FORENSIC SCIENCE ELECTIVE CORE
The Forensic Science Elective Core focuses on the analysis of evidence collection, the decomposition process, crime scenes, skeletal remains, toxicology, and document validity. Case studies and crime scenarios help students understand the implications and complicated issues that are emerging as the science of forensics continues to develop.
The Forensic Science Elective Core is not intended to serve as the entire curriculum of any course. Teachers are encouraged to expand the curriculum beyond the minimum content of this core, accommodating specific community interests and utilizing unique local resources. Courses developed from this core should encourage critical thinking, use of the scientific method, integration of technology, and application of knowledge and skills learned to the solving of practical questions and problems. The scientific process and application skills located on page 10 of this document should be incorporated into as many course standards as possible. It is also essential that students place theories and discoveries of significant persons into a historical perspective. Students should use clear and accurate language, keep accurate records, make reports, present oral and written projects, and participate in discussions regarding the results and conclusions of scientific investigations. Safe field and laboratory investigations should be used in instruction to the maximum extent possible to illustrate scientific concepts and principles and to support inquiry-based instruction. The recommended prerequisite science course for the Forensic Science Elective Core is the Biology Core.
Students will:
1. Describe responsibilities of various personnel involved in crime scene investigations. Examples: police, detectives, laboratory specialists, medical examiners
1.1. Explaining how to search, sketch, and record data from a crime scene 2. Explain ways to collect and preserve evidence from a crime scene.
2.1. Distinguishing between physical evidence and witness evidence
2.2. Comparing the three main pattern types that combine to form an individual’s unique fingerprint 2.3. Explaining different methods of latent fingerprint development
2.4. Identifying origins of impressions, including footwear and tire treads 2.5. Describing ways to identify hair, fiber, and blood evidence
3. Distinguish between class and individual characteristics of firearms. Examples: toolmark, caliber, scatter pattern
4. Describe presumptive and confirmatory tests. Examples: blood type comparison, DNA testing 5. Describe the importance of genetic information to forensics.
5.1. Using the process of gel electrophoresis to identify patterns in DNA 6. Describe the decomposition process.
6.1. Using rigor mortis to determine corpse position
6.2. Identifying decomposition by-products to determine cause of death 6.3. Using entomological life cycles to determine time of death
7. Identify the importance of skeletal remains in forensics. 7.1. Comparing bones and skulls based on age, sex, and race 7.2. Using forensic dentistry to establish identity
8. Describe general categories of drugs and poisons and their effects on humans. 8.1. Explaining ways poisons are detected at autopsy
9. Use laws of physics to explain forensic evidence.
9.1. Analyzing blood splatter patterns in relation to speed, height, and direction 9.2. Tracking trajectories of collected evidence
10. Describe techniques used to determine the validity of documents. Examples: fiber and handwriting analyses, ink chromatography
Chpt. # --
Date
Lesson
# COS # AHSGE Instructional Suggestions
1 1,7.2 I-1
PRIORITY
Student Tech -Introductory Forensic Science Educational Activities 1-4
2 2.1,2.4,3
PRIORITY
Labs: CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Enrichment-Introductory Forensic Science Educational Activities Writing Activity- CSI-Real-Life Science Labs 1-8
3 1.1,2
PRIORITY
Labs: CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Labs-Introductory Forensic Science Educational Activities Teacher Tech: Crime Scene Checklist
Crime Scene Equipment Crime scene photographs Crime Scene Collection
4 2.2,2.3,2.4 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs: CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Labs:Introductory Forensic Science Educational Activities Labs:– Identifying Human Fingerprints
ë Teacher Tech -Superglue fingerprinting tutorial
Fingerprinting
Fingerprint Geometric Analysis
5 2.5,8.1 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Labs-Introductory Forensic Science Educational Activities Labs- Hair Raising Forensics-
ë Teacher Tech: Hair
6 2.5,9 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs ë Teacher Tech- Hair and Fibers
7 4,8 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
8 8,8.1 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Labs-Advanced Forensic Science Educational Activities
ë Student Tech - Advanced Forensic Science Educational Activities 2-3
9 4 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
10 2.5,4,9.1,9.2 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs Labs-Blood Stain Patterns
ë Teacher Tech-Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Tutorial ë Relationship of the Impact Angle to Blood Spatter Shape
Date
Chpt.
# -- COS # AHSGE Instructional Suggestions
11 5,5.1,9 I-1,IV-2
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Labs-Introductory Forensic Science Educational Activities Labs- AMSTI- A Mix-Up at the hospital, DNA Paternity Testing Simulation, DNA Fingerprinting, A Paternity Case, Manipulating DNA: How is DNA Analyzed?
ë Teacher Tech: Extracting
12 6,6.1,7,7.1 I-1,II-4
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Student Tech -Advanced Forensic Science Educational Activities 1-7 &1-9
ë Teacher Tech: Skull Module ë Entomology Lesson
6.2
PRIORITY
ë Teacher Tech: Stages of Decomposition
6.3
PRIORITY
ë Teacher Tech: Forensic Entomology
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Labs-Advanced Forensic Science Educational Activities
13 2.4 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs Labs-Soil Analysis
14 9,9.2 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
15 10 I-1
PRIORITY
Labs-CSI-Real-Life Science Labs
Labs-Introductory Forensic Science Educational Activities ë Teacher Tech: Questioned Documents
Resources:
Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Real-Life Science Labs for Grades 6-12 By Pam Walker and Elaine Wood
Science Catalog: Ward’s Natural Science Introductory Forensic Science Educational Activities
By Audri Kowalyk, B.Ed.
Available at: http://www.forensicsinschool.com/id13.html Advanced Forensic Science Educational Activities
By Audri Kowalyk, B.Ed. & Susanne Christensen, B.Ed. Available at: http://www.forensicsinschool.com/id13.html
Teacher Tech: Clues in Crime- The Role of Forensic Science in Criminal Investigations (available through Ward’s)
Student Tech: Faces-students create a portrait using software (available through Ward’s)
Great Websites to check out:
ë The National Association of High School Teachers of Forensic Science: http://www.hstofs.org/ ë Lakeside High School Forensic Science:
http://www.lakesideschool.org/upperschool/departments/science/forensics/ ë Court TV- http://www.courttv.com/choices/teachers/
o Court TV Crime Activities: http://www.courttv.com/forensics_curriculum/ o Court TV Crime Lab & Games: http://www.courttv.com/game/allgames.html ë Forensic Project: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bob.chappell/projects_page.html ë The Why Files: http://whyfiles.org/014forensic/index.php?g=biblio.txt
ë The Virtual Autopsy: http://www.le.ac.uk/pathology/teach/va/titlpag1.html ë Forensic Views of the Body: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/index.html ë American Academy of Forensic Sciences: http://aafs.org/
ë Ask a Forensic Scientist
http://www.andreacampbell.com/html/email.html ë Online Crime: http://www.crimescene.com/
ë Quick Mysteries to Solve: http://www.mysterynet.com/
ë Facial expressions: http://www.irc.atr.jp/~mlyons/facial_expression.html ë Counterfeit Currency
http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke_brochure.cfm?objectid=83FD41F3-9AF0-11D5- 898400508BB89A83&method=display_body
ë Forensic Science websites: http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/links/index.cfm?subid=167 ë Photography: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/csepguide.html
ë Blood Stain Photography: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/phoblood.html
ë Crime Scene Photography Equipment: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/equip.html ë Forensic Art: http://www.forensicartist.com/
ë Ballistics: http://www.pulsephotonics.com/gallery.htm
Instructional Suggestions Column
PRIORITY – (notes/suggestions, if needed) Use red color for emphasis online.
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Review, if needed
Use when taught in a prior grade, previous chapter, or needed for future chapter
Labs Labs that are available for that chapter.
Teacher Tech Give the specifics of a software package that helps a teacher plan or demonstrate the lesson
Student Tech Give the specifics of a software package that students would use on a student workstation to reinforce the lesson
ë
Student Tech Provide the web address for a resource students would use on a student workstationë
Teacher Tech Provide the web address for a resource for teachers would use for planning or demonstrationResource A supplemental resource may be needed because the COS content is not in the textbook or the textbook does not do an adequate job covering the COS content. Give the specifics of the resource, if known
