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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Science Fair Csi: Can You Predict the Spatter?

For Students 9th - 10th
There is evidence to be gathered at every crime scene. The hard part is making sense of it all. That's where crime scene investigators and forensic scientists come in. In this science fair project, you will investigate blood spatter...
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Website
PBS

Pbs: Scientific American Frontiers: Unearthing Secret America

For Students 9th - 10th
The fun part of history is finding the clues that unlock the secrets of the past. This is the companion site to the TV show with Alan Alda that features archeological discoveries. Students will find interesting lessons from the past on...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Dna Forensics and Color Pigments

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students perform DNA forensics using food coloring to enhance their understanding of DNA fingerprinting, restriction enzymes, genotyping and DNA gel electrophoresis. They place small drops of different food coloring ("water-based paint")...
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Website
Michigan State University

Michigan State University: Biometrics Research

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a site on the use of biometrics in personal identification. Includes a summary of some of the many types of biometric methods under development.
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Handout
Nature Research

Scitable: Genetics and Society

For Students 9th - 10th
Get an in-depth look at the ethical, legal, and social implications genetic technologies have on society. Explore the ethical considerations that genetics has on our society with the advances in genetically-tailored treatments, genetic...
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Handout
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Dna Fingerprint Photos

For Students 9th - 10th
These photographs supplied by Genelex Corporation depict actual DNA fingerprints and show the types of information that can be gleaned from them.
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Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Forensics Case 7 Drug Tests: Identifying an Unknown Chemical

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity, students distinguish between physical and chemical properties. They also understand the differences between qualitative and quantitative observations. They use quantitative and qualitative analyses to identify an...
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Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Cells Never Lie

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A forensics activity which deals with the idea of alcohol poisoning. Based on a Biology Lab on cell distruction in alcohol and Chemistry's Beer's Law.
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Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Forensics Case 9: Killer Cup of Coffee: Using Colorimetry

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity, Students can use colorimetry to determine the concentration of a colored species in a solution and use a linear relationship to model Beer's law. They use Beer's law to determine the concentration of...
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Website
Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum: On Maggots and Murders: Forensic Entomology [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Five-page article explains how forensic scientists, when investigating crimes, analyze maggots and blowflies to determine approximate times of death.
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Unit Plan
Virtual Museum of Canada

Virtual Museum of Canada: Virtual Exhibit on Forensic Science

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover the components of forensic science. There is also a link to a simulation in which you can apply your skills to solve a crime.
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Website
PBS

Nova Teachers: Hunt for the Serial Arsonist: Classroom Activity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity they can begin to see how forensic scientists use fingerprints for identification. Students will identify particularly noticeable features in fingerprints and compare students' fingerprints.
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Lesson Plan
Other

Science Spot: Forensic Science Lesson Plans

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Huge collection of teacher-created lessons, activities, PowerPoint presentations, and worksheets for classes in forensic science.
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Handout
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Investigation: Practical Guide for Human Hairs

For Students 9th - 10th
The FBI gives a detailed analysis of the human hair including how to use it as forensic evidence. Topics covered are hair structure, identification, and methods of hair recovery. Labeled diagrams and electron photomicrographs enhance the...
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Activity
National Health Museum

Access Excellence: Dna Detectives

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A hands-on activity from Access Excellence for advanced biology classes. Students are given a crime scenario and three suspects. Their mission is to determine 'Who Dunnit?' by obtaining and analyzing DNA samples. Requires extensive...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Dead Men's Tales: Splatter Spread

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Emulate the work of a forensic scientist by observing the relationship between scatter and distance. Assemble a projectile-hurling device called a potato cannon and analyze the spread pattern of paint soaked projectiles.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Dead Men's Tales: Inferring Height From Bone Length

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Explore the work of forensic scientists by inferring an individual's height from the length of certain long bones. Create bone/height relation charts and measure length using metric units. This activity was created to be used with the...
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Handout
Other

Crime Scene Investigator: Evidence Collection Guidelines

For Students 9th - 10th
A list of specific types of evidence that could be collected from a crime scene. Links to methods for collecting the following kinds of evidence: blood stains, seminal stains, hair, fibers and threads, glass, paint, flammable liquids,...
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Activity
Other

Your Thoughts Is That Really You?

For Students 9th - 10th
Biometrics has come to refer to the identification of individuals through distinguishing biological features. This article discusses what that might mean to us as individuals.
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Website
Other

American Academy of Forensic Science: Choosing a Career

For Students 9th - 10th
What is forensic science? What do forensic scientists do? What's a forensic scientist? This complete site answers these questions and provides a wealth of information about the field of forensic science.
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Handout
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Dna Forensics

For Students 9th - 10th
A concise explanation of the use of DNA technologies in forensic identification from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Additional valuable resources are provided.
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Lesson Plan
Success Link

Success Link: Forensic Chemistry

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An interesting lesson that taps into students' interest in crime solving and forensics. Students examine glass fragments and their density to help them solve a crime.
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Meet Jared Roop

For Students 9th - 10th
Meet Jared Roop, forensics/analytical chemist and Cardinals fan!
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Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Wanted Butch and Sundance: Classroom Activity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Examine how forensic anthropologists use data to investigate skeletal remains and use a data chart to estimate how tall a person might have been from the length of his or her bones.