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Thematic Teaching
forensic science: related resources
Activity Ideas | Related Resources
Find Below: PBS Web Sites, Other Recommended Links, Recommended Books
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NOVA: "Forensics"
Visit the NOVA web site for a wide range of educator resources and student interactives about forensic science.
Secrets of the Dead
Explore the intersection of forensic science and history with video clips, lesson plans and fun interactive games for middle and high school students.
Nature: "Crime Scene Creatures"
Meet a host of scientists and law enforcement agents who are enlisting crime-solving recruits from the natural world.
Race: The Power of an Illusion
Examine how forensics investigators determine a person's race.
History Detectives
Learn how forensic techniques play a major role in "history sleuthing."
recommended web sites
Overview of Careers in Forensics
http://www3.ccps.virginia.edu/career_prospects/briefs/P-S/SummaryForensics.shtml
Somewhere a body is discovered... So what DO forensic
scientists do? They are the people who carry out the
scientific work in a criminal investigation. Getting
job in this area is becoming more appealing, in large
part due to the television shows related to forensics,
and having a strong background in science is a must.
This site is a good place to investigate the education
and career options.
Subject: Science & Technology
More Recommended Science & Technology Links
Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/visibleproofs/
The National Library of Medicine has created a site about forensic medicine. Not for the squeamish, this site delves into autopsies, anatomical specimens, and body decomposition. There are 15 forensic cases presented for your investigation, biographies of people who were instrumental in developing processes such as fingerprint identification and toxicology, and other technologies of forensic medicine. Three online activities and three lesson plans introduce forensic medicine, anthropology, technology, and history.
Subject: Science & Technology
More Recommended Science & Technology Links
Case of the Barefoot Burglar
http://cyberbee.com/whodunnit/crimescene.html
You are an investigator at a crime scene in a middle
school science classroom. There has been a break-in
and theft. Using math and science, you figure out who
the culprit is by measuring feet size to body height
ratios, matching teeth impressions to a bite in a
piece of chocolate, and learning about dactyloscopy
(fingerprinting). Different careers represented are
forensic anthropologists, forensic dentists, and
forensic chemists. Some materials are in PDF, and
there are teacher resources from this Cyberbee
project.
Subject: Science & Technology
More Recommended Science & Technology Links
CSI: Crime Seen, Investigated from the Why Files
http://www.whyfiles.org/014forensic/
Caution, not for the weak of stomach, because this
site has some graphic images and descriptions of flesh
eating bugs, decomposing bodies, and other grisly
tidbits important to forensic entomologists. Some of
the tame parts include analyzing handwriting, word
choice, punctuation, hand "control," personality
analysis, ultraviolet light analysis, and radiocarbon
dating of notes from serial killers. This site is
designed with teachers and students in mind, as there
are discussion questions, lesson plans and online
activities for middle and high school students tied to
national teaching standards in science and technology.
Subject: Science & Technology
More Recommended Science & Technology Links
Forensics: The Investigative Science
http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01748/
This ThinkQuest site is about four specific divisions
of forensic science: fingerprint identification, blood
detection, DNA detection, and fiber classification.
Many crimes are solved and criminals convicted (or
exonerated) based on scientific conclusions to tests
run by trained scientists. After you delve into each
section, try the quiz to see if you are on the path to
becoming a forensic scientist.
Subject: Science and Technology
More Recommended Science & Technology Links
recommended books
Crime Scene: How Investigators Use Science to Track Down the Bad Guys
by Vivien Bowers, Martha Newbigging
Published February 2006
Grades: 3-5; 6-8
Subjects: Science & Technology
This introduction to the sciences employed by forensics experts opens with three cases that attentive readers will be able to solve after reading the book. No clue is too small. Even a fragment of a pistachio shell found in a trouser cuff can help establish that a suspect was at the crime scene.
Chapters look at evidence, counterfeits and forgeries, computer crime, identification, and the crime scene. Along the way, readers have a chance to display their crime solving skills.
More Recommended Science & Technology Books
Forensics
By Richard Platt
Published October 2005
Grades: 3-5; 6-8
Subjects: Science & Technology
Follow crime investigators as they collect evidence at the crime scene, establish identities, and analyze evidence. Chapters end with summaries and recommended websites. Plenty of photos illustrate techniques.
More Recommended Science & Technology Books
Your Secrets Are My Business: A Security Expert Reveals How Your Trash, License Plate, Credit Cards, Computer, and Even Your Mail Make You an Easy Target for Today's Information Thieves
By Kevin McKeown with Dave Stern
Published October 1999
Grades: 6-8; 9-12
Subjects: Science & Technology
The author is a security advisor and investigator who helped crack an international high-tech smuggling ring and conducted an undercover investigation for patent infringement. After reading this book you'll think twice about opening your wallet in public, throwing out junk mail, and using the telephone. Middle school students and older, welcome to the brave new world.
More Recommended Science & Technology Books