You Be the Crime Scene Investigator

Introduce this lesson by asking students if they have seen any of the popular CSI shows on television.

Whether or not students have seen these shows, use the discussion prompts on the right to discuss what they think a CSI investigator does in their job.

Language

Ensure that students understand that the acronym CSI stands for Crime Scene Investigation.

You may want to use a Word Wall or other vocabulary support tool as there is a lot of new vocabulary in this lesson.

Discussions

Discussion prompts can include:

• “What do you think a CSI investigator does?”
• “What skills do you think a CSI investigator would need in their work?”
• “What science knowledge do you think CSI investigators use?”

Provide students with the Day in the Life - Forensic Technician reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF]. Allow them time to read the questions before watching the video and encourage them to highlight key words in the questions.

Then, either in small groups, or as a whole class, have students watch the YouTube video: Day in the Life - Forensic Technician Sarah Finch.

Afterwards, have students answer the questions independently or in small groups. Once completed, students could compare their answers to those of other students. 

This could be followed by a whole class debrief or students could submit their reproducibles for assessment.

See the Day in the Life - Forensic Technician Answer Key [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF].

Images and Videos

You may wish to turn on closed captioning for the video so that students can both see and hear the terminology used.

For students with visual impairments, describe (or have students describe) what is being shown on screen.

Language

Students could respond to the questions on the reproducible orally or in writing.

You could follow this up with an observation and inference activity, such as “What happened in the gazebo?”

In this activity, students study an image in which something has taken place, similar to a crime scene. They need to carefully observe the scene, paying attention to as many details as possible. Afterwards, based on their observations, they can infer what they think happened.

To scaffold this observation, explain that CSI have a list of look-fors depending on the crime, such as

• Were the lights on or off?
• Were doors or windows open or closed?
• Was there any discarded clothing?
• Are any weapons visible?

They would also plan to collect evidence such as

• Fingerprints on surfaces
• Samples of skin cells where people would have been sitting
• Fluids like saliva or cells from lips on drinking glasses

Provide pairs or small groups of students with the “What happened in the gazebo?” image [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF] or project the image on screen.

Also provide students with the “What happened in the gazebo?” Observations and Inferences reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF] or have them make a similar t-chart on paper or in a science notebook.

You may wish to teach or review the difference between observations and inferences (see Language tip) before students begin.

For the first few minutes, have students make observations and ONLY observations. You could have groups share their observations to ensure that they are actually observations and NOT inferences. Then they can take a few minutes to write down some inferences. Encourage students to make inferences that are based on their observations, which are logical and make sense in the given situation.

Afterwards, have groups share what they think happened.

Note; There is NO RIGHT ANSWER. Each group can have different but valid explanations.

Language

An observation is when a person notices details of an object, phenomena, etc. using the five senses. An inference is a conclusion a person makes based on their observations.

Nature of Science

Scientists regularly make both observations and inferences. Observations provide data that can then be analyzed. Analysis is about making inferences that are logical, without bias and are based on data and existing knowledge.

Discussions

Discussion prompts can include:

• “Why can there be more than one interpretation of what happened?”
• “Now that you have heard from the other groups, has your idea about what happened changed? Why or why not?”

Divide students into pairs or small groups.

Provide each group with a copy of the CSI Scavenger Hunt either digitally [Wordwall] [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF].

In it they will use the internet to search for the answers to 10 multiple choice questions about cells and technologies related to CSI. 

If students need support finding information, you could provide them with the links found in the Answer Key.

Answers can be found in the CSI Scavenger Hunt Answer Key [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF].

Students could submit their answers to the quiz digitally or on paper.

Technology

When using the Wordwall version of the CSI Scavenger Hunt you can share the link as is. Or, by signing up (for free) you can make a copy. With the copy you can make edits, share it on Google classroom and view student answers, which could then be used as an assessment.

Language

Students may wish to have a paper copy of the form in front of them to take notes as they do their research.

To consolidate and reinforce their learning, have small groups of students design their own “crime scenes” and then swap with another group to determine what they think happened.

“Crimes” could include things like:

• Who stole the cookie (chair, backpack, test results, etc.)?
• Who drank the drink?
• Where was the victim’s last meal? (make fake vomit from assorted materials, put out restaurant flyers, etc.)
• Who wrote the note? (investigate different inks in pens, handwriting styles)
• How did the accident happen? (untied shoelaces, slippery mat, etc.)

NOTE: If students are uncomfortable with crimes involving death, you may wish to limit the “crimes” to those involving theft or the disappearance of objects, mysterious notes, accidents, etc.

Together, with students, determine the criteria for the activity, which could include things such as:

• The “crime” must take place in the classroom
• There must be at least 3 clues (e.g., fingerprints, fibres, handwriting samples, etc.)
• At least one clue should require the use of a microscope (or magnifying lens) (i.e., the clue cannot be easily seen or differentiated from other things with the naked eye)
• All clues must be able to be cleaned up afterwards
• Etc.

Students could write out their plans using the Create Your Own Crime Scene reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF]. You should approve all plans before students implement them.

If possible, go around to each group to observe their crime scene and how the other group interprets it. Written plans and observations could be assessed for a variety of skills and global competencies.

Safety

Ensure that safety rules are also clearly identified. You will want to go over how to safely use tools and materials as props (e.g., liquid as blood splatter, sharp objects, etc.).

Idea

For a shorter activity, you could set up the crime scene and have students interpret it in a manner similar to “What happened in the gazebo?”

Idea

For a less hands-on version, students could create a still image, using a program like Canva, of a scene like “What happened in the gazebo?” and use the same Create Your Own Crime Scene reproducible. It could be then shared through an online sharing and commenting tool, such as Google jamboard or Miro.