Research and Development - FORENSIC SCIENTIST

Diatoms and Forensic Science

A single strand of hair may now help catch the criminal!

The relationship between foot length and height

Probability: Forensic Investigations

Websites, Games & Apps

A Murder on Midway Street! A Forensic WebQuest

Diatoms and Forensic Science

Middle  Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Cooperative Learning Activity

1. In groups of 3 - 4 students, read the following article from The Conversation 11 April 2016

2. Using the Cornell Note-taking Method, create notes, summaries and questions (under keywords and comments) about this article.

3. Within the group, analyse the article by collating the questions, facts and figures from each group member.

5. Share with your classmates and play one or two of their Kahoots!

A single strand of hair may now help catch the criminal!

Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Cooperative Learning Activity

1. In groups of 3 - 4 students, read the following article from The Conversation 8 September 2016

2. Using Plus, Minus & Interesting Strategy, analyse the article and answer the questions:

a. What have you, as a group, learnt from this article?

b. What is the Chemistry behind this discovery? Describe in detail.

c. What are the limitations?

3. Using the Expert Jigsaw Strategy, divide up the following article from The Conversation and using PMI again, share with each other the Forensic Science within the article:

The Conversation 13 December 2021

The relationship between foot length and height (inspired by The Anatomical Record)

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Numeracy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Cooperative Learning Activity

1. In groups of 4 - 5 students, you are going to make measurements of your feet and record the results.

Look at the following diagram and work out together how you will create a table showing the results of foot measurements for each student within your group. Add these results to the class table.

Various landmarks and measurements on the human foot.
(Source: Science Direct)

2. Using A4 or A3 blank paper, draw an outline of your feet - both feet.

3. Make the measurements above - pte to d5.t etc and record the measurements. Add to the class table - put your initials next to your results.

Was there a difference between your feet size? Was it significant? How can you tell?

Was there a big difference in results amongst the group?

4. As a group, you are going to measure your heights. Put them onto the class table making sure that the foot size and height are linked.

5. Add your shoe size to your class table.

6. Results

a. put the class results on a graph. Is there any correlation?

b. work out the correlation and ratio between foot size and height.

c. work out the correlation between shoe size and height - are there any differences that are significant?

Real World Application

Most people at a crime scene have their shoes on!

7. As a group, investigate the following table carefully: You will note that for height range you need to convert feet and inches to cms. (Source: The Anatomical Record)

 Table I. Relationship of foot length, shoe size range, height, and percentage of adult males with feet and shoe sizes in each percentile.
* These data are for running shoes or other similar flat-soled casual shoes

8. What interesting facts did you discover as a group?

9. Compare and contrast your class' foot and height table with Table 1. Are there any discrepancies?

10. Look at the following shoes found at a crime scene. Work out the approximate height of the owner.

Are there any other identifying marks that will help a forsensic scientist or investigator?

A.	Shoe Size: 9 1/2 What other characteristics does this footwear have? List and compare in your group. Approximate height of owner =
B. Actual crime scene photograph. Figure 4. (A) A muddy print on paper before treatment. (B) The same print enhanced with DFO and photographed with an alternative light source. The print was lifted, and activated, with a black gelatin lifter. Courtesy of M J M Velders, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Shoe size 291mm What other characteristics can be observed?

Optional Extra

Want to know more about the analysis of footwear evidence? PDF 89 pages. Click here

Probability: Forensic Investigations (developed by Resolve)

 Middle  Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Numeracy

Teacher Target group: Year 10 Local copy: Overview PDF Local copy: Lesson Plan  PDF Local copy: Student Handouts PDF [3 pages]

Students examine real-world case studies of probability being applied in misleading ways. They assess and explain the flaws in the mathematical methodology used.

This sequence is for students who:

are familiar with a suite of tools for working with probability
have an understanding of independent and dependent events
are able to identify mistakes in language used to communicate ideas around probability


Lesson 1: Forensic Investigations
Students examine real-world case studies of probability being applied in misleading ways. They assess and explain the flaws in the mathematical methodology used.

Did You Know? There are other Forensic Science Activities on this website.... Look at the Forensic Cluster. Forensic Podiatry: Let's measure our feet and gait! Activity is available under the Podiatrist Maggots and Murder Activity is available under the Entomologist The Conversation has articles on Forensic Science updated regularly For example.... The Conversation 10 February 2022

Websites, Games & Apps

Making tracks: the forensic analysis of footprints and footwear impressions Teacher The Anatomical Record Middle  Secondary 3 Activities Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking
CSI - Web Adventures Recommended by Lucas Middle  Secondary Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking Australian Curriculum General Capability: Personal and social capability 5 Cases to solve
Arriving at the Scene: Game [Virtual Museum: Canada] Recommended by Lucas Primary Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking Instructions You are about to investigate a murder. Your goal is to investigate all 3 areas of the crime scene: •The place of entry •The place of struggle •The crime scene Your mission is to discover 4 clues per area, for a total of 12 clues. This is easily done by rolling your mouse over the crime scene picture.
The Case of the Barefoot Burglar Recommended by Lucas Primary Middle  Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking
Investigating Forensics Recommended by Lucas Secondary Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy
Forensic Science for Kids Primary Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy
Forensic Science: Lesson Plans Middle  Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking Teacher A range of lesson plans (9 weeks worth) including Daily CSI Challenges; Crime Scenes & Testimonial Evidence; Physical Evidence; Fingerprinting; Impression Evidence Hairs & Fibers;  Chromatography; Blood Basics; Forensic Entomology; Forensic Anthropology; DNA Evidence;  Arson Investigation; CRASH Unit; CSI Adventure (Geocaching Activity)
Whodunit? A Forensic Science Resource Book for Teachers by SciTech 53 pages PDF full of full activities. Aligned to the Australian Curriculum Teacher Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy Australian Curriculum General Capability: Numeracy
Enquiring Minds - Bridges to Higher Education Forensic Photographer Primary Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking
Forensics Middle  Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking
Splatter Spread Middle  Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

A Murder on Midway Street! A Forensic WebQuest

Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

A Science Rich Task

Target Group: 9 - 12

Teacher

This WebQuest is now in Word doc form [Local Copy] as the Quest Garden is now finished.

Local Copy [14 pages]