer

Infrared vs. fuel cell breath-testing devices Common field sobriety tests

Measuring alcohol concentration in the blood

The Microscope 1

Parts and functions of compound microscope

Magnification, field of view, working distance and depth Comparison Microscope

Plane Polarized Light and polarizing microscope Spectrophotometer

Microspectrophotometer

Image from Light Microscope vs. Image from Electron Microscope Forensic applications of electron microscopes

Forensic Serology 1

ABO Blood Types Agglutination Typing Whole Blood Characterizing Stains Precipitin Test

Monoclonal and Polyclonal antibodies Chromosome vs. Gene

Genotype and Phenotype Ratios

Laboratory procedures to characterize seminal stains Preserving suspect stains

Collection of physical evidence related to rape investigation

DNA: The Indispensable Forensic Science Tool 1 Structure of DNA Molecule

DNA Replication DNA and Proteins DNA Technology RFLP

Polymerase Chain Reaction

Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Analysis Nuclear DNA vs. Mitochondrial DNA DNA computerized data base

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Trace Evidence: Hairs and Fibers 1 Structure of a hair

Three phases of hair growth Animal vs. human hair Comparison of human hairs Proper collection of hair evidence Classification of Fibers

Structure of a Polymer

Proper collection of fiber evidence

Trace Evidence: Metals, Paints and Soils 1 Usefulness of trace elements

Continuous vs. line emission spectrum Parts of a spectrograph

Structure of an atom Subatomic Particles Electron Energy Levels Isotope

Radioactivity

Components of Paint Comparisons of paint

Proper collection and preservation of paint evidence Important forensic properties of soil

Density- gradient tube

Proper collection of soil evidence

Forensic Aspects of Fire Investigation 1 Oxidation

Energy

Energy and chemical reactions Combustion

Three mechanisms of heat transfer

Proper collection of physical evidence when arson is suspected

Laboratory procedures for detection and identification of hydrocarbon residues

Forensic Investigation of Explosions 1 Classification of explosives

Initiating and non-initiating explosives Types of Explosives

Proper collection of physical evidence when suspected arson or explosives

Fingerprints 1

Uniqueness and characteristics of fingerprints Henry System of classifying fingerprints Visible, plastic and latent fingerprints

Chemical techniques for developing prints on porous objects Proper procedure for preserving a developed latent fingerprint Enhancing latent fingerprints by digital imaging

Firearms, Tool Marks, and Other Impressions 1 Rifling a Barrel

Class and individual characteristics of bullets and cartridge cases Utilizing microscopes to compare bullets and cartridge cases

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Caliper vs. gauge NIBIN

Firing Distance

Restoring obliterated serial numbers

Procedures for proper collection and preservation of firearm evidence Comparison of suspect tool and tool mark

Class and individual characteristics of comparison of impressions Enhancing footprints

Document Examination 1

Suspect Documents Handwriting analysis

Guidelines to follow when collecting known writings for comparison Precautions to minimize deception when handwriting samples are obtained Class and individual characteristics of a typewriter

Proper collection procedures of typewritten exemplars

Techniques for uncovering alterations, erasures, obliterations and various Pen inks.

Computer Forensics 1

Components of a computer

Read-Only Memory vs. Random-Access Memory Hard Disk Drive

Proper procedure for preserving computer evidence at a crime scene Areas of computer and retrieval of forensic evidence

Forensic Science and The Internet 1

Structure of the Internet Search Engines

Retrieval of Information on the Internet Tracing emails, chat, and instant messages Determining origins of a hacker