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Presented by

Bud Bertino

My Background

• Taught science 43 years

• Coordinated a G/T and other after school programs for grades 6-12

• Conducted mini-courses Grades 2-8

• Supervisor - student teachers U-Albany

• Author of high school forensics text

• Author ‘Cookie Jar Mystery’ kit (Grades 5-8)

My Goals Today

• To stimulate your thoughts on how YOU might use forensics in your classroom

• To bring fun and develop skills and in-depth learning experiences to your students.

Why choose Forensics?

• Teacher background

varies

• Variety of activities

• Creating a scenario

Solving a ‘crime’

• Hands-on techniques

Group cooperation

• Wrap-up and Q & A

Why is Forensics Successful?

• True interdisciplinary learning

• Introduces career possibilities

• Encourages team (co-operative) learning

• Teaches the tools of MST

and stimulates Reading

(Patti’s handout)

• Relevant to the real world

• Everyone loves a mystery!

Some successful forensic

applications from my past

• My AP Bio classes – analyzed crime scenes after THE BIG TEST, 4 weeks of work & presentations – everyone was BUSY, high interest, low pressure, offered a prize

• My Community College Biology Classes (FLCC, 15 years) and high school Biology classes analyzed hair and fibers, took measurements instead of the letter ‘e’ nonsense

• My G/T groups (grades 9-12) worked on cases

• My pull-out G/T students (grades 2-5) studied water pollution (wildlife forensics), insect life cycles, using a hand held mini-microscope to

Solve mysteries

• Great opportunity to focus on single theme

• Encourages teamwork – each group collaborates to get results

• Reinforces standards taught during the day

• Each session begins by discovering new evidence and getting one step closer to solving the mystery!

Advantages What is needed?

• Plan a scenario that engages students

• Keep it simple

• Collect materials

• Room to operate

• Minimal cost

• Stage a crime scene area

Creating a Scenario

• Work backwards

• Identify types of evidence hair, fiber, etc.

• Number of suspects

• Identify the crime

• Map out steps of investigation

Sources of Materials

• Case Studies - news

• TV Series – too gruesome

often ridiculous

• Write your own non-violent

• Patti’s summary handout

(like our pollen materials)

Locard’s Exchange Principle(Your evidence mini-course)

"at any given crime

scene, a perpetrator will leave something at the scene, and will

take something from the scene, when he

(or she) leaves the scene"

Steps of Investigation

• Observational skills – use pictures, film clips & prepared questions to hone skills

• Locard’s Principle - evidence collection

• Analysis of evidence, class or unique

• Putting it all together to solve the crime

Top Areas of Investigations

• Hair, fiber and pollen(trace evidence)

• Blood –typing & crime scene analysis of blood spatter

• Tool marks

• Chromatography

(pens & ink)

More Topics

• Impressions (dental, tire, foot)

• DNA analysis

• Entomology

• Fingerprinting

• Time of Death:

- rigor mortis

- decomposition

Whorl

Arch

Loop

Wildlife & Environmental Studies

New York City (scenarios)

• Heavy metals (paint) Chemistry

• Central Park Crimes Biology

• Water & Air pollution Chem & Bio

• Hit and run (property damage) Physics

• Ransom demands Chem & Physics

• Water pollution Bio & Chem

Hair Analysis

Descriptive with a mathematical component (medullary index) or simply a visual match

Weave patterns & fiber analysis

Descriptive (weave pattern) with a mathematical component (threads per inch)

Chromatography

• Place your strips of chromatography paper in the solvent as directed

• Wait 10 minutes

• Remove & examine

• OR

• Lipstick analysis

Which pen was used to write the ransom note?

Tool Marks

Descriptive (visual) with a mathematical component

Impressions

Measurement of foot size and stride length

Dental Impressions

Styrofoam square

Pollen Evidence

Descriptive with a mathematical component

Pollen Collection

Flower dissection

Comparison of parts

Examination of pollen

DNA Analysis(using food coloring)

Descriptive with a mathematical

component (Rf calculation)

Probability of a Match? Physics-related Topics

• Ballistics-the physics and math of projectiles

• Glass analysis - index of refraction, shatter patterns

• Dental Impressions

measurement of bridge angles

• Soil or Sand Analysis includes

Magnified sand

Sand Analysis

Bermuda Maine

Salt Lake City

Myrtle Beach

Soil Analysis• Plant matter

• Animal matter

• Soil type

• Density columns

• Composition analysis

Skid marks & speed calculations Drug Analysis

Balloon Thumbprint Fingerprint Pattern Types Fingerprint Pattern Types Fingerprint Pattern Types Fingerprint Pattern Types Fingerprint Pattern Types Fingerprint Pattern Types Fingerprint Pattern Types Fingerprint Pattern Types L(oops) A(rches) W(horls)

Whorl Patterns• Whorls occur in 25% of fingerprint patterns

PLAIN CENTRAL POCKET

Two deltas

Fingerprint Patterns• F.B.I recognizes eight basic

patterns

• Ten basic details within the

patterns (minutiae)

• 12 identical points were

necessary for a match

Minutiae patterns

Ridge Minutiae MinutiaeMinutiae

Ending ridgesEnding ridges

BifurcationsBifurcations

DotsDots

IslandsIslands

Identify Minutiae patterns

Students work at prepared stations near crime scene

Crime Scene Development

• Create a scenario – check newspapers, magazines

• What ‘clues’ will you leave? o Footprints, tire impressions o Fingerprints o Hair, fibers, pollen o Teeth impressions o DNA analysis o Sand or soil trace

• Find an area to set up the scene – a room , closet, etc.,

• Set up a ‘lab’ area for investigators

• Assign teams of CSI investigators all with assigned jobs

I often paired students of varying abilities.

• Stress techniques of evidence collection

• Plan sufficient time and materials for your students Blocks of 35-45 minutes works well (with 10 minutes clean-up)

• Plan a uniform crime scene which ultimately leads to focusing on the most likely scenario

• Alternative – a kit

Budget costs• Many materials can be obtained

free from various sources – within your science department, Internet, local police departments, etc.

• Visit www.BertinoForensics.comfor free activities and information about our summer program and textbook

Over 90 Activities

A full year course!

High School

Text

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Special emphasislab set-ups and organizationcost reduction optionsmeeting the needs of heterogeneous students

Three sessions: (Same material presented each session)

Title: Bertino Forensic Science InstituteDates: Session 1 June 27- 30 (Monday-Thursday)

Session 2 July 5-8 (Tuesday-Friday)Session 3 July 11-14 (Monday-Thursday)

Location: Scotia-Glenville High School, Scotia, NY 12302 (near Albany)Cost: $ 475 Includes textbook, binder and materials, lab costs,

Sherlock Bones CD-rom, CD-rom of collected materials

For more information, visit http://www.bertinoforensics.com

Flowers, Forensics and PollenForensic Science:

Fundamental & Investigations

Bud Bertino and

Patricia Nolan Bertino

BertinoForensics.com

Join us @ 11:30 for a session

Thanks for coming!

This .ppt will be found at www.BertinoForensics.com

Questions??

bud@bertinoforensics.com