Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: The 19th Century Revolution in Forensic Imaging

For Students 9th - 10th
In the 19th century, forensic pathologists began to use words and pictures to describe cadavers and to teach using cadavers in the classroom. See a number of interesting photos of various crime scenes on this interesting site.
Website
Other

Streetlaw: Careers in the Law

For Students 9th - 10th
If you are interested in being an attorney, corrections officer, court reporter, forensic scientist, police officer, judge or government agent, check out this description of several legal careers. Learn about salary, required education,...
Article
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies

Mocomi: What Is Forensic Science?

For Students 2nd - 8th
Defines Forensic Science and describes what Forensic scientists do.
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.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution: Scientists at the Smithsonian

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a collection of video interviews with twenty Smithsonian scientists who work in a scientific areas as vastly different as measuring the moon and figuring out what kinds of birds collide with aircraft. An interesting way to...
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Meet Jared Roop

For Students 9th - 10th
Meet Jared Roop, forensics/analytical chemist and Cardinals fan!
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: Virtopsy, the Virtual Autopsy

For Students 9th - 10th
An interesting site that delves into how forensic scientists perform minimally invasive autopsies using state of the art technology.
Handout
Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech: Precision Without Accuracy in Crime Scenes

For Students 9th - 10th
A police forensics scientist discusses how precision will muddy the true accuracy of a crime scene. Interesting stuff. A new real world look at precision and accuracy.
Activity
Indiana University

A Crime Against Plants

For Students 9th - 10th
Have your students delve into the evidence involving a small tree and arrive at an explanation of what happened in this thorough lesson plan site. .
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,...
Interactive
Rice University

Rice University: Web Adventures: N Squad: Alcohol in the Body

For Students 6th - 8th
Online interactive game consists of three consecutive episodes. The storyline addresses three different body systems and their functions while teaching about alcohol's interaction with each of them, misconceptions about alcohol, medical...
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: Spectral Detection

For Students 9th - 10th
This concise site provides a brief discussion of the invention of the first work spectroscopes and their impact on forensic science.
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: Reading Gunshot Patterns

For Students 9th - 10th
Various pictures of parts of the human anatomy showing gun shot trauma are found on this interesting site. .
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: The Bertillon System

For Students 9th - 10th
Bertillon devised a system to make order out of the myriad of crime scene photos taken by the police. This brief site describes how that system worked and shows a number of crime scene photos taken from Bertillon's photo album.
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: Key Accomplishments, Dna

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief history of the major discoveries related to DNA from 1865 until 1991. Pictures of the responsible reponsibile for these key accomplishments are included as well.
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: Entomology in Action

For Students 9th - 10th
Two lesson plans are found in this site. Lesson Plan 1 is geared to grades 6-9. In this plan, student's will be able to list the different stages of the blow fly's life cycle and understand how the life cycle and ADH (accumulated degree...
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: Dna a Molecular Identity

For Students 9th - 10th
In this lesson plan site, students learn about DNA and examine three different situations where DNA was used to solve a case.
Activity
Other

Crime Scene Investigator: Developing and Lifting Footwear Impressions

For Students 9th - 10th
A thorough explanation of how to make a footwear impression at a crime scene. Topics include equipment needed, the technique used, documentation, personal safety, and more.
Article
Other

Crime Scene Investigation: Protecting the Crime Scene

For Students 9th - 10th
This brief but informative site examines how a crime scene should be protected with emphasis on the role of the first officer(s) to arrive. Points are made about the arrival of additional personnel, eating and drinking at the crime...
Website
Other

Crime Scene Investigation: Proper Tagging and Labeling of Evidence

For Students 9th - 10th
What is the purpose of tagging and labeling items of evidence? What information belongs on the tag? These questions are answered in this concise but competent site.
Article
Other

Crime Scene Investigator: Practical Methods for Processing a Vehicle

For Students 9th - 10th
Practical methods are suggested to secure and not contaminate any evidence found in a vehicle at a crime scene.
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: The Invention of Photomicrography

For Students 9th - 10th
The technique of photographing objects observed under a microscope is discussed in this succinct site. Various pictures taken under a microscope are displayed on this site as well.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers:america's Stone Age Explorers

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Discover how mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited, and complete a pedigree chart by determining which individuals might share mtDNA with an unknown ancestor.
Handout
BiologyWise

Biology Wise: History of Dna Fingerprinting

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the scientists who made discoveries about DNA and those who invented and worked on DNA fingerprinting, and some of the criminal cases that were resolved or thrown out through the use of DNA evidence. (Warning: Some of these...