Christmas Forensics

Today we're going to be looking at some crimes that have been committed over holidays.  Look at the links to answer the questions.

1. What crimes are more common in Oxfordshire over Chistmas? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-16145776
2. How can shopping be dangerous over the Christmas break? What evidence could ahve been used to convict people involved here? - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/business/29walmart.html
3. How were these criminals caught? What other evidence might they have left at the scene? - http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=5826940
4. Try any of the activities on this site - http://forensics.rice.edu/
5. I've given this link to the gold mine game before, but there are three others to try down the bottom of the page - http://www.trutv.com/shows/forensic_files/games/hiddenmine/index.html
6. Lots of activities to try - http://investigation.discovery.com/interactives/interactives.html

Blood Spatter/Assignment work

Today we will be EITHER

• Completing sections of evidence sheets we've already started

OR

• Creating a word document about blood spatter evidence.

For the topics we've done so far - DNA fingerprinting, fingerprints, footprints, fibres - You can research using old links from this page or try here for information - http://www.exploreforensics.co.uk/CollectingEvidenceCategory.html .  If this doesn't have what you need, feel free to search for the information you do need.

The new topic for today that we will look at is Blood spatter.  Include answers to the following questions in your work:
What evidence can it give investigators?
How is this evidence collected?
What equipment is needed?
What conclusions can be reached with this evidence?
Are there any problems with tis type of evidence?

Use these links to help you - Basic outline of evidence provided - http://www.enotes.com/blood-spatter-reference/blood-spatter
LOTS of good information about blood spatter analysis - http://science.howstuffworks.com/bloodstain-pattern-analysis.htm

Fingerprints

Today we'll be working on fingerprints for the assignment.  Answer the following questions, which we will print and submit to meet the criteria for assignment 2.

1. What evidence can fingerprints give in crimes?
2. What equipment do you need to take a fingerprint properly?
3. Explain the stesp involved in taking fingerprints:
4. What different types of fingerprints are there? Are they the same for all of a person's fingers?
5. What evidence can fingerprints give investigators?

Use these sites to help you find your information -
http://www.exploreforensics.co.uk/fingerprints.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00206/text_nts_fingerprinting.htm
video on steps involved - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOdPirQQh9Q

Make sure you save and try to print off whatever you have completed by the end of the lesson.

Giving evidence in Court

Forensic investigators need to be able to think clearly and remember many important details about cases they are working on.  They are oftern required to give evidence long after working on a case, and can let guilty criminals go free if they can't remember everything clearly. 
Try the activities on the following links to practice your observational skills:
http://forensics.rice.edu/html/picture_begin.html
http://viscog.beckman.illinois.edu/grafs/demos/15.html
http://forensics.rice.edu/html/comparison.html

Once you've completed these, answer the following questions in your books:

1. Why is it important for forensic investigators to remember small details accurately?
2. Why do you think that about 42% of people don't see the gorilla first time?
3. Why might lawyers try and prove that forensic scientists have bad memories?
4. Give one reason from TODAY's lesson why photographing crime scenes is important
5. Explain what the chain of custody is and how it would help forensic investigators convince a jury in court that they have acted correctly around evidence (use the link - http://www.strathclydeforensics.co.uk/custody.htm)

Once youre finished try this - http://www.trutv.com/shows/forensic_files/games/hiddenmine/index.html

Collecting evidence

Today we will be writing up some more information to meet criteria for our assignments.  We need to explain how to correctly collect, label and store three types of evidence - biological, chemical and physical. 
Use the following sites to help you:

• Different types of evidence - http://www.enotes.com/forensic-science/forensic-science
• Biological evidence - http://projects.nfstc.org/property_crimes/module03/pro_m03_t06.htm 
• Physical evidence - http://www.yourdiscovery.com/crime/on_the_scene_2/collecting_the_evidence/index.shtml
• Chemical evidence - http://www.exploreforensics.co.uk/Bloodstains-tyre-tracks-and-soil-samples.html 
• Loads of info about all three evidence types - http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/collect.html

Make sure you include some photos of the evidence we collected last week - give me your email addresses in class and I'll forward them to you.
if you're finished and have printed out your work, try this - http://www.trutv.com/shows/forensic_files/games/hiddenmine/index.html

Forensic evidence

We have been looking at different types of forensic evidence that can be collected so far in class.  These included fingerprints, foorprints, blood and types of ink. Today we'll look at how important it is to make sure that Forensic Scientists collect evdience carefully and don't make any mistakes.

1. Why would you need to be careful when collecting blood samples or dealing with dead bodies?
2. What errors did the Forensics team make that made in the murder investigation of Ms. Nickell?
3. What 3 types of fingerprints can be collected at a crime scene? Describe what an impressed print looks like.
4. What is the first thing you should always do before you take ANY sort of evidence from a crime scene?
5. Explain how pieces of Forensic evidence were used to convict Philip Smith of murdering the three women.  Did any one piece of evidence completely convict him?

Question 1 - http://www.ehow.com/about_5574659_dangers-forensic-pathology.html
Question 2 - http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/feb/22/topstories3.ukcrime
Question 3 - http://www.odec.ca/projects/2004/fren4j0/public_html/types_prints.htm
Question 4 - http://scienceman.org/Archives/forensics/Intasp.html
Question 5 - http://www.forensic.gov.uk/html/media/case-studies/f-22.html


Try and solve the crimes here once you're finished - http://investigation.discovery.com/interactives/interactives.html

I.T. lesson

Today we will be using the internet to do some research about forensic science.  Use the links below to help answer the following questions in your books:
1. What types of evidence can Forensic Scientists find at crime scenes?
2. What equipment do they use to collect evidence?
3. What is a search pattern?
4. Explain why Forensic Scientists would need to be careful when they are collecting evidence at a crime scene:
5. What does entomology mean? How does it relate to forensics?

Types of evidence - http://www.jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/occupation/Forensic-Scientist
Equipment - http://forensicsciencebasics.com/basic-items-you-can-find-in-a-forensic-science-lab/
Search patterns (and lots of other good stuff) - http://science.howstuffworks.com/csi3.htm
Dangers of forensic science - http://www.ehow.com/about_5574659_dangers-forensic-pathology.html
For entomology - http://agspsrv34.agric.wa.gov.au/ento/forensic.htm
Once you're finished, try this link - http://forensics.rice.edu/
or this one - http://www.trutv.com/shows/forensic_files/index.html