Olomana School
Mixtures and Solutions: Paper Chromatography Experiment
Why does some ink bleed through paper, and other ink doesn't? Practice some paper chromatography to separate the colors from a pen with an interactive experiment for middle and high schoolers. Learners use a variety of solutions to track...
Curated OER
Blood, I Presume?
Students explain the value of blood in trials. In this DNA lesson students work together to collect and share information and ideas that they come up with after learning how to distinguish blood from other stains.
Curated OER
Blood Analysis
Learners reconstruct a crime scene to produce the blood spatter pattern. In this forensic science lesson, students describe the events that lead to produce such patterns. They explain the importance of blood analysis in solving crimes.
Curated OER
Blood Business
Students identify the different kinds of blood. In this biology lesson, students investigate the antigens, agglutinins and Rh factor using their own blood. They use Punnett squares to predict blood type of offspring.
Curated OER
Science: Entomology in Action
Learners discover how coroners use insect life cycles to estimate the time of death in cases. they describe how forensic entomologists combine environmental factors with insect life cycles to note the changes. Students examine an...
Curated OER
Forensic Files
Learners create a model of DNA and relate it to the differences between individual people in their nitrogen base sequences. They analyze a crime scenario in which they perform several different types of tests.
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
Toolmarks Lesson Plan
Students examine the scientific method and lab procedures. They solve problems using experimentation, observation, and the scientific method.
Curated OER
CSI, Second Grade Style
Second graders conduct a classroom investigation. In this investigative lesson, 2nd graders spend their time observing, measuring, and collecting data. They simulate a forensic science lab by conducting a fingerprint, scent, footprint,...
Curated OER
SpellO': An Orienteering Lesson
Students participate in hands-on activities to practice orienting maps. Given activity cards, students accurately read maps and locate specific stations. Students collect information from the maps to spell a message when the activity...
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark in Columbia River Country
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this research skills lesson, students research the death of Meriwether Lewis using forensic evidence presented in primary...
Curated OER
Who Did It?
Students explore how forensic science is used in criminal investigations. They learn that for the next few days that are going to try to solve a crime that took place in the classroom. Students are given a story to read about the crime...
EngageNY
Newton’s Law of Cooling, Revisited
Does Newton's Law of Cooling have anything to do with apples? Scholars apply Newton's Law of Cooling to solve problems in the 29th installment of a 35-part module. Now that they have knowledge of logarithms, they can determine the decay...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Kennewick Man: Science and Sacred Rights
"Have respect for the dead!" Scholars investigate how science and religion often clash. As they look into the laws of science and the laws of religion, the legal ramifications at the federal level of both play into an argument they...
University of Colorado
Patterns and Fingerprints
Human fingerprint patterns are the result of layers of skin growing at different paces, thus causing the layers to pull on each other forming ridges. Here, groups of learners see how patterns and fingerprints assist scientists in a...
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
Super Glue Fuming of Latent Fingerprints
Students explore latent fingerprinting. They observe a supervised demonstration of the process that real-life crime scene investigators sometimes use to identify latent fingerprints. In addition, they brainstorm ways to improve the...
Curated OER
Food Forensics: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Ninth graders explore the specific reaction between an antigen and the antibody that recognizes it. They carry out an exploratory experiment leading to the concept of specificity.
Curated OER
Food Forensics: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Students develop an experiment to test a hypothesis. They use their knowledge of antigen-antibody specificity to develop a hypothesis. Students articulate that the antibody-antigen specificity is one part of the immune system. They...
Kenan Fellows
Unit 2: DNA Analysis
Ever wonder how they solve those mysterious murders in TV crime dramas? The second of four units in a Biotechnology series introduces scholars to the many methods of DNA analysis. Pupils create and run their own gel electrophoresis...
North Carolina State University
Exploring Genetics Across the Middle School Science and Math Curricula
Where is a geneticist's favorite place to swim? A gene pool. Young geneticists complete hands-on activities, experiments, and real-world problem solving throughout the unit. With extra focus on dominant and recessive genes, Punnett...
Curated OER
Archaeological Detectives
Young scholars, in groups, examine in depth one aspect of forensic archaeology to determine the skeleton's age, gender, and possible cause of death. To do so, students must first explain what is involved in each aspect of forensic...
Curated OER
Flesh Eating Bugs, Moldy Corpses, The Trail of a Killer
Learners read about how forensic entomologists use maggots to solve murders. In this forensic science lesson, students read an article and answer questions. They go to different websites about evidence and fingerprinting.
Curated OER
DNA Fingerprints
Learners interpret different DNA fingerprints, then do a jigsaw activity to explore other uses of DNA forensics. They listen to a radio program about using DNA as evidence and discuss the limitations of and problems with DNA testing.