How to Teach Forensic Science in Middle School
Forensic science careers are growing in popularity. An ever-increasing number of individuals are entering the field due in part to the popularity of television programs that feature forensic science investigators. Teaching forensic science to middle-school students can be fun and engaging. Lessons in forensics allow students to experience the thrill of solving a complex mystery. Many students already are curious about forensic science. Science teachers can capitalize on this interest and sneak in some learning opportunities.
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Things You'll Need
- Forensic science career information
- Stamp pad
- Markers
- Various pieces of fiber
- Sandwich baggies
- Paper
- Pencil
- Scotch tape
- "Crime Scene: How Investigators Use Science to Track Down the Bad Guys" by Vivien Bowers and Martha Newbigging
Instructions
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Discuss careers in forensic science. Approximately 13,000 individuals work in the forensic science field, reports The Bureau of Labor and Statistics. A variety of careers falls within this field, from crime scene investigator to police laboratory technician. Explore these career options with students, and investigate how much education is required for each.
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List the evidence types that forensic scientists may use to solve a crime. Your students likely will have a strong base of knowledge about forensic science because of their experience with movies and television shows. While much of what is on TV is exaggerated, some true science is present in popular shows.
Make a list of the types of evidence that forensic scientists use. Your list should include fingerprints, DNA evidence and material fibers, as you will explore all of these in greater detail later.
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Explore fingerprint identification techniques. Collect fingerprints from students using a stamp pad or markers. If you don't have a stamp pad, students can color their fingertips with washable marker and press them onto paper to make imprints.
Provide students with magnifying glasses and allow them to inspect the fingerprints and look for differences between them. Students will see that everyone's fingerprint is different.
You can extend the activity by enlarging some fingerprints and having students look through the class collection to determine to whom that print belongs, much as police would do when trying to solve a crime.
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Explore DNA sources. Create a list of ways in which individuals can leave behind pieces of DNA. Students will likely get the obvious DNA sources such as blood or saliva right off the bat, but they may miss others, such as skin cells or fingernail chips.
Explain to students that they leave DNA on almost everything they come in contact with. This can make catching the bad guys simple for detectives.
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Practice fiber classification. Gather together various pieces of fiber. Small pieces of carpet lint, tiny strands of yarn, individual pieces of hair and minute specks of tissue will do fine. Give each student a small bag containing the various fibers and have them look through the fibers and try to identify them.
Provide students with Scotch tape and paper, and allow them to tape the fibers down and label them with the fiber sources. Explain that forensic scientists are very good at determining where fiber comes from and that, with scientific tests, these experts can not only tell that a fiber belongs to a piece of fabric but also which piece of fabric it came from.
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Practice crime scene investigation. Numerous interactive forensic books are available. "Crime Scene: How Investigators Use Science to Track Down the Bad Guys" by Vivien Bowers and Martha Newbigging is an example of such a book.
These books give students the opportunity to search for clues and try their hands at solving forensic crimes. Acquire such a book, and allow your students to have fun utilizing the information they have learned.
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