Curated OER
Who's Who and How Do You Know for Sure?
Students investigate the applications of DNA fingerprinting, They read crime scenarios and using the details of the crime and laboratory experimentation decide the suspects guilt or innocence.
Curated OER
Density of Glass Fragments
Students explore how the density of an object is determined and determine what a "physical property" is. They demonstrate how science can be applied to police work.
Curated OER
Ink Analysis and Thin Layer Chromatography
Students explain the process of TLC. They identify at least three components of ink. They analyze data and make conclusions based on laboratory observations.
Curated OER
Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson Plan 2: PCR and DNA Diagnosis
High schoolers discuss the importance of the Polymerase Chain Reaction for biologists. They explain what factors make the Polymerase Chain Reaction possible. Students explain the steps in thermocycling and what happens during each step.
Curated OER
Biology: Howler Monkeys Tell All
Students examine a PBS special about howler monkeys as an introduction to scientific forensic investigative methods. In groups, they conduct a host of experiments containing clues which point to discovery. By challenging assumptions,...
Curated OER
What Does That DNA Molecule Really Look Like???
Students extract DNA from animal liver cells. They separate, collect and describe the appearance from the extracted DNA while role playing as an intern in a city's forensics.
Curated OER
The Ladder of Life
Students explain the concepts of what DNA is and where it is located in a cell, identify the two types of molecules that make up the rungs of a DNA molecule and identify the two types of Purine and Pyrimidine molecules
Curated OER
Soil Analysis Lesson Plan
Students practice calculating density and examine examples of the physical characteristics of soil. They solve a "crime" based on the evidence and laboratory investigations.
Curated OER
Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) with Powdery Mildew Fungi
Young scholars explore a specific method of identifying fungi, using a written key and an illustrated key. Powdery mildew fungi can be identified to genus by the morphology (appearance) of the sexual stage (cleistothecia).
Curated OER
Hydrocarbons
In this hydrocarbon worksheet, students answer 13 questions about different types of organic molecules categorized as hydrocarbons. They explain the different hydrocarbons, they draw structural diagrams for different hydrocarbons and...
Curated OER
Potato Launcher Energy Lab
Students investigate conservation laws using a potato launcher. In this physics lesson, students measure angles, time and distance of the potato. They discuss applications of experiments like this.
Curated OER
DNA Fingerprinting: You Be the Judge!
Students use their knowledge of DNA fingerprinting to evaluate the use fingerprints in courts, and will address the ethics of establishing a national database of fingerprints.
Curated OER
DNA Fingerprinting: You Be the Judge!
Students explore DNA fingerprinting. Students discover how DNA fingerprinting is done and judge the validity. They evaluate the use of certain prints in courts and address the ethics of establishing a national database of fingerprpints.
Curated OER
Mystery of the Matching Marks
Students view a Power Point and complete activities related to genetic evidence of human evolution. In this molecular evolution lesson, students view and discuss a provide presentation. They search for the "tell-tale telomere" and...
Curated OER
Investigating the Uses of Backyard Bacteria
Pupils discover that the answers to some of society's waste and clean-up problems may be no further than the soil beneath their feet. They perform a Gram stain on the colonies to determine some of their characteristics.
Curated OER
Create A DNA Fingerprint
Young scholars engage in a lesson that is about the DNA molecule and focuses upon the sequencing of proteins to identify individuals. They conduct research using a variety of resources and then complete the activities included in the 3...
Curated OER
Civic Engagement for Us?
Students identify the different forms of civic engagement. They identify their responsibilities at the different levels of government. They also analyze young leaders running for office.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Forensic Serology
In what ways does serological evidence help solve a crime? This comprehensive learning tutorial explores what information can be determined from a drop of blood and how blood typing is done. Learn what information we get from blood stain...
University of Utah
University of Utah: Genetic Science Learning Center: Dna and Verdicts
Part of a site on genetics, this page explores DNA as a forensic science. Explains how and why DNA can be used to convict or acquit a criminal from wrongdoing using forensic DNA analysis. Teacher resources too.
Other
Teachers First: Lessons: Who Did It? Forensics to Hone Science and Lab Skills
Comprehensive twenty-activity unit, complete with a WebQuest and assessment materials, designed to introduce forensic science to middle schoolers in grades 6, 7, and 8.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Practical Guide for Human Hairs
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...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Chromatography: Who Wrote the Note?
Students investigate who stole the class pet by testing the chromatograph of different markers as a way to find the evidence that points to the perpetrator.