Forensic Science Investigation

A who-dunnit circus of activities

Lesson idea. These five activities have often been used as a circus of activity on a school open-day for young students. The teacher has given these lab activities an investigative slant in a ‘real world’ context. The work

• introduces the science topic ’acids and bases’ by measuring the pH of soil found on a crime suspect’s shoe.
• introduces the technique of chromatography, by comparing the ink from a pen at the crime scene, with ink owned by a suspect. Chromatography is used in work to distinguish between mixtures and compounds
• introduces human variation by comparing a suspect’s thumbprint with that found at the crime scene. Fingerprinting has often been used as a starter activity for discussing what we inherit from our parents.
• also introduces the topic ’acids and bases’ in an activity where pupils measure the acidity of household liquids and classify them as one or the other.

Teaching approach. This lesson introduces inquiry^(ta)-based learning through the topic of forensic science. It engages pupils in higher order^(ta) reasoning^(ta) solving a variety of forensic problems.

Resource details
Title	Forensic Science Investigation
Topic
Teaching approach
Learning Objectives	to introduce the idea of acids and bases to use evidence to support conclusions probably also to introduce young students to working in a lab with a 'real' purpose
Format / structure
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Table of contents
Additional Resources/material needed
Useful information
Related ORBIT Wiki Resources
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Files and resources to view and download	Download the document here File:Forensic Science Investigation - SC0004.doc
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