Crime Scene Investigation Workshop
Target Audience: 8-12 students in grades 7-8
Workshop Time Frame: twice a week after school from 3:15-4:15 for five weeks
The first five to six sessions will involve students processing and investigating a crime scene that has been set up by the librarian.
After that students will spend four to five sessions investigating crime scenes and evidence and then planning and creating a crime scene to be used with future workshops.
Ideas for guest speakers:
Local detective or police officer
Session 1:
Explain to students that a crime has been committed on school grounds. See Crime Scene Preparation Document for creating the crime scene. Having a local detective or police officer may help consider different aspects of crime scene processing and evidence.
Take students to the crime scene. Ask students what would need to be done to document exactly what the crime scene looked like when the crime was discovered (photographed). Ask students what they see that could possibly be used as evidence. Students can then use digital cameras to photograph crime scene in detail. Students may need to be guided in examining certain parts of the scene that they might neglect (ex: asking them to look at the ground may help them catch the impression of a footprint).
Question students as to what they believe would need to be done to protect the crime scene from the elements or from being disrupted. Students can then work as a whole group to use tenting materials (posts & tarps) to protect the crime scene.
Session 2: Interviewing/Interrogation
Session 4: Evidence Processing
Session 7-10: Planning and creating crime scenes
Students will use this time to research different types of evidence and plan and create crime scenes to be used for future workshops. Students will work in groups of 2-3 to develop a mock crime scene of their own making that could be used for the next workshop session. Students will collaborate, share resources, and their products on the workshop wiki Crime Scene Wiki. Teacher or librarian will facilitate these sessions by helping students find resources or consider more in depth questions as they work.
Here is a Library Media Specialist's "37 Resources for Teachers of Forensic Science" if you are seeking additional ideas.
Don't feel over-whelmed by this area of science. If you need more training, consider putting this free online class on a watchlist!
It's offered through Coursera. What does that mean? 1). It's online. 2). It's free 3). It's a pretty brief course 4). You can participate on different levels (i.e. for certificate or just watching some lectures/videos for background knowledge).
If you want to participate, register with Coursera first. Next, use the dropdown arrow under "Sessions" to put yourself on a waiting list for a "future session." Then, as they become open, you'll receive an email. It's that simple! Voila!
https://www.coursera.org/course/ntufsc
