Forensic
Science Day
Crime log
booklet
Forensic Science Day Activities
Web
links:
Crime scenes to be investigated:
Fence damage: Farmer Jameson has a cabbage patch he tends every morning. He
put up a sign saying ‘Trespassers will be
prosecuted’. Yesterday morning an
animal ignored the warning and had a field day on his cabbage patch, wrecking
it. These footprints were left at the scene. Work out which animal was
responsible for this atrocity.
Equipment:
Animal Footprint card
Footprints exhibit
Magnifying glasses
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils
Forensic
Science Day
Ransom notes: Sean William’s dog has been dog napped. He has received
several ransom notes demanding a £1m for his return. The notes are handwritten
and always left on his dressing table, this means they could not be coming from
outside. You are the forensic science detective on the case. Carry out a handwriting
analysis to find the blackmailer
Equipment:
Evidence – ransom note
exhibit
Several handwriting
samples
Magnifying glasses
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils
Forensic
Science Day
Break-in at the vicarage: The vicar had a break-in whilst out shopping. The thief got
in through the window which has been smashed. The police have rounded up three
people they believe could have done it. You have been invited in as a forensic
scientist. Help solve this case.
Equipment:
Evidence – fingerprints
exhibits
Magnifying glasses
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils
Forensic
Science Day
Fraud Scam! The Chief Executive’s signature has been forged onto a
company cheque. The culprit has banked £2.5m company money from this fraud. All
employees’ pens have been seized by the police. Carry out an ink chromatography
to determine which pen was used to write out the cheque. Preserve your evidence
Equipment:
Evidence – fraud cheque
exhibit, section of fraud cheque
Samples of ink from four
employees’ pens, pair of scissors, sellotape
Surgical spirit, Coffee
filter paper, beaker or plastic cup, eye dropper
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils, paper towels to clean spills
Forensic
Science Day
Missing drink: Someone has drunk up the last punch at the party. This was
been reserved for old granny. Everyone denies they did it. You are brought in to find out ‘Who done it?’ All the drinking cups at
the party have been left untouched. Write a report of your findings.
Evidence – lipstick
stained drinking glass exhibit
Guest lipstick stained
drinking glasses (or paper stained) exhibits
Magnifying glasses
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils
Forensic
Science Day
Fake Silk: The police have shut down a clothes shop which they say is
making false claims about the quality of its fabric. The shop maintains all
their fabrics are 100% silk but customers have complained that they are a
mixture of silk and cotton. You have been given samples of fabric from the shop.
Prepare a case for the police.
Equipment:
Evidence – shop fabric
exhibit
Samples of different types
of fabric exhibits
Microscope, twizzers
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils
Forensic
Science Day
Sabotage in the classroom; Ms Gold claims she left her class computer on last night;
before going home because she was running a virus check on it. She came in this
morning to find all her files deleted and the computer shut down and switched
off at the mains. The cleaners deny any knowledge of who done it. The carpet in
Ms Gold’s classroom is very thick and fluffy. The classroom has been shut off
to preserve evidence. Can you solve this cowardly crime?
Equipment:
Scene Footprint exhibit
Suspects footprint
evidence
Magnifying glasses
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils
Forensic
Science Day
Suspect likeness:
The ICT room was broken
into whilst you were having your dinner, you saw the suspect very briefly when
they went past. Draw a suspect likeness and describe him/her to the police.
(age, height, clothes, sex, hair colour, race, items on them etc)
Equipment:
Evidence – Photo exhibit
(from a magazine or newspaper)
Paper, pencils, colouring
pencils, pens
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils
Forensic
Science Day
Doughnut thief:
Baby Bear is upset again
because someone has been eating her doughnut. Goldilocks claims it wasn’t her,
as she only likes runny foods like porridge and does not like sugary foods. All
the Bears like sugary foods. It is your job to find the culprit.
Equipment:
Evidence – half eaten
doughnut exhibit
Guests bite marks exhibits
Dough bread or apples
could be used
Magnifying glasses
Evidence analysis sheet,
pens, pencils
Forensic Science Day
Help solve these cowardly crimes
Bite
marks : how it works
Bite
marks left behind at the scene of a crime can provide invaluable information to
investigators
A criminal can be identified from bite marks from the fact that each individual has teeth of different size and shape. Some people have crooked teeth, some have short teeth; some have wide spaced teeth, some have a gap in the middle; some have buck teeth, tooth ridges are also different in individuals etc. Have a look at your classmates’ teeth and see how many different types you can spot.
Be
a detective
You can reveal who has been eating your mango,
doughnut, or sandwich by having a look at each person’s teeth. The shapes,
ridges and sizes of their teeth should match the bite marks left on your food when
you examine each person’s teeth more closely. If this does not show who the
culprit is, investigate further by getting every single person who could have
had access to your food to take a bite on another mango, doughnut or sandwich
and compare each one against the evidence food sample. This will surely have a
match; this person is the culprit and the one ‘whodunit’.
Lips are unique, with everyone having different sets of grooves on their lips, rather like the ridges on fingerprints. The groove patterns come in five different varieties; long vertical, short vertical, branching, rectangular and diamond. This allows detectives to rule out certain suspects; then closer inspection can match the guilty party, like the bite marks investigations above.
ADMNISTRING JUSTICE: THE
JUSTICE SCALES
Once
you have established the guilty person/ party, justice must be served; in the
interest of natural justice, their punishment must fit the crime. Remember the sayings: ‘Fair and balanced
law’, ‘You do the crime, you do the time.’ Law administered in the interest of fairness
and natural justice’.
Suggest a punishment for
each culprit
Extension Tasks
1.
Do you agree with those
justice statements above?
2.
Which do you agree or
disagree with?
3.
What do you think is the
origin of these statements?
4.
Can you spot any
similarity to any religion’s code of conduct? Which?
5.
Have you heard of
miscarried justice? What does this mean?
6.
Write a story about an
instance of miscarried justice, you can research a case on the internet.
7.
Write an explanation text
on forensic science works.
8. Write a report on the Justice Scales.
KEEP LOOKING FOR SCIENCE
OUT THERE!
Notes: Keep a scrap book.
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