Course title

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Course description

Forensics is the inquiry-based; lab application of the integration of biology; chemistry; and physical science principles as well as the application of technological practices to the purposes of solving crimes worldwide. This class empahsizes on understanding the scientific method as it applies to forensic science; with special emphasis on the basics of biology and chemistry. The class will build upon the student’s prior knowledge of biology and chemistry; using chemistry techniques to analyze and identify trace evidence and toxicology. Students will evaluate biological materials by analyzing their organic; inorganic; and biochemical nature;  Students will utilize their laboratory skills to develop a deeper understanding of science by posing hypotheses and using proper experimentation techiniques to conclude answers.. This class prepares students for collegiate level science courses that will allow them topursue science careers either directly or indirectly to the field.. Major themes of study in this course are crime scene investigation; pathology; anthropology; entomology; serology; DNA analysis ballistics; trace evidence; fingerprints; physical evidence; forgery/fraud; and brief discussions of forensic psychology.

Students will spend on average 2 hours per week conducting laboratory assignments to demonstrate science concepts and then utilize their laboratory knowledge to create their own examples of forensic science found in the real world.

List of Laboratory Experiments

1-   Introduction - Review of Measurement and Conversion Lab: Students will conduct various stations where they will have to measure length; mass; and volume and convert within the metric system.

2- Crime Scene Investigation - A) Pretest/Posttest Crime Scene: Students will document through phoography; written notes; crime scene sketches; and proper collection techniques at these "crime scenes". B) Scale Model Drawing (Rough/Smooth): Students will be assigned various rooms and will measure and scale the rooms appropriately.  They will then draw their rooms to scale on paper.

3- Microscope - Analysis of Human Hair Lab: Students will make a wet mound with their own hair to observe materials through the microscope to familarize the students with microscopes.

5- Hairs and Fibers - A) Hair Lab: Students will observe various types of hair through a microscope and draw/write their observations. As a conclusionary piece; students will discuss differences found between each sample and share out with the class. B) Fiber Lab: Students will be given a bucket of unknown materials and using different tests (chemical; burn; visual; microscopic view) and a flow chart; students will make educated hypotheses on what each one of the unknowns is.

6- Death Investigation - A) Burial Plot Lab: Students will be given a bag of unknown bones for which they will need to determine how many bodies were in the burial plot; what were their genders; and what were their ethnicities based on landmarks found within the skeletons that the students had been given.  The student will then map out which bones belong to what skeletons and draw their results. B) Insect Timeline for Dead Tissue: Students will be given dead tissue and allow to create varying environments for their dead tissue to decay in the sun.  Students observe what insects are present; what they can see remaining of the dead tissue; as well as what they smell (through proper biohazard handling procedures including gloves; aprons; face masks; etc.).  Students will then create a timeline of their decaying matter and when different local insects arrive.

8 – Drugs/Forensics Toxicology - A) Paper Chromatography Lab: Students will be given one known and five unknowns to separate using the paper and solvent. From the results; the students will have to identify the culprit. B) pH Lab of Over the Counter Substances:  Students will be given various known OTC medicines to test their pH; their ability to dissolve; and their resistance to change pH with the addition of an acid or a base.  The students will then make concluding statements about which OTC substances are more safe to buy than others.

9- Fingerprints: Fingerprint Collection Lab: Students will place their fingerprints in a specific area and then using the three types of powders will try to lift their fingerprints to be further analyzed.  The students will then discuss the varying techniques and which technique worked the best/most cost effective.    

10- Forensic serology - ABO Blood Typing Lab: Students will be given different unknown blood samples and will watch how the antiserums respond to the blood like fluid.  Students will then try to guess the blood types of the unknown blood samples.

11- Blood Spatter Analysis: Students will; using a squirt bottle and large butcher paper; attempt to recreate various blood spatter patterns from different heights; speeds; and angles. Students will then conclude based on their observations made from the the spatters that they created.

12- DNA: A) Paper Paternity Test:  Students will take the paper DNA samples from a child; its mother; and two potential fathers.  The students will then create DNA fragments using restriction enzymes to simulate a real paternity test using electrophoresis.  The students will align the fragments based on the lengths of the fragments and match the child up to it's real father. The students will then answer questions about the process of the paternity test and its modern uses in today's society. B) Gel Electrophoresis Lab: Students will be given the DNA of a suspect that was found at a crime scene and the DNA of five possible suspects that could be a match.  The students will then process the DNA using actual restriction enzymes and electrophoresis chambers to solve the crime and match the suspect to the crime.  Students will then write a lab report based on their findings.

13 – Arson and Firearm Investigation:  A) Accelerant Lab: In a hooded and controlled environment; students will be testing the effects of various accelerants on the speed at which objects burn.  The students will then graph their results and make conclusions about the efficiency of each of the accelerants and how potentially hazardous each could make a situation. B) Firearm Lab: Students will be given various bullet casings and allowed to measure the length and diameter of the casings; as well as to look at the striations under the microscope.  Using this information; students will then try to match the casing to the firearm it belongs with. C) Gunpowder Residue Lab - Students will swab various locations to test for the presence of gunpowder residue.  Students will then map out and write a lab report based on their findings.

14- Forgery/Fraud- A) Document Fraud: Students will be asked to create a known sample of their handwriting and then asked to purposely mask their handwriting while writing another sample.  The students will then all swap papers and will try to match the forgery with the original writer.  Students will notice unconscious patterns created by the original author. B) Money Fraud:  Students will be given various counterfeit and real samples of money to which the students will have to decide which samples are real and which are fake.  The students will then have to justify their claim by providing pieces of evidence to back their claim up.        

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Approved

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• LBIO
• Biology

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Online / Virtual