Science Themes - Forensic Explorer
Each unit takes half a day. Wherever possible the units are directly linked to the adventure activities undertaken.
The Getaway
This is the first unit out of four for KS3 forensics; it may be selected as a stand-alone unit.
In this unit pupils are introduced to the exciting and very real world of forensic science. Set in a complete storyline the group learn the basic investigative and laboratory skills required to investigate an abandoned car. Through careful progression and analysis of clues - via chemical fingerprinting, observations, ion testing, microscopy, blood testing, problem solving and map skills - the group will learn the significance of recording evidence for wider scientific conclusions and form their own hypotheses and conclusions.
The Heist
This is the second unit out of four for KS3 forensics; it may be selected as a standalone unit but follows on from The Getaway. In this unit pupils are introduced to the exciting and very real world of forensic science. Progressing from a standpoint of basic laboratory skills, the group must use explosives testing, chromatography, simulated mass spectrometry and refractive index measurements to catch the perpetrators from a list of 70 suspects.
The Body
This is the third unit out of four for KS3 forensics. It may be selected as a stand alone unit but follows on seamlessly from The Getaway and The Heist. If no other forensic units are chosen alongside The Body then a session focussing on the techniques of forensic science is recommended as an evening activity.
Caution: This unit contains accurate scenes of blood with medium, high and low velocity transfers. Also present are black and white coroner’s pictures detailing injuries.
In this, the final investigative unit of the KS3 forensics course, pupils encounter a murder scene and from all the evidence present - both large scale and microscopic - they must piece together what happened. If used in conjunction with other units, all the evidence from those units needs to be included. The pupils are put in charge of their own investigation under the watchful supervision of a forensic technician available to help out with new techniques and in overall control of the group. Pupils will need to decide as a team what evidence is of importance to the case and how they must analyse it, concluding who to arrest and which searches to perform. Areas covered include: ion testing, ballistics, the trigonometry of blood pattern analysis, identifying chemicals from mass spectrometry, performing swab tests for trace chemicals, gunpowder residue testing and analysis of wound patterns. The pupils alone determine what all the evidence means and the final outcome.
The Courtroom
This is a summary unit for KS3 forensics and may only be booked alongside another KS3 forensics unit.
Armed with their evidence, a hypothesis as to the identity of a perpetrator and a series of events based on the evidence they have gathered, the group must prepare a case for an internal “hearing” detailing their work and their conclusions. They must be prepared to be cross-examined on the validity of their evidence and methods by Francis Featherman, presiding over the court, and two “barristers”. These proceedings culminate in a decision as to whether the evidence is good enough to go to trial, after which the actual plot and the evidence are revealed. This is an excellent way to review the pupils’ work throughout the course, encouraging both public speaking and self-evaluation of evidence.
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